Great English Pub Grub and Excellent Service

One typical serving at Burger and Lobster

    This was our first night in London, and my wife suggested we eat the world famous Burger and Lobster, which is famous for, you guessed it, burgers and lobsters. Our orders for a whole lobster and fries cost GBP 20. Take the Tube to Green Park and you're in Mayfair area (rich neighbourhood).  It is located at 29 Clarges Street, just off the main road.

    We were very fortunate, on that night (I recall), was a Monday evening, and the placed, while packed (it normally is, and it was coming close to Christmas), we only waited 10 minutes which was very fortunate for us. Many reviewers of the restaurant said waiting time could take up to 1 hour.The service was extremely good, the wait staff lady was so polite and professional, sitting us down and taking our orders with genuine warmth.

  

     The Brits (Londoners) are regarded as aloof  to strangers, but this most recent trip changed my perception totally.The numerous people I met, dining at ramen restaurants,

simple burger places,this restaurant and a waterfornt dining establishment at the Embankment all had top rated service. Even the front doormen were so professional and courteous I was taken aback by their professionalism and friendliness. You can say London really won me over for its multiculturism and people. The anti-terrorist checks and level of alertness is definately there, police and special weapons teams are patrolling the Tube and making their presence felt by random checking of passersby.  Vagrants idling around the stations  (ours was Earl's court) were first checked for abode, and then encouraged to leave. People who were idling around also were checked. Nothing is left to chance.That is indeed a good thing.   

      The service industry, especially the wait staff, beats Singapore's so-called service hands down. I am sad to say, Singapore is light years away from the good (don't even consider excellent) service of our neighbours in Asia. Japan would be No.1, Australia No. 2, S Korea No. 3. In S.E. Asia, I daresay, Singapore's service for ordinary cafes and family restaurants ranks near the bottom with only Malaysia faring worse. Generally speaking, our service staff are poorly trained, not renumerated well, and have an evasive or bad attitude to customers. Much of the blame lies on the restaurant owners who in their bid for focussing on profit, often hire part-timers and people who are in between jobs, displaced staff, staff poorly or not at all trained in customer service hence the low level.     

Lousy Service and you'll be chucked in the Tower of London ! 

    Coming back to the food at Burger and Lobster. The lobster was tasty and tender, and the portion was big. The fries were crisp and large and portions were served on a plastic wrapper right on the table. I had a dark ale to go with my food. 

      The packed joint at Clarges Street was full of after office people and we fit right in with the crowd. I am hoping they will set up a branch in Singapore sometime soon. So in a nutshell, good food, great service and a cold winter's night sets the stage for a good appetite which was satiated by the evening's end.