Review: The Drunken Lobster

Walk into the Drunken Lobster and you immediately feel that something exciting is about to happen. Enter through the old-fashioned curved windowed frontage, and the warm and welcoming interior wraps around you. Then take your seat for a new and enticing journey into Asian food heaven.

By Jo Macaulay Pictures Maria Bell This is the wine bar I dreamed of when I moved back from London to Ventnor. A restaurant that serves superb Japanese and Asian food, especially sushi, at affordable prices, accompanied by fine wines and top-notch cocktails. Sister restaurant to the Smoking Lobster on Ventnor seafront, this new little jewel up in Ventnor town is fast becoming the place to be. And with the winning team of brother and sister GC and Cinz Giancovich at the helm, you know you’re in good hands. The Drunken Lobster has just the right combination of cosy and industrial, with bottle green walls and modern art, complemented by exposed red brickwork, ornate antique chandeliers and leafy green tropical plants. Seating is at one of the three high tables, on upholstered stools with wrap around backs, or at one of the two lower tables to the rear surrounded by greenery. Or you can opt for the prized window table for two.

But if you want a more intimate and exclusive dining experience you can book the private dining room and chef’s table in the basement, right next to the brand-new kitchen. This warm and sophisticated room is lined with birch wood, subtly lit, and seats up to eight people. Bespoke menus are available to those who book.

A perfect banquet: Teriyaki ribeye steak, Szechuan king prawns, tenderstem broccoli, truffle cauliflower and tuna Ceviche

The menu is based around Japanese BBQ and here you can see the chefs in action on the impressive Yakatori grill where skewered meats, vegetables and local seafood are cooked over open flame and volcanic rock.

We sat upstairs on the banquette and table to the rear of the restaurant, which would seat up to six comfortably. Next to this is the ‘posh’ table with its soft green upholstered antique chairs and sofa, and both snuggle around the exposed fireplace with soot blackened bricks and iron grate full of ferny plants. To start we had a dish of each from the three sushi options. Katsu maki rolls made with duck, pickled cucumber and

Deep dark greens and statement lighting strike a tone of intimate industrialism

plum sauce were sweet and delicious, those with tofu were complemented perfectly by the tangy miso of aubergine, and the chilli maki rolls were served with the most perfectly cooked tempura of soft-shelled crab. These were followed by Teriyaki ribeye steak, pink and perfect, and Szechuan garlic king prawns that were huge, perfectly cooked and to die for. Sides were crunchy tenderstem broccoli with sesame, Szechuan pepper and truffle cauliflower and the Ceviche of the day, which was tuna, served with homemade tacos – just the right amount of crunch to complement the melt-in-themouth tuna.

Desserts with an Eastern twist are available, and you can even have breakfast - delicacies such as banana bread with coconut yoghurt, pistachio nuts and IOW honey. Yum. Each dish is presented perfectly, and all are under a tenner (apart from the whole sea bass in black bean sauce, which is £14), and most of the sides are under a fiver. These are tasting dishes to share, which is perfect for the wine bar setting.

Instagram @drunkenlobsterbar To book, call 01983 852500