What Is Surf and Turf? What to Expect at a Dublin Steakhouse
Steak paired with seafood, usually prawns rather than lobster, and what that actually looks like on a Dublin plate.
Written by Steakhouse Dublin
Surf and turf just means a piece of meat and a piece of seafood on the same plate, usually a steak paired with prawns, scallops or lobster. The name is American in origin, pairing something from the sea (surf) with something from the land (turf), and it has been a steakhouse staple since the 1960s.
In Dublin, ask for surf and turf and you will almost always get a steak with prawns rather than lobster. That is not a downgrade exactly, it is just not what the name promises if you are picturing a fillet next to a lobster tail.
What to Actually Expect on the Plate
Most Dublin steakhouses treat surf and turf as an add-on rather than a dish in its own right: order your usual steak, then pay a supplement for a few grilled or garlic-butter prawns on top or on the side. Expect to add somewhere between €8 and €15 to the bill for that. The seafood is rarely the star of the plate. It is there to round out the steak, not compete with it.
Only One Dublin Steakhouse Actually Uses Lobster
We checked the menus of all 22 steakhouses we track across the city, and only one currently pairs a steak with real lobster rather than prawns: Hawksmoor Dublin, whose Surf & Turf is a fillet steak with a grilled half lobster and garlic butter, for €89. Marco Pierre White, FIRE, JD’s Steakhouse, Cowboy Steakhouse and F.X. Buckley Monkstown all run a version of the dish too, but the seafood is prawns in every case. See the full list, with prices, on our Surf and Turf in Dublin page.
A Real Verdict, From Someone Who Paid For It
Reviews of surf and turf tend to split on whether the lobster is worth the upcharge. One Tripadvisor review of Hawksmoor’s version put it plainly:
“The Steak is literally that, Fillet Steak, No Sauces. The Lobster, While tasty is a bit of an art form to get out of its Shell and to be honest while tasty, not really worth the money.”— blakeinator, Tripadvisor
That is a fair summary of the trade-off: you are paying for the novelty and the shellfish as much as for extra flavour, and whether that is worth it depends on how much you like the ceremony of cracking a lobster shell at the table.
For the full list of which Dublin steakhouses run a surf and turf, and what is actually in it, see our Surf and Turf in Dublin page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is surf and turf?
A dish that pairs meat, usually steak, with seafood, usually prawns, scallops or lobster, on the same plate.
Is surf and turf always steak and lobster?
No. The seafood can be prawns, scallops or langoustine just as easily as lobster. In Dublin it is almost always prawns.
Which Dublin restaurant serves genuine steak and lobster?
Hawksmoor Dublin is currently the only one of the 22 steakhouses we track pairing a steak with real lobster rather than prawns.
Is surf and turf good value?
As a prawn add-on it is a modest supplement, from about €8 to €15. As a dedicated lobster dish it runs much higher, closer to €89, and reviews are mixed on whether the lobster adds enough to justify it.