When I heard that Canary Wharf had a new restaurant…and that it was my fave Burger & Lobster, I convinced my team at work to head down to West India Quay for lunch.  Unfortunately on the day I couldn’t actually go, but everyone enjoyed it so much that we went back the next week! 

When I finally made it, I was all set to order my usual (grilled lobster) however, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new full menu, expanded to include a whole range of new burger and lobster combos to cater for those who feel like indulging completely. The headliners were most definitely “The Beast” which is a take on surf & turn in burger form – beef burger and chips (with a lobster tail on top) and “The ‘Quay’ Lo” which is basically “The Original” (700 gram lobster with chips and salad) but supersized for the very hungry man (or woman) – think 1000 grams or 1500 grams of lobster and lots of chips.  You can even order a naked burger…but the brioche bun is so good that it would be sacrilege to do so! 

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the concept, Burger & Lobster was founded in 2011 by the owners of Goodman Restaurants with a concept of doing the simple well, with a hint of luxury.  Bring in the sustainable Canadian lobster and the highest quality beef at an affordable price and the concept was born.  Back then there was no menu (with the menu only being introduced for the West India Quay branch), with the only items to order being the lobster (steamed or grilled), the burger or the lobster roll – each coming complete with chips and salad for £20. While 5 years on it has not quite kept to the £20 price, it’s still really good value, especially for lobster. They also typically have a no reservations policy, but have changed this for the West India Quay branch so book away.  It may pay to check for the other locations in case this policy has been updated there too! 

Now one item on the menu that doesn’t get its fair share of the glory is the “Lobster Roll”. As a caveat, the incredibly generous portion of lobster that is stuffed into the bun is cold, but the brioche bun is heavenly and warm and literally melts in your mouth.  If you’re still worried about getting FOMO if you order it, the smart option is to order it as a side to share with a friend…completely acceptable at Burger & Lobster!

Go here for: if you want to have a bit of fun trying to eat a lobster (and wearing a bib) without having to pay a fortune; if you’re up for a lobster eating challenge to see how many grams of lobster you can eat in one sitting; drinks at the bar in the evening if you’re looking for somewhere new to head to in Canary Wharf

Menu highlights:  definitely “The Original” (grilled) – it’s fun (if not a little messy) to eat and full of flavour; the Lobster Roll, “Canary Combo” if you can’t decide between the burger and the lobster

Top tips: the inside of the restaurant is huge (seating circa 160), but over the summer if you want to eat outside make sure you book and get there early; there is also an upstairs bar that is opened in the evenings and they can do private events for up to 100 people; do not refuse the bib if you are eating the lobster – the last thing you want is lobster juice all over your white shirt if you have to head back to the office; if you’re looking for a bit of Burger & Lobster action outside of London (London itself has 12 restaurants), Burger & Lobster has now ventured to Stockholm, New York and the Middle East; they also do various pop-ups at events such as Letters Live and festivals like Secret Garden Party so look out for Burger & Lobster pop-ups when you’re out and about

Price:  under £40 a head for a main and a drink if you don’t go too crazy on the ordering (i.e. stay away from “The ‘Quay’ Lo”)

#june2016