Burger & Lobster @ Dean Street, SOHO

Tonkotsuの目と鼻の先にあるBurger & Lobsterは、ロンドンで美味しいハンバーガーを検索する度に名前があがる人気店。Time Outやurbanspoonなどのレストランレビューを見ても、評価が高い。Mayfairに1号店があり、ソーホーのこの店が2番目、近々ClerkenwellのSt John Streetにもオープンするらしい（参照：Square Meal）。

薄暗い入口を入ると、中は長い廊下の奥はゆったりとした客席スペースとなっており、外から想像できないほど広い。席に着いてもメニューは出てこず、ウェイトレスに口頭で、食べ物はハンバーガーとロブスターのみだと言われる。ともに値段は£20（約2500円）と、ロブスターはともかく、大量のフレンチフライとミニサラダ付きでも、ハンバーガーとしては高価。ごまのかかったツヤのあるバンズに、パテ、レッドオニオン、ベーコン、サラダ菜、チーズがきちんと収まったバーガーは、見た目は美しいけれど、パテは固くて凝縮された肉汁もあまりでず、うまみがなくて期待外れ。£20出してこのバーガーを食べるくらいなら、同じ値段でByronでバーガー2皿とポテト、サラダを頼む方がよっぽどお得だと思うのだが、Burger & Lobsterがこれだけ人気なのは不思議。隣に座った客が嬉しそうにむしゃぶりついていたロブスターが絶品なのか？

Just few steps away from Tonkotsu, Burger & Lobster is one of the recent hit in London’s restaurant scene. Its name turns up when I search best burgers in London, and restaurant review sites such as Time Out and urbanspoon give a high score to them. After they started in Mayfair, this SOHO branch is the second, and the third venue is due to open soon on St John Street in Clerkenwell (see Square Meal).

When you enter its dark entrance, there is a spacious seating area all the way back of a long hallway, and the space is much bibber than it seems from outside. There was no menu given when we sat down, but we were jut told that they have only lobster and burger for food. Both dishes cost £20 – it sounds OK for lobster, but it seemed to me that it was quite pricey for burger, even with generous amount of french fries and small salad. Patty, bacon, red onion, and salad leaves staying neatly between glossy buns with sesame seeds was looking good, but its medium grilled meat was not up to our expectation – bit hard and not juicy enough. If I pay £20 for this burger, I rather go to Byron and get two classic burgers, chips and side salad for the same amount. But how come Burger & Lobster is so popular?? Either I am wrong, or lobster is excellent there – in fact, a guy sitting next to us was gushingly tackling with his lobster and looked very satisfied.

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