SLABS is not the most appealing name for a restaurant, and when I wandered through the door at 7.30 on a Wednesday evening the venue didn’t look very appealing either… a small place on New Cavendish Street in Marylebone with garish lighting and endless empty tables. The food however surprised us, an assortment of American and Mediterranean options which were fresh and appetising.

The staff, although appearing rather bored, were very eager to please, and were on hand with suggestions and anecdotes throughout the evening. Our waiter was clearly very keen on the Pornstar martini, though I preferred the sound of the Lychee martini so opted for that, a very sweet but satisfying drink.

To start we chose the ‘veggie sharer’ a Greek/Turkish inspired selection of nibbles including delicious grilled halloumi, hummus and sun-blush tomatoes. It was a generous portion, enough for a family to share and we were a long way off finishing it. For mains we chose the luxurious sounding Wagyu burger with roasted shiitake mushrooms, Asian ‘slaw and wasabi mayo, an exotic and premium take on the burger, with nicely cooked meat. My 28-day aged rib-eye steak was good but nothing exciting, an adequate piece of slightly too fatty meat with creamy peppercorn sauce and a pile of salad on top. I’d recommend the skinny french fries as the thick-cut triple-cooked chips were (in my opinion) undercooked and over-heavy.

When a natural pause came in our rapid conversation, we ordered an Eton mess to share and fresh mint tea for two. The dessert was epic, a saccarine sweet glass full of cream, ice-cream, fruit and meringue. Lovely for a few mouthfuls and then unbearably indulgent.

SLABS is yet another burger outlet in this over-saturated area. And although some of the options on the menu are tasty, the burgers will never make the cut with competitors like Tommi’s and Meat Liquor nearby. Sadly the ghostly atmosphere certainly isn’t going to tempt visitors in either.

More information here: slabslondon.com