Foodie Review: Burger and Lobster, Soho

When people ask me where they should visit for birthday or a special trip to London, I will always recommend a list of my top 5 places in London. On this list, is Burger and Lobster. And so, taken from Jack's 25th birthday celebrations, here's my review of the Dean Street branch in Soho.

Nestled amongst the hustle and bustle of busy Soho, this particular Burger and Lobster is the biggest of the chains (so far) and houses the largest of their many lobster tanks. The menu system is easy, they have just four options; a burger, lobster, lobster roll or 1 burger with half a lobster. This was certainly not our first visit to Burger and Lobster, nor our first time at the Dean Street chain and so our usual of the lobster was very much looked forward to although getting service proved to be tougher than we thought. Our waitress was pretty much MIA for the entirety of our stay and so we often had to grab other people's waiters and often someone we believed to be the manager instead. We were given no bibs (unlike everyone else around us) and no crackers for the lobster shell and when we asked for these, we were given one of each which makes it hard to share between two people. However, once we did get served ans got our food, here's what we ordered...

Whilst there may be little to worry about with regards to choice of food, the choice of cocktails and drinks (both alcoholic and soft) is pretty extensive; offering a whole range of whisky, brandy, white and red wines as well as a selection of beers. Being a non-drinker, I opted for a fruit juice containing pineapple, lime, pink grapefruit and orange and presented rather prettily in it's glass. 

As we always do, myself and Jack opted for the Whole Lobster; a 1.5lbs lobster (served steamed or grilled) with french fries, side salad and a choice of plain, lemon or garlic butter sauce. Personally, I would always recommend getting your lobster grilled as it preserves that full, meaty flavour and means you do not get any unwanted water or condensation on your plate. If you've ever been to B&L yourself, you'll know that the garlic butter sauce is to absolutely die for. Personally, I would drink it through a straw if I could. It really sets off the taste of the lobster which is bursting with flavour and so wonderfully meaty. Furthermore, the chips are some of my favourite ever to be served in a London restaurant and taste almost identical to McDonald's fries - just how I like them. Whilst it may not look like much on the plate (let's face it, lobsters aren't a pretty creature), this will certainly leave your completely satisfied and pleasantly full. 

Whilst it was a busy Saturday afternoon (around 3pm), I would never recommend attending the Dean Street chain due to an average wait of around 20-30mins before being seated and the service being poor. Further to this, a service charge of 12.5% is added to your bill, from which our waitress certainly did not earn at all. Instead, I would always recommend the Green Park branch which are always super helpful and friendly - even on a busy Saturday.

Overall, the service at Dean Street has proven not to be up to scratch but the food, as always was fantastic. I very much resented giving our waitress a £7 tip despite her not being present until the very end of our stay to take our payment. However, we will always return (to a different branch) for the amazing lobster which is easily the best in London. All dishes (whether it be lobster, burger or roll) is charged at the same cost of £20 each, plus your drinks and included service charge which means your average bill at Burger and Lobster is around £30 each, depending on your choice of drinks. And so, if you want to enjoy some amazing seafood for a special occasion or treat yourself to an awesome lunch Burger and Lobster is definitely the place - just maybe not the Dean Street one. 

That's it for another foodie review - you can check out more of my food reviews here. Hope you all had an awesome weekend. Don't forget to tell me about your experiences with Burger and Lobster and your favourite seafood restaurants in the comment section down below. 

Until next time fellow food lovers,