Drunken Lobster is a newer, sister restaurant to the Smoking Lobster. A stunning wine, sake and cocktail bar along with Japanese yakitori and a private dining room, Drunken Lobster is a beautiful destination to visit in Ventnor, the Isle of Wight. How it works at this restaurant is a little different to others. Choose a selection of small plates to eat yourself or share amongst loved ones on the table, that's what Drunken Lobster is for.
When it comes to small plate sharing, this restaurant really knows what they're doing. There's Szechuan king prawn and pineapple katsu maki, hamachi sashimi with chilli ponzu and wasabi, tempura green vegetables with wasabi mayo, and teriyaki seared beef rib-eye with radicchio and avruga caviar. Delicious shiitake mushroom and chive gyozas are also on the menu, and pair well with the likes of cod loin and BBQ cabbage with bacon jam, and tempura soft shell crab with chilli yuzu slaw bao. If you're feeling particularly adventurous and want to be surprised, choose the omakase, and enjoy the chef's selection of small dishes. On the side, try some young kimchi, goma seaweed, soy and sesame tenderstem broccoli or furikake fries.
Desserts are equally as delicious. There's warm banana bread with miso caramel, and a cheese plate with chutney and crackers, then, enjoy a Japanese coffee with toki whiskey, demerara and cream. Cocktails are pretty impressive, too, and there's a good list of them. The Lychee Cucumber Martini is made with fresh apples and cucumbers, whilst the Saketini consists of sake tokubetsu, roku gin and cherry bitters. For a more unique take on the kinds of cocktails we all know, try the Smoking Old Fashioned made with mandarin, or the Negroni Sour, consisting of suze, Campari, orange and foamer.