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The Best Places To Eat Lobster In London

From luxury whole lobsters to the best affordable rolls, these are the tip-top places to get your lobster fix in London.
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Steak, oysters, those overpriced Magnum Billionaire ice creams, and lobster. Everyone knows that those are the top-tier foods. The power dishes that all other dishes wish they could be but know they’ll never live up to. The crème de la crème of OTT eats. Cabbage, we feel bad for you hun, but this guide is strictly about celebrating the boujiest of the boujie foods, lobster. That being said, when you’re splashing the cash on a tender moment with a delicious custacean, you want to make sure that you’re doing it in the right places. This guide will help with that. From casual lobster rolls in a loud-and-proud diner to lobster dim sum to huge must-eat whole lobster experiences on a terrace in the sky, these are the very best places to eat lobster in London.


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Sometimes you just need to get down and dirty with a couple of lobster tails. Trap Kitchen understands this. That’s why their seafood bucket comes with a pair of throwaway gloves. Home to a no-nonsense menu of New Orleans-inspired classics, the star of the show here are their XXL lobster tails that are so meaty and so perfectly juicy that we think about them at least four times a day, every single day. Plus, with their bucket prices starting at £20 it’s one of the best spots for an affordable yet deeply satisfying lobster fix.


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You know that episode of Friends where Phoebe says that Ross is Rachel’s ‘lobster’. Well, Seabird’s lobster is our lobster lobster. Do you see what we’re saying here? Frankly, we’re impressed if you do, but the point is that Seabird is our London seafood soulmate. Not only do they have a long oyster list, panoramic views across London, and a cushion-clad terrace that makes us feel like we’ve been transported somewhere where it’s acceptable to drink at 2pm, their whole native lobster is tender a f. It comes covered in a delicious, tangy Bloody Mary sauce and if you haven’t got £70 knocking around then you can also opt for a half for £40.


As far as big occasion, big spectacle foods go, the lobster is in a league of its own. There’s a natural awe to the pinchy crustacean and it’s part of the reason Mandarin Kitchen invented (as the folklore goes) their famous lobster noodles. The old school Chinese institution in Queensway marries theatre - luminous orange lobster is mixed with noodles swiftly and precisely at your table - with the moreish flavour of egg noodles, glutinous ginger and spring onion sauce, and rich lobster meat.


When you have a serious lobster craving, donning a bib and cracking out your credit card for a whole lobster is just one option. Alternatively you can hit up the whole lobster’s casual cousin, the lobster roll. Hideaway, an upmarket café from the people behind exceptional fine dining spot Hide, just so happen to do one of the best rolls in London. It’s sweet, rich, and for top-tier lobster its £18 price tag is kind-of reasonable. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea or you just really hate delicious brioche bread for a reason you’d rather not disclose, then know that you can also get lobster on top of their winning waffles with garlic, mayonnaise, and, if you’re feeling especially flashy, Royal Siberian caviar too.


Lobster paella, lobster paella, lobster paella. Hello, and welcome to our internal monologue ever since trying this knockout seafood dish at Bibo. A buzzing tapas spot inside the Mondrian hotel in Shoreditch, their signature paellas are served in huge pans with a layer of rice no thicker than your finger, which is perfectly crispy at the bottom. Before being able to eat, ooh, and ahh, you’ll get to experience some 10/10 tableside lobster carving theatrics. This lobster extravaganza will set you back £60 but trust us and our never-ending stomachs, it can merrily feed three people.


photo credit: Hannah Japanese

By night, Hannah is a truly majestic tasting-menu-only Japanese restaurant. But by day, it’s a truly majestic place to rock up to for a lobster tempura bento box that will make all your colleagues deeply jealous. If high-end grab-and-go options aren’t your thing, you can also sit down in their relaxing dining room for the katsu don, which just so happens to feature some of the best lobster we’ve ever had. Prices are high but hey, that’s lobster, baby.


It’s always comforting when you turn up at a restaurant to eat some serious seafood and find out that they’re also a fishmongers. Hello, experts. That’s exactly the situation at this lowkey seafood spot on St. Paul’s Road in Islington. Although their signature dish is chunky prawns on smashed avocado toast (Prawn On The Lawn, get it?), they also serve a whole lobster with coriander butter for £45. For peak ‘I’m eating lobster on vacay, baby!’ feels, order the crushed spice potatoes and tomato salad for your sides.


Prepare yourself because what we’re about to say is quite overwhelming for us dedicated lobster fans. Rovi serves lobster crumpets. That’s right, this truly excellent sharing plates spot in Fitzrovia has only gone and combined the greatest bready snack with the greatest seafood going. And for that, we salute them. The menu here changes regularly but the Welsh lobster ‘crumpet’ is a permanent fixture. They’ll set you back just under a tenner but lunchtime lobster has never made more sense when it’s this perfectly bite-sized and ready to be dipped in a 10/10 pickled kumquat sauce.


Wiltons is a class act. This place has been open since 1742 and it’s one of those classic London establishments where you feel like all recent Prime Ministers have conducted saucy meetings in their velvet green back booths and that at least 20 notable affairs have either started or ended at the glossy bar. It’s home to one of the best oyster experiences in London and the steak tartare is also entirely fabulous, but when a restaurant like this chooses as their mascot a fancy little lobster dressed in a top hat, then you know you need to get involved in some lobster action. You can opt for grilled, newburg style, or a classic thermidor, but be warned that the prices are sky-high and the whole thing will set you back an eye-watering £65. Of course, eyeing up their paintings, suited-and-booted servers, and the feeling of gobbling up a slice of London dining history is all very much included in that price.


