Reviews Rascapalion

Everything I have tried here is delicious! Great for weekend brunch, but expect a bit of a wait as it's a favourite in the area. I would recommend the Meaty Breakfast and the Bloody Mary. The only complaint I have heard about the place is that the portion of french toast is too small!

Dear Brett I am the owner of the rapscallion and your review, and that of your colleague Rachel below it, deserve a response. It is unjustified and feels bitter and there are details that you omitted, principally your initial irritation at being denied a table that had been pre-booked; and your request for two bottles of wine, plus other food items, to be deducted from your bill despite the manager having already been very obliging by removing a duck and a crab. The business employs a number of people, supporting families, who work hard to make it a success and an inaccurate review of events can unfairly jeopardise jobs and livelihoods. I understand that once you and your party had arrived, you were quickly upset that you were not able to sit at a table that had already been booked. You questioned more than once why your group could not have the pre-booked table. It was booked in advance. That is the reason why. There are other details in your review that demand attention. Edamame are never cooked in the way you have suggested and would only be inedible if you had tried to eat the pods. I apologise for the shell found in your spring roll; we use fresh crabs for these and some shell must have been overlooked. The squid and soft shell crab rolls are two of our best sellers and we usually have no complaints. Again I must apologise for the waitress’ mistake; she is an excellent member of staff and made an error by ordering the wrong item for you. The manager tried to remedy the problem by taking a chicken breast which was ‘nearly cooked’ for another table – no he wasn’t lying, simply trying to remedy a problem. We do not cook any chicken in advance as you imply. The burgers you chose are made from Wagyu beef; they are 180 to 200g patties and are a £1 or £2 cheaper than you will find elsewhere; it would be impossible for our kitchen to send out what you describe. The chefs take pride in their work and know how to cook a piece of meat. The bun they were served on is made from Brioche but is not bizarrely sweet; these are burger buns from a company called the Flour Station and are standard in some burger restaurants. They are not bizarre. And the onion jam does indeed contain some sweetness which is balanced with vinegar. This is what Heinz do with tomatoes in their ketchup. You are mistaken to think that the addition of chocolate would make this equally appetizing. We buy in lobster fresh; this is an expensive item and demands a high price; I disagree with your assessment of how this tastes. Chilli is present. The tomato sauce is enriched with fish stock. Our starters are priced at an average of £6, mains are on average £15 and desserts are about £5. This is £26 for three courses. The nearest Michelin starred restaurant to Clapham is Chez Bruce who charge £45 for 3 courses; set lunch at restaurant Gordon Ramsay is the same price at £45 and dinner is £95 for three courses; Pied a terre in Soho is £60 for two courses. I could go on. It is certainly not the case that ‘for not much more than £10 extra per head’ you could have eaten at somewhere with a Michelin star. You didn’t mention the price of the wine. The Picpoul that you drank is £19. If you drank the same bottle at the Garrison in Bermondsey or Tsunami in Charlotte Street W1, you would pay £27. You will find the same position with the Merlot. Another inaccuracy in a tirade of inaccuracies. It is a shame that you did not enjoy the rapscallion on this occasion and I am sorry about that. It is a greater shame that you failed to give a full and fair account however, including your own behaviour.

Nice place for breakfast / brunch but avoid the tables at the back near the heating!

Brillant burger.