[Review] Burger & Lobster, Old Bailey, City of London

It's been a while since I last visited Burger & Lobster. In fact my review from back in the days when it was an emerging brand was more than three years ago. The reason I bring this up is I was contacted the other day on the back of the launch of their latest restaurant in Old Bailey (their 9th in London) and asked if I wanted to drop in, check out the new site, and to resample the burger.

Back when I reviewed it, it received a solid 8/10 - so a lifetime later, in London food days, is it still on the mark?

'The Blonde' and I dutifully set off to find out...

Price: 

£20 (everything from the core menu is £20, or you can splash out on a bigger lobster for more. There was a 4.3 kg monster on the menu for £199).

Presentation:

In three years B&L have stayed true to their original presentation of the burger, and what you're presented with when your food arrives is a greaseproof paper-covered tray split into (as per the rule of threes) three similarly sized circular portions of fries, dressed salad, and of course the burger. The burger, in spite of its size is still skewered (although I see this as necessary if the burger structure is unstable), but it is well proportioned, and shows off it's accoutrements with aplomb.

Toppings:

Aside from the obligatory bacon (crunchy rashers of super salty streaky bacon) and cheese (two layers - one pure cheese, and one cheese sauce-y)  - which are offered at no extra cost - the rest of the burger dressing is fairly standard. Chopped iceburg on the bottom with a burger sauce is good both texture and taste-wise. They've fixed the pickle issue (or these ones were a better batch) and now you get a better balance od acidity with your dill in the very thinly sliced pieces of cucumber - lifting the burger up to another leverl with a more complex flavour. I still take issue, however, with the thick slice of cold tomato that squats on top of my melted cheese - reducing it's molten-ness - and adds very little flavour.

Meat:

Everything you'd expect from a coarsely minced 10oz from the restaurant chain owned by the same folks as Goodman. A high fat content, along with a burger patty that's cooked to order (med-rare, natch) means this is a seriously juicy burger. The salty, caramalized crust offers a satisfying contrast to the mellow interior of the patty. And I'm sure it's the biggest patty on a standard menu in London (you will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong).

Bun:

White, sesame and poppy seeded glazed bun. Needs more toasting please as this gushing juice monster gives that bottom bun a soakin'.

Accessories:

The balsamic-dressed mixed leaf salad is topped with parmesan cheese cleverly adds a little pot of umami to the side of the burger, and alongside this is a silver beaker of hot, crunchy, salty french fries. Great sides like this make you happier to part with £20 for a burger.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

To stay *this* consistent with your burger over three years is pretty impressive. It still has some areas that could be improved - lining up the patty with the bottom bun when it's presented; more punch and umami to the cheese, and a less floury roux in the cheese sauce; maybe dehydrating the tomato slice to enhance the flavour - I'm nitpicking but it's things like this that can elevate this burger to another level.

The Blonde had no such issues with the burger and rated it first class - they even cooked it rare for her. Bravo!

My suggestion would be share a burger AND a lobster (you are, after all subsidising the lobster by taking the burger option), drink some great wine in a place where the service is exceptional, and worry about the bill in the morning.