Burger and Lobster
American 29 Clarges Street, London, W1J 7EF London
££
Burger and Lobster is a chain restaurant whose thesis is simple: quality food, decently priced, and focused on one or two main ingredients.
Whether you are in Central London, New York, Stockholm or Dubai, there will be a Burger and Lobster not too far away. Chains are sometimes off putting to some - but with Lobster at such a reasonable price £23-31, especially in a location like Mayfair, you can very easily put your pre-conceived ideas to one side. The prices were originally £20 for either the Beef burger, whole Lobster, or Lobster roll. If you are getting anything other than the whole lobster for this price then frankly, you and mad, and whatsmore, you are being ripped off.
Since then the pricing system has changed. Now both Burger and Lobster lovers unite with their differences, the burger fiend not being offput by the fact his meal is priced the same as the lobster lush. Now a burger will cost you £16, whilst a 1 pound lobster £28... not as much of a bargain as before but still pretty decent.
Tom and I both had the 1 pound lobster, mine was grilled, his was boiled. Whilst I originally thought grilled was the better option, for some reason mine came with much less meat on it than the other one. The first few bites were tasty enough, but the meat hidden within the shell and nooks and crannys still had a very salty taste to it, which no amount of the special B&L sauce could mask. The Lobster came with some fries which were decent and a few limp salad leaves, presumably straight out of a packet. Of course, these sides were mere decoration for the main event so this didn't matter too much.
The Lobster was ok, and for £20 would have been an absolute steal. The fact that prices had increased (which I wasn't aware of before I came) meant that I was instantly expecting more, and unfortunately it didn't deliver. If you're looking for an excellently cooked Lobster in London for a decent price my suggestion would be La Bonne Heure on Abbeville Road in Clapham <http://www.labonneheure.co.uk/>. Not only is it cooked to perfection, £27 and served by friendly staff, it is also drenched in the most perfect garlic butter I have ever tasted - beats the B&L speciality sauce any day. Be warned that this is a special dish and thus is not always on the menu, but even if you venture here and aren't able to devour this beautiful beast there are many more exquisite options to choose from - and all for £17 (Lobster has £10 supplement).
La Bonne Heure - More bang for your buck
If there is such a thing as being too friendly, the staff in Burger and Lobster were that. Having read reviews complaining about nonchalant and aloof staff as well as 3 hour long queues, we were shocked to walk right in and be seated as well as the smiles and high pitched noises we were greeted with. Don't get me wrong, they were nice and attentive, but it all felt a bit forced, a bit 'cool' and just too much to be honest.
I would try Burger and Lobster for a fun meal out with friends, or if you're craving a Lobster in central somewhere. If, however, you can wait and venture south of the river to La Bonne Heure, I can promise you the experience will be better.
OVERALL RATING: ***
https://www.burgerandlobster.com/en/
