Fancy Crab in Marylebone – review

Is there a useful way of disposing of old ageing males? Well at least us humans have found an answer for one creature – a certain species of crab – the giant Red King Crab.

So being in two minds about whether its really ethical to eat this sea creature, I luckily earn that it is not the female crabs (with their eggs) that are harvested from the freezing depths of the Bering Sea but the old males virtually on their last legs.  Ah….so that’s OK then!

It’s not the first time I have encountered this crab.  Whilst in Chile it was on the menu of a restaurant in Santiago.  And I have never forgotten those giant pink legs filled with the most amazing sweet and tasty meat I have ever tasted.

So I am lucky to get an invite to a new restaurant in London’s West End which features Giant Red King Crab in several guises including a burger, and as a desert which is shaped like a crab claw (no comment as it was ordered by my companion).

The Fancy Crab in Wigmore Street also serves other seafood including lobster, oysters and the French classic …Plateau de fruits de mer – although on their menu it is called Sharing Stands with the most expensive, the Deluxe Plateau costing £100 for a selection of Scottish langoustines, crab claws, ½ a Devonshire lobster, scallop cerviche, Jersey oysters, crevettes, razor clams, mussels, whelks, Atlantic prawns and more.There is also a choice for non-fish eaters including  beef tartare (£8) and rib-eye steak (£32).

My guest and I choose two appetisers  Courgette flower, stuffed with goats cheese  served on a fondue of tomato sauce (£10) and Crispy Squid with Chilli and Salt (£10) – pictured above – which we share.  For the main we decided against a whole Red King Crab which costs £99 mainly because that is sufficient for six people

I chose Singapore Chilli Crab, £28) a sweet and spicy combination of crab meat served with lime and rice.  My compansion choses  King Crab Leg Gratin (£28) – leg meat served with béchamel sauce and a cheese crust.

We take the  wine recommendation of the Maitre’d  which was a Riesling, Welnhaus Ress (£26) which went perfectly with our food choice.

All of our dishes were excellent but in retrospect I wish that I had chosen just a couple of legs simply steamed or charcoal grilled with mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce – which means that I have to go back again!

What was also great about this restaurant was the excellent service and the time the Maitre’d took to tell us about how the crabs are ethically harvested, at a particular time of the year and also frozen on board ship so that they are as fresh as they can be when eaten.

Great place and fun! Try the Weekend Brunch with as much Prosecco as you can drink!

Fancy Crab
92 Wigmore Street, London W1U 3RD
0203 096 9484
[email protected]

Opening Times
Monday to Saturday:  Miday to 11pm
Sunday:
Midday-5pm
Weekend Brunch
Midday-5pm

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