Smack Lobster Roll Deli - The Fast-Fine Dining Concept Arrives in London!

Name: Smack Lobster Roll Deli

Address: 26-28 Binney Street, London, W1K 5BN (the website is still under construction - you can follow them on Twitter or Instagram at @smacklobster)

Cost: Lobster rolls from £7 to £9, sides from £3 to £4.80, beers and wines at £4 and lemonade at £2.50.

About: Yesterday saw the press launch of Smack Lobster Roll Deli, the new fast-fine dining concept from the Goodman Restaurant Group, creators of Burger & Lobster.

Smack will be open to the public on the 3rd November 2014 serving a range of signature lobster rolls, ready prepared whole chick lobsters and sides including courgette fries and lobster chowder.

Diners can either take their options away, or eat in the premises. There is a large basement area to dine in. This has been elegantly designed in plain concrete with eye-catching visual projections, wooden stools and bar tables.

I enjoyed a sneak peek of some of Smack’s offerings last night and if this launch event is anything to go by, I heartily recommend a visit.

What We Ate: The lobster rolls were made with a rich, hot brioche, buttered and toasted, they were filled to the brim with large chunks of lobsters in different flavours. All rolls will be priced between £7 and £9 each. The flavours on offer yesterday were:

Chick Lobster Chunks with Garlicky Mayo

Californian – lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado and avocado mayo with lime.

Happy Ending – Japanese mayo, fish sauce, coriander, shredded napa cabbage.

Seven Samurai – tempura lobster, Japanese mayo and cabbage, cucumber, pickled ginger, spring onions and togarashi spice.

Spicy Mexican – spicy mayo, gherkins, lettuce.

The rolls I tried were delicious – the buttered brioche really made a difference here – neither too soft nor too hard, it was a perfect casing for the lobster meat. I also loved the very different flavours of each roll, the menu choices are set to be changed periodically.

The star of the show however in my opinion was their sides – the courgette fries (small £3/large £3.60) were outstandingly good, possibly the best I have ever tried – coated in Japanese panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried, they were crispy and utterly scrumptious. The courgette fries warrant a visit to Smack on their own right!

The Lobster Chowder (small £3.60/large £4.80) was also excellent – the bisque was creamy and bejeweled with large chuncks of lobster. I can’t think of a better winter warmer!

What We Drank: Alcoholic drinks are all on tap and priced at £4.  We started with a 125ml glass of SanMartino Vino Frizzante Bianco (white sparkling wine), which in my opinion was nothing to write home about. Better were the beers options, all served on 2/3 pint glasses - an American “Soundwave West Coast IPA” (5.6%) had wonderful refreshing hoppy flavours, but my favourite was the English “Undercurrent Pale Ale” (4.5%) which went magnificently well with all the rolls we tried. Two other wine options are also available (white - Trebbiano or red - Sangiovese) as well as lemonade (£2.50).

Likes: the lobster rolls were to die for, the buttery brioche was incredible, but it was the courgette fries that really did it for me, they were amazing. Very good value food and drinks menus.

Dislikes: the menu estates that alcoholic drinks are only to be consumed outside the premises. This was not the case at yesterday’s press launch, but if true, I would hope they will sort out their alcohol license pretty soon.

Verdict: Lobster rolls like you have never tried before + the best courgette fries in town, make Smack Lobster Roll Deli a must to any respectable London foodie. Go, go, go before prices are hiked up. Highly recommended.