Burger & Lobster

Burger & Lobster opened on Clarges Street in Mayfair in 2011, founded by Misha and Roman Zelman, Ilya Demichev and George Bukhov-Weinstein. The pitch was almost a dare: no menu and no specials board, just a choice between a burger and a whole lobster, both at the same £20 price.

The format was a hit, and the chain spread from London to New York and across Asia and the Middle East. The menu has grown since, with lobster rolls and more burgers, but the idea is still visible in the name. Only the burgers are listed here.

Restaurants in London and other UK cities, plus New York and branches across Asia and the Gulf.

• FEBO (Netherlands, since 1941). Amsterdam’s wall of little hatches: the automat chain where you buy a burger or a kroket by dropping coins in a slot. Also built on beef, cooked onions and a special sauce.
• Hans im Glück (Germany, since 2010). The Munich burger grill with birch trunks inside and a fairy-tale name. Also built on beef and a special sauce.
• Eddie Rocket's (Ireland, since 1989). Ireland’s favourite 1950s-style American diner chain, serving Irish-beef burgers and shakes since 1989. Also built on beef and a special sauce.
• Hesburger (Finland, since 1980). The Finnish chain that outsold McDonald’s in the Nordics and the Baltics. Also built on beef and a special sauce.