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Go ahead, salivate, that’s the carnivore’s natural response to my list of the top 10 burgers in London.
The quality and variety of burgers in London is steadily improving, of that there can be little doubt. But getting them cooked as ordered remains a crapshoot.
Exhaustive as my investigation was, not just of the top 10 burgers in London but also of many that didn’t make the cut, I can’t predict the likelihood of your getting a burger cooked the way you want it. Most burger flippers have good days and off days. This ranking is based solely on my days, my first-hand experiences, my luck.
Since your personal burger priorities are not likely in the same order as mind it’s a shame you can’t click a relevance tab to arrange this list according to the factors which matter to you most: burger style (street, joint, pub, steak), patty (size, shape, density), meat (cut, fat content, grind), assortment of toppings, cooking method, construction, consistency of preparation, inventiveness, price, value for money, level of obscene drippiness, etc.
Absent a re-sorting mechanism I’ve resorted to taking into account all these factors. But in the end I relied most on a single consideration: pleasure. My top 10 burgers in London are the ones I’d most want to eat.
The Top 10 Burgers in London
10. Goodman
Goodman, once home to London’s best steakhouse burger, is having texture woes. The quality of the beef is as high as ever but the patty’s surface isn’t as crusty or caramelised as it used to be and its coarse, crumbly chew has turned to mush. Seen from the outside the Goodman steakhouse burger remains a handsome handful: You will need to stretch the C-shaped brackets formed between thumbs and index fingers to make a go of it. £15 including chips.
Goodman Mayfair – 26 Maddox Street, W1S 1QH
Goodman City – 11 Old Jewry, EC2R 8DU
Goodman Canary Wharf – 3 South Quay, Discovery Dock East, E14 9RU
9. Burger Bear
Give me a jar of Burger Bear’s homemade bacon jam, a spoon and couple of beers and I could make an evening of it, so good is Tom Reaney’s signature burger condiment. But the street food warrior isn’t done there: He also likes to dress his burgers with the crispest streaky bacon in all of Londonium Burgerdom: The one-two bacon punch could lead some to overlook the patty. That would be a big mistake. Balls of coarse mince are crushed but not flattened on the flattop, leaving all the fatty juices in your burger, protected in its effective if homely white bun, until your first bite liberates them. Beefy red droplets quickly rain down onto your plate and, if you’re not careful, your shoes. You can identify the regulars on the queue by the stains on the toes of their trainers. £5-£10 not including chips. Burger Bear will be competing in the 4th and final round in the group stage of the BurgerMonday London Burger Bash.
Red Market, 1-3 Rivington St, EC2A 3DT
8. Lucky Chip
Is it finally time to draw a line in the salt? The hot-off-the-truck burgers from Lucky Chip get their Gareth Bale kick from the Murray Hill Australian sea salt encrusting its patties. As difficult as it is to put these fabulously middleweights down, figuratively and, yes, literally, the heavy-handed salting has gone over the top. There’s no disputing the appeal of the patties, with their desirably rough contours and fat-soaked crevices. When cooked right the buzz you get from the first bite is so great you can almost feel your ears ringing. The smoked back bacon, however, can border on chewy, occasionally with tiny hard white bits, possibly cartilage. Lucky Chip is in residence at the Sebright Arms pub every night except Sunday. On Saturdays you’ve find the guys parked at the original Netil Market location from 12:30pm to 9pm. £6.50-£16 not including fries.
Lucky Chip at Sebright Arms, 31-35 Coate Street, E2 9AG
Lucky Chip at Netil Market, 13-23 Westgate Street, London Fields, E8 3RL
7. Honest Burgers
In a makeshift burger luncheonette in Brixton Village Market built with hammer and nails Tom Barton and his able sidekicks stick to the fundamentals. They form 5 1/4 ounces (150 gr) of mince into marbled beef balls and flatten them with their hands (not spatula) on their flat-top griddle. Only then are the burgers seasoned with coarse salt. The crunch of the Honest, their best daily burger variety burger, comes from the level layers of sliced homemade gherkins and crisp streaky bacon; its tang, from griddle-steamed Cheddar; its sweetness, from red onion relish; its oven-browned polish, from a brushed white-flour bun; its juice, from marbled meat put through the most minimal of workouts. Burgers are not like boxers: If you want to develop a middleweight champion, as Honest has done, you mustn’t overwork ’em. £7.50-£9 including chips.
Honest Burgers Brixton – Unit 12, Brixton Village, SW9 8PR Honest Burgers Soho – 4A Meard Street – W1F 0EF Honest Burgers Camden, Unit 34A, 54-56 Camden Lock Pl, NW1 8AF
6. Bleecker St. Burger
If you’re a native New Yorker, as I am, the first thing you notice about this black burger van is that it’s named after a famous Greenwich Village street. The second thing you notice is that Zan Kaufman, the New Yorker-turner-Londoner taking orders, is wearing the hat of the despised Red Sox, a rival baseball team from Boston. In a flash you almost can hear the voice of Greenwich Village native Robert De Niro urging you to “walk away” from the Zan-with- a-van before it’s too late. But if you’re a bigger fan of burgers than baseball, as I am, you stay: Sometime sure smells really good and you gotta know what it is. The extraordinarily thing about the deceptively ordinary Bleecker burger is that it’s at once beefy, juicy, creamy, sweet and salty without feeling dirty. Rarely if ever will you find aged beef of this quality in a street burger. Plus it’s cooked, as promised, to medium rare – no easy task given the relative thinness of the patties. For that alone I tip my New York Mets baseball cap to Zan. £5.50 for a single; £7.90 for a double (not including fries). Bleecker’s double cheeseburger was voted top burger at round 3 of the London Burger Bash.
Go to Bleecker’s Facebook page to follow it’s schedule and whereabouts.
5. Hawksmoor
There are two pairs of hands you want to see around this big and deceptively powerful burger: yours or Hawksmoor‘s. Others have tried to duplicate the lush mince mix, which is said to include bone marrow and obscure cuts like beef shoulder clod, but these imposters have left me and their burgers crushed. Fat fills the grooves within the Hawksmoor burger as it cooks, basting its internal structure with deep, beefy flavours. The wet patty rests over an untidy raft of lettuce interruptus. Squeeze the burger too firmly or not firmly enough, I’m never sure which, and the patty will slide out from its housing, greasing your hands and breaching the bottom of the bun even before you’ve taken your first bite. But, oh my, what a first bite! Danger. Implosion. It’s all there, except, in recent instances, any significant char on the surface of a patty cooked to medium rare. Amongst four Hawksmoors, this ranking only apples to the Seven Dials location near Covent Garden, its burger HQ. £15 including chips.
Hawksmoor Seven Dials – 11 Langley Street, WC2H 9JG
4. Bar Boulud
Some vertical burgers are beefier but none is more stable than Boulud’s: Its hand-minced, hand-packed patty sits snugly beneath a thick layer of toppings inside the domed bun. It’s as if the bun’s bottom half had a contoured seat, like an Eames moulded side chair. Order one medium-rare and it comes to you with charred shell, pink interior, no grey fringes. The burger gives easily to the gentlest of finger squeezes, first lubricating itself and then your mouth with juices. The Frenchie, with melty Morbier, Dijon mustard and pork belly confit, is a splendid Gallic riff on a bacon cheeseburger. The Piggie transforms Bar Boulud into Bar Becue with its layers of red cabbage slaw, japapeno and pulled pork. But it’s the lavish BB that halts conversation: Something monumental happens when the succulent braised short ribs, foie gras, horseradish mayo, crisp fried shallots, red