Your guide to finding the finest lobster in London.
Yep, we get it – that craving to really live the high life, to put on your fancy shoes, step out and sip on champagne and order… lobster.
The bountifully clawed shellfish is a funny one. It wasn’t until fairly recently in culinary history that it was considered a delicacy. In the days of the New World there were even laws preventing it from being used as prison slop because it was considered unclean.
Now here we are, several hundred years down the line and it’s hard to find a place to eat it that doesn’t involve white tablecloths and a staggering array of forks. It’s not all that fancy. This is, after all, London: there is also a staggering array of places to eat.
If you’ve got a craving for some succulent lobster, here’s where you need to be looking
Best Lobster Restaurants in London
Scott’s
Richmond, Mayfair
Scott’s is a London institution. They’ve been serving up slime of the finest seafood in London since 1851 and doing it with the kind of pizzazz you’d expect from such a time-honoured joint.
They serve up a mean lobster. Done as either half or whole under toppings of mayonnaise or garlic butter and an option for Thermador the meat is cooked to perfection and the animal top quality. You can also get lobster here as part of a shellfish roast for two with a companion of scallops and prawns – certainly one to keep an open mind on.
Hawksmoor
Multiple Locations
We love any excuse to talk about Hawksmoor. They’re known for being one of the best steakhouses in the city, for serving up juicy steaks of dry-aged and sustainably sourced meats, but what some people often overlook is their lobster.
It’s only available at certain Hawksmoor locations (and they’ve got a few around London) so you’d better call ahead or check online before booking to make sure they have it. If they do it’ll be in the form of a mean surf and turf, the other half of which is made of fillet steak.
Scott’s has two locations in London. The original is in Mayfair and is about as classy as they come. The second is in Richmond. If you don’t mind the trek down there (or you’re lucky enough to live close by) this location boasts a charming riverside terrace with serene views over the water.
Steak and Lobster
Warren Street, Marble Arch
The name gives this one away for what it is, a classic surf and turf restaurant. Steak and Lobster have got things down to a fine art, serving up delicious plates of steak and seafood in an environment that doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard.
This understated charm runs right through the restaurant. The price and size of your lobster will depend on what they’ve managed to pick up from the local market, a clear indication they’re getting in fresh ingredients, though they don’t feel the need to brag about it.
Both the surf and the turf are cooked over a charcoal grill that imparts a lovely flavour to the meal. While you’re at it, some American-type starters like smoked beef tacos or surf and turf croquettes deserve trying.
Burger and Lobster
Multiple Locations
Eating lobster can tend to be a classy affair. Take Scott’s as our case in point for that one. Sometimes, though, you’re just really not in the mood for all the white tablecloths and the seven different types of forks. When that’s the vibe, Burger and Lobster is the place to head.
They do things in a more relaxed manner, serving up some stacked-out burgers of beef and lobster as well as the most popular lobster roll in London. The food is not going to let you down and is best enjoyed with a couple of their specialist cocktails on the side.
You’ll find Burger and Lobster all over London. They’ve got nine restaurants now, but by the time you’re finished reading this article, they’ll probably have ten. Things just seem to be going that way for them…
Wiltons
Arguably the most famous lobster restaurant London lays claim to is Wiltons. They’ve been trading in shellfish of one form or another for over 280 years – the story is great.
Originally Wiltons was an oyster stand at a Haymarket in 1742 (this was back when oysters weren’t considered fancy either). He passed the business down through the generations, each of which added something until we get Wiltons in its current form.
That form is a very fancy establishment where caviar and champagne are the standard and lobster comes three ways: Thermidor, Newburg or grilled.
Balthazar
Covent Garden
Another very classy, very classic London restaurant for good lobster is Balthazar. The Covent Garden gem does a very nice grilled lobster with garlic butter and chips. This also comes in at £48, which is not a small fee, but is a cracking price to pay for lobster in London, especially in a setting like Balthazar’s.
That setting is a grand dining room where live jazz and top-class service are par for the course. As is a veritable river of champagne and cocktails to top the experience off. It’s hard not to leave this place feeling like you’ve dined like a millionaire.
Wright Brothers
Multiple locations
It would be hard not to write an article about any kind of seafood and not bring up Wright Brothers. These online fishmongers and restaurateurs know their way around the food we get from the sea, no exception – especially when it comes to lobster.
They do a delightfully simple dish of grilled lobster with garlic butter sauce and sides of fries and salad. It’s straight to the point and they don’t drown it in that garlic butter, leaving the quality of the meat to shine on its own merit.
Practical Tips for Exploring the Best Lobster in London
- Eating lobster can be a classy affair, so expect to pay top dollar. Somewhere between the £50-100 mark should be right for a whole lobster but you may pay more if you’re going to the really high-end places like Scott’s or Wiltons.
- Should you fancy something without all the bells and whistles, but still some great quality shellfish, try Burger and Lobster of Steak and Lobster.
- Make sure you book your tables before heading to the restaurant. This is London at the end of the day – you’re not the only one who wants to eat good.
