[This post is also published on Generation Nothingness online magazine]

Burger & Lobster is a name that almost every Londoner knows about. Its name already says it all – not only does it specialize in burger and lobster, it solely serves burger and lobster in the restaurant. In a nutshell, you only get the option of either ordering a burger, whole lobster or a lobster roll. The idea of having lobster might sound like a luxury but Burger & Lobster offers you an affordable price for a quality dining experience.

There are quite a number of branches opened across central London now. My first time to this restaurant was at the Soho branch. Since they do not take bookings, I remember our hour long wait to get a table. It was really busy in there and we ended up heading to a Shisha bar somewhere nearby to chill before heading back and waited for little while again at their bar area before getting the table.

With more locations available, you now have other options to head to instead of cramping into one location. For this visit we went to the branch at Threadneedle Street. The setting at this branch is a bit different from the one I have visited at Soho. This one, first of all, is a lot more spacious (it has two floors), with sofa seats, and the setting is brighter with a more comfortable seating. There is also a massive tank of lobsters as well which is a bit of a surprise to me as I thought the idea of displaying live seafood is more of an Asian thing – I grew up seeing it everywhere but hardly see the same in the UK.

Anyway, back to the food. No matter if you are ordering the burger, lobster or lobster roll, your food is served with fries and a salad, and the price is the same. In addition, if you are curious to try both the burger and lobster, you can split it with a friend when ordering and you’ll each get served a burger and half a lobster.

I always go for the whole lobster when I visit this place. For the lobster, you get to choose to have it either steamed or grilled, and it’ll be served with a delicious lemon garlic butter sauce. I love the chargrilled flavour from a good grill so I ordered myself the grilled lobster.

The lobster was absolutely gorgeous. The risk of ordering a grilled lobster is that it may easily get overcooked but this lobster was cooked perfectly. It was tender and most importantly had this al dente texture to it. The size was decent and the clamps were quite meaty. The lemon garlic butter sauce was an absolute perfect pair to the lobster. The sauce was incredibly luscious – trust me it makes you keep on wanting more.

Not to forget the fries and salad that are served altogether with the lobster, they were absolutely on point as well. The fries were lightly seasoned and crispy on the outside while being fluffy on the inside. I absolutely love dipping them into the lemon garlic butter sauce as well – just absolutely delicious. The salad was impeccable as well. It carries a refreshing crunch and the balsamic dressing was super delicious. As a little bonus, it also has a few sprinkle of cheese on top! I am not so much a salad person but I thoroughly enjoyed the salad a lot and finished it all.

As for the burger, I’ve never actually tried it but the burger was super aromatic when being served. You also get the option of adding bacon to your burger, which adds an extra layer of texture and fragrance to the burger. And of course you also get to choose how you want your burger patty to be cooked.

I’ve never tried the lobster roll either but a friend ordered that on a different visit before. Though it looks relatively smaller in portion in comparison to the whole lobster or burger, it was actually pretty rich and filling. From what I’ve seen, pieces of lobster meat were shredded, mixed with a sauce and sandwiched in between a soft buttery bun. Everyone reviewed that it was really good as well.

All in all, Burger & Lobster has been keeping up with their standards year after year. Its concept of providing affordable luxury to the public has attracted so many people and attention all these years and hence their success today. It is a true brand that everyone recognizes and has been expanding all over the world now. From the very first time I visited a Burger & Lobster years ago till now, the restaurant never fails my expectations and I still love it as much as I first fell in love with it before.

My Rating: 4/5