Top 5 for lobster

There is something unashamedly luxurious about this magnificently armoured crustacean that brings out the snob in all of us and our native lobsters are the finest in the world. Here are five restaurants where the lobsters are in the pink...

J. SHEEKEY
28-32 St Martin's Court, WC2 (020-7240 2565). Mon-Sun £80
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If lobster is mentioned among the menu specials at J. Sheekey it's worth ordering despite the horrendous price tag. Otherwise the lobsters here are strictly seasonal. In the spring they may be small (350g) 'canners' from the US - small, sweet and, as the name implies, usually sold in tins! Early summer sees the best lobsters (natives from Dorset) and the rest of the year it's back to Canadian.

MANDARIN KITCHEN
14-16 Queensway, W2 (020-7227 9468). Mon-Sun £70
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A restaurant where the service is brisk at best and brusque at worst, where bookings aren't allowed (making queueing inevitable) and where the most charitable interpretation of the prices as 'firm but fair' shouldn't be a top recommendation. But the Mandarin Kitchen is worth a visit. It is rumoured that this place sells the most lobsters in London. The simple dish of lobster with noodles is worth the wait (and the expense). Try your lobster with black bean sauce. The scallop and crab dishes are also very good here.

WILTON'S
55 Jermyn Street, SW1 (020-7629 9955). Mon-Fri £100
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Wilton's is a very senior restaurant indeed. Jacket and tie formality, service that glides with butler-like inscrutability, luxury ingredients and wallet-hammering prices. As a starter how does a 'lobster, crab and truffle omelette' sound - a snip at £22? Scottish lobsters are on the menu at 'market price' - a phrase which strikes fear into even the most spendthrift heart. If you wish to lunch on a perfect Dover sole, genuine wild salmon or perfectly cooked Scottish lobster this is the place to come, always providing that you can a) afford the price tag and b) get a table.

BIBENDUM OYSTER BAR
Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, SW3 (020-7589 1480). Mon-Sun £60
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The Oyster Bar at Bibendum occupies what was once the original garage space under Bibendum proper. Part of its appeal is the way that the flower stall and the camionette selling crustacea spill out towards the roadside. At present the Crustacea Van is selling cooked 1lb Maine lobsters to takeaway for just £12.50 and that includes a dollop of lemon mayonnaise. A smart dinner party to go! The Oyster Bar itself features light dishes and specialises in a very decent plateau fruits de mer.

ZILLI FISH
36-40 Brewer Street, W1 (020-7734 8649). Mon-Sat £65
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One of Aldo Zilli's signature dishes is 'spaghetti all astice' (£25). This is a simple combo of luxury and simplicity - lobster with spaghetti - a dish for the media crowd. Following the success of lobster spag, the menu now adds 'astice al forno, salsa di prezzemolo' a 'roast whole lobster with chips and a garlic and parsley sauce' (£28).

Prices estimate the average cost of a meal for two with drinks