Let them eat lobster

Lobsters are having a moment in London. Long considered an inaccessible luxury, not to mention being fiddly to eat, lobster is now back on the menu for diners in the capital, thanks to the recent glut of new seafood restaurants.

Not only have Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack, the Old Bengal Warehouse’s Fish Market and the latest outposts from Hawksmoor and Burger and Lobster made space on their menus for it, but at the new branch of The Jam Tree in Clapham, Lobster Benedict features on the brunch list. Meanwhile in Chelsea, Eighty-Six bar and restaurant has begun Lobster Tuesday, where south coast native lobster and chips will be on offer on that night for only £20 a head.

So why the sudden rush to cook up the clawed critters? At Bonnie Gull, the chef will only serve what is caught on the day, so you won’t always find them on the menu. But for director Alex Hunter, the west coast Scottish lobster he sells “is still among the most expensive and prized in the world” because of its sweet meat and juicy texture. Hunter adds that the flavour appeals to “meat lovers who don’t eat fish”.

As lobster season also slows down around December, some outlets such as Burger and Lobster import from Canada’s year-round stock. But for renowned crustacean crusader Richard Turner, head chef at Hawksmoor, quality is the name of the game. Turner always uses the British south coast variety, which he considers “one of the finest there is”. At the new Air Street branch — which opens on November 1 — there will be a new lobster main course, while dishes such as lobster roll and lobster macaroni feature in the Seven Dials and Guildhall branches.

Over at Fish Market, the native lobster cocktail is British-sourced, and manager Benedict Eccles-Williams says demand is down to the popularity of “very high-quality British produce, cooked simply”. The lobster may not don the expensive price tag so much now, but Eccles-Williams believes the luxury label still applies after “four years of recession dining”.

Recession dining or not, lobster has been clawed back from the rich list. Are you ready to crack this crustacean?