As you can tell, I've had my fair share of burgers, some great, some not-so-much. For me, burgers will never be out of fashion. Here is my rundown of top and some not-so top burgers in London that I have tried and want to try.
Kua'Ana
This small Hawaiin burger joint off Carnaby Street is amazing. Expect queues (like all the rest of them) but the burgers are well worth waiting for. A few to choose from including extra toppings. Messy but delicious. Some proper meat involved. The coleslaw was also very nice and homemade.
Shake Shack
I wanted to see what the fuss is about with this place, so I saved myself and had a Shake Shack burger with crinkly fries in New York City. I can confirm it was good. The cheese is slightly on the salty side, but all in all I really enjoyed the take-out burger on the train from Grand Central on the way to the New York Botanical Gardens. The crinkly fries are refreshing amongst all the straight laced fries and I would give the London version a try, but I'm not sure if I want to ruin a good thing.
Patty & Bun
I took my burger-loving cousin and burger extraordinaire to Patty & Bun over the Easter weekend...he took on bite and said: "This changes everything". We waited for over an hour on James St but it was well worth it. As soon as we got inside, we just forgot about everything else. It's quick, noisy, rustic dining so if it's gourmet and relaxation you're after then this isn't it, but the burgers are definitely gourmet. The meat is thick and juicy, the bread is slightly toasted and not soggy, the sauce was oozy. We went for the Smokey Robinson and Ari Gold, but it was a tight call between those and the special which included duck, chicken and beef in it. The chips were also very fresh and perfectly seasoned. I can't say whether it is my favourite but it's definitely Top 3 material...well worth a visit even with the queues.
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| Smokey Robinson. Delicious. |
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| Indeed. |
By far the best burger I've had in London (so far). I've been here far too many times, read my full review here. But the fact is the meat is great quality and there are lots of choices to choose from, as well as your choice of bun. A couple of my fellow diners have said Hache has been a better burger than some of the ones they've had in America.
Honest Burger
I really enjoyed both visits here. The burgers are made medium - if a little on the reddish side - but of course you can ask for them to be cooked a bit more. Simple menu but what you see is what you get. Rustic, simple and great tasting. I really enjoyed the rosemary salted chips - if a little too much, it's definitely well-seasoned. There can be queues in the Central London branches but don't let that deter you. Rumour has it, there are more branches planned.
Honky Tonk
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a disappointment. It looks good on the outside but it's definitely more bar than it is restaurant I'm afraid. The medium burger I asked for was quite overdone, the bun was stale and my sweet potato fries were very soggy and not appetising. I visited the Chelsea branch and I must say the service wasn't all that great and everything about that night just went a bit wrong (for them and us). Won't be coming back here again.
Burger & Lobster
Yes, £20 for a lobster is a bargain, but £20 for a burger?! Give it a try though, you won't be disappointed. You do get a mass mound of meat and comes with all the same sides. It was pretty good, but compare it to the lobster...no competition really.
Five Guys
Guys, seriously, don't believe the hype. Not to be mean, but it's basically a glorified McDonald's only a lot more money. Yes, you get to choose every single bit of your burger (sauce, toppings etc), sides, pour your own drink but it's not really worth it if I'm being honest. It cost me over £10 for a 'quick lunch' (it's not that quick due to the masses of people crowding round the collection point), the chips are way over spicy when they say cajun, and my burger came out a bit damp and sweaty. However, I've been told the branches in New York are a lot better, and the prices are like this as they've just swapped the dollar sign for a pound sign. Will definitely try the US version some day.
Meat Mission
Again, a bit disappointed. The decor is the interesting bit of this Shoreditch branch, but the food isn't overly great. My bread was quite oily and it was nothing special. I kind of liked the fact they serve you food on trays with no cutlery but all in all, for a place called Meat Mission, it just didn't meet my expectations. Cocktails, however, were great - I expect the drinks is where its forte is.
BRGR
I went for the Burger Afternoon Tea - basically three mini burgers with different fillings and meat, small pot of fries, several sweet desserts and bellini. I have to say the novelty of it was so much fun - I don't know why anyone hadn't thought of it sooner. Although there was a slight flaw in that the other two mini burgers were sat getting cold and soggy bottom-ed while I ate the first burger. The bun wasn't all that either. However, I would definitely come here again for a full size burger. The beef is Australian/corn-fed or something or another and whatever it is - it tastes DELICIOUS. I'd probably just sack off the afternoon tea and just go for a full burger.
Places still to try:
Dirty Burger
Burger Co
Tommi's Burger Joint - London (I've tried the one in Berlin which was excellent)
Meat & Shake
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