This recently opened restaurant Italian and Mediterranean fare, with an emphasis on seafood but a menu which also includes pizza and pasta.

The owners have decided to choose an unusual spot – Central Drive. -an area not really associated with stylish dining destinations and, in reality, being in need of regeneration,

However, this did not deter the Romanian team behind the Juicy Lobsters, who said they aimed to encourage new businesses to opn there and make it “posh” once more!

So three of us decided to check it out, intrigued by the venture. No one I know had been and I hadn’t read the reviews – I wanted to go in cold!

The Juicy Lobster really does make an impact when you go in.

There are stylish floor tiles, tidy wooden paneled walls and gleaming, marble table tops in whirling black and dark blue green, with colour coordinated chairs.

We were politely taken to our table in the corner.

At 7pm, the joint was already fairly busy, a huge family table to our side, celebrating a double birthday.

They don’t have a drinks license here, so if you fancy some wine, bring a bottle!

Before we even chose from the menu, a fellow diner came over to the boss, Vasily, who was about to serve us,and said it was amazing. We weren’t sure whether he was telling us, or Vassily!

The menu offers a range of starters, and there is a seafood section – including a whole lobster -, various chicken dishes, pasta and, for those who can’t make up their mind or aren’t sure about things, several pizza options.

As a starter,two of us went for Gamberoni – tiger prawns, pain fried in garlic, white wine and tomato saye, served with tartar sauce. Our other diner opted for Cozza Fresca, mussels cooked in rich tomato sauce, white wine, garlic and a touch of chilli.

All these were served with crusty bread.

The service was prompt and very polite.

It has to be said that the prawn dish was irresistible. There were large Argeninian prawns, not piddly things, and the flavour of the sauce was outstanding.

The other one of us, meamwhite, was equally enthusiastic about the mussels – the number offered and the flavour of the accompanying sauce.

We both said we could have eaten the Gamberoni over again and had two of them as the main course!

But what to have next?

All three of us decided to tackle the lobster, from which the restaurant takes its name. A gamble, this, as I personally had never taken on a full lobster.

Again, the service was excellent. And there they were – three rather large lobsters.

The lobsters are delicately poached in rich, aromatic butter and finished with a hint of garlic – and served on a bed of rice.

Each diner is given a sort of kit to go with this – two pairs of black latex gloves, a nutcracker to crack the shell and a metal prong pick to scoop out the meat from the claws.

Here we go.

Unfortunately I was soon making a dog’s dinner of lobster. I was able to twist and crack the main body and enjoy the juicy meat but further endeavours were a struggle. The lobster was just not having it!

Fortunately, help is at hand and the team are always willing to assist with expert help and advice about how to get the most from the meal.

My two other companions seemed to be faring a lot better, with one of them in particular enjoying the whole adventure and scooping out the meat, at will. The lobster was very tasty, though.

What about the cost?

The prices at the Juicy Lobster are reasonable, but a dish like a whole lobsyer is not particularly cheap – around the £30 mark each.

Our overall bill came to around £150, including drinks, for the three of us,. This may sound a little steep but not overly so for the food we chose. Other dishes are far less pricey.

There is also a dish called a ‘Seafood boiled’ which is cheaper for a shared party and offers very good value indeed. Maybe we’ll try that next time.

I would recommend anyone checking this place out, for the atmosphere, the service and, above all, the food. On this evidence, it really is good.

By the time we were leaving, the place was packed.