Gruyère, high-quality cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh lobster. No we haven’t got ahold of Oprah’s shopping list, these are the ingredients you’ll find in Bob Bob Ricard’s lobster macaroni cheese. Arguably one of the all-time greatest restaurants to pretend you’re high-flying royalty in, this Soho institution has ‘press for champagne’ buttons on every table, countless navy booths, and that lobster mac and cheese. It’ll set you back £26, but we’ve spent that on dodgy wine and completely unnecessary Ubers before and neither of those have made us say ‘this is the good life’ out loud. A must for all lobster lovers who want to feel like they’re truly living their best life.


A lot of restaurants claim to have a ‘feelgood vibe’ because they’ve got a particularly fruity soap in the ladies and blast Ariana Grande’s discography during cocktail hour. But this huge, upmarket St James’s spot is a proper laugh and has one of the best atmospheric dining experiences in London. They regularly host live bands and coming here for the whole native lobster with aioli is an excellent excuse to get all dolled up on payday. Book a table near the bar so you can fully enjoy the live band, order a bottle of champagne that you probably can’t afford from one of their upbeat suited servers, and prepare to feel like you’ve time travelled to the age of Sinatra, sophistication, and winning old fashioneds.


The lobster feast at this Indian feelgood playground in the City is so high-end that you have to invite it to dinner two days before you actually want to eat it. Brigadier’s is famed for having London’s best lamb chops and a bone marrow biryani you’ll just keep eating until you need a four-day nap, but the tandoori lobster only comes as part of one of their big-deal feast menus. You’ll need to rope some friends in because it’s for a minimum of four people, but any and all beggy WhatsApp messages will be worth it when you’re sitting down to eat truffle chaat masala aloo, a masala tomahawk steak, pappadums, soft serve, and lots more alongside that tandoori lobster. Alternatively, their lobster and shrimp kati roll is currently MIA from the menu, but if it pops back up know that it’s an absolute must-order.


Big Easy in Covent Garden is first and foremost a diner-style barbecue party restaurant. Case in point: the last time we went here we saw a table of six lads all wearing, erm, ‘vivid’ Hawaiian shirts with a giant pitcher of rum punch on their table. See, a party restaurant. But outside of loud music, neon lights, and a cocktail menu that reads like Patsy Stone has commandeered a slushie machine, this place actually serves some pretty great lobster. You can go for the full lobster bake from their wood-burning oven for just under thirty quid (or £20 for a half lobster), but we’d keep things cheap and casual with one of their classic lobster rolls. The brioche bread is sweet and importantly is neither too crunchy nor likely to fall apart the second you pick it up. Pair with one of the super boozy slushies because, realistically, what else are you going to do in a restaurant where their motto is ‘put a lil South in your mouth’.


If you’re reading this guide because you sort of want to eat lobster but mostly want to impress someone, then we’d like to introduce you to Kerridge’s. Although this incredibly boujie and incredibly expensive restaurant inside the Corinthia Hotel doesn’t do a whole lobster situation (our credit card is thankful), one of their signature dishes is the grilled ‘lobster thermidor’ omelette. An extremely decadent number packed full of lobster in a super rich sauce, this small dish will set you back an oh-so casual 35 quid but it’s worth it if you’re honestly not that into the texture of lobster yet still want to get involved in some serious luxury.


Royal China Club is one of those old-school restaurants where the room is vast, the menu is long, and the lunchtime dim sum is fantastic. We must preface this by saying that the steamed scallop dumplings and char siu pork cheung fun have our heart, but the crispy lobster dumplings are also an absolute must. If you can’t make it to Baker Street in the middle of the day because you have a job that doesn’t dictate lobster gobbling and/or you have a life, then don’t panic because you can also hit this place’s lobster tank up in the evening for Wild Scottish, Canadian, or Australian crustacean varieties.


Like that friend who reads your long rambling drafted texts in the midst of a break-up or every Golden Retriever ever, Wright Brothers is a restaurant that will always be there for you. A mini-chain of reliable seafood spots, we love their Borough Market restaurant for its classic London charm, but you can’t beat the riverside views at their Battersea spot. Book a spot on the terrace, get a round of oysters in, then take a deep breath and order the whole Devon lobster with new potatoes and mayonnaise. If you’re about that Big Seafood Energy you can also opt for their huge £60 grilled shellfish platter which includes oyster, tiger prawns, mussels, scallops, and importantly, that whole Devon lobster.


Balthazar is one of those restaurants that invokes serious pangs of jealousy every time you walk past its glowing brasserie lights and question why you’re not currently sipping on boulevardiers and eating oysters. Despite its obvious old school charm, the food here can be a little hit or miss so although you might be tempted by the whole grilled lobster, you’re much better off going for the lobster spaghetti that is a proper ‘summer on a plate’ tomato and seafood party. Open until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, it’s worth knowing about in case you find yourself in an Urgent Late-Night Weekend Lobster Situation. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?


It is a well-known fact that people who claim to hate seafood (yuck too salty, can’t stand the smell etc. etc.) tend to still like lobster. That’s because it’s pretty much the steak of the sea and doesn’t involve any tiny bone-finding logistics. But if you’re rolling with someone who is still on the fence about lobster, then a good shout is Tacos and Tequila in Tooting’s buzzing Broadway Market. A small sit-down situation with loud music, strong margaritas, and hefty affordable Mexican food, their grilled lobster taco makes us very happy. Packed full of guacamole, spicy corn, cabbage coleslaw, chilli, and garlic butter, it’s an absolute beast of a taco, so prepare yourself for some serious jaw gymnastics trying to fit the whole thing in your mouth. That being said, if you’re looking for a casual lobster option it’ll totally hit the spot.


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