Review of Burger & Lobster’s ‘Soft and Turf’ prix fixe daytime menu

Steak and fries at Burger and Lobster in Brighton

There’s a bargain dining deal to snap up at Burger and Lobster this autumn, writes Nick Mosley.

Eagle-eyed readers may recall that I reviewed this restaurant in the early summer around the time of Brighton Oyster Festival. Back then I reviewed the main a la carte menu and raved that a whole lobster starts at £37, which is considerably cheaper than anywhere else you’ll find in the city.

However, as I’m always looking for great value deals it was their recently launched ‘Surf & Turf’ menu that recently caught my eye. Its a set menu with two courses at £20 or three at £25, which for one of the best restaurants in the centre of town is seriously good value for food of this quality and generosity.

Available daily – including weekends – there’s a choice of three starters, four mains and two desserts most of which also feature on the main a la carte menu.

Selection of starters at Burger and Lobster in Brighton

I invited a couple of colleagues to join me which meant we could pretty much order everything and I’m pleased to relay every dish was merrily munched with gusto leaving not a scrap.

Following my customary dry gin martini – head bartender Tom is one of the best in town – it was time to tuck in. Wonderfully crispy fried calamari with a spicy mayonnaise, a hearty beef carpaccio with matchstick crisps and lobster mayonnaise and an impressively gooey Stracciatella cheese topped with grilled asparagus, radish and a punchy green sauce. All were great however I think that the beef carpaccio stole the show. Much like its close cousin, Filet Américain, you don’t see this on menus very often any longer  – no doubt because many Brits are squeamish about eating raw beef but for me it makes a delightful light lunch.

Burger and Lobster in Brighton - credit Burger and Lobster

For mains we shared a surf and turf burger – a Burger and Lobster classic of wagyu beef smash patty, lightly battered prawns, a spicy lemongrass sauce, mayo with a side of fries included. Personally I probably wouldn’t have ordered this due to my general aversion to burgers but there was plenty going on between the buns to give plenty of interest without dislocating any jaws. There’s also a vegan Beyond Meat option.

The prawn caesar salad was probably the healthiest option and as Little Miss Greedy Guts loves a shrimp, most of it disappeared to the other side of the table. A relatively simple dish using prawns rather than chicken, it was an exemplary example of this perennial favourite.

Keeping with the beef theme though, the steak and fries was the dish that won my tastebuds over. Perhaps not the biggest of sirloin steaks, it more than made up for that with the perfect cooking – the knife literally cut through the meat as if it were butter. On that note, the ‘cowboy butter’ accompaniment was sensational. I guess a kind of twist on an aji verde – garlic, lemon, chilli and herbs, it was rich, tangy and zesty with a capital ‘Z’. French fries were flying as my friend Lyndsey from Connected Brighton got seriously stuck in.

For dessert, we all dived into a shared creme brûlée – cracking the crisp caramelised sugar crust to get to the creamy custard. This is dish that can get a bit overwhelming but I found it well-balanced and a well-sized pud for one person.

Lyndsey Clay of Connected Brighton joined Nick for lunch at Burger & Lobster

I should note that if you like an oyster then from 3-6pm on Monday to Friday afternoons you can pop by the restaurant for their oyster happy hour with the little beauties priced at a bargain £1.50 each. So if you combine with the ‘Surf & Turf’ daytime menu then you can get yourself quite a feast for under thirty quid.

There’s nothing not to love about Burger and Lobster. The ingredients are premium quality and knowledgeably prepared and cooked by the kitchen brigade. The service is exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable, with the bistro style dining room being comfy and unstuffy. There’s an impressive cocktail list so you can drop by and grab a drink on the bar with a bite or two if you don’t want a table. Most importantly, even if you don’t take advantage of one of their offers, the regular a la carte menu isn’t intimidating and is great value.

It’s very much one of my go-to restaurants if hunger calls when I’m bobbing around the Lanes so it would be shellfish of me to keep this place to myself.

Burger & Lobster, 15 Market Street, Brighton BN1 1HH

01273 254 063 • www.burgerandlobster.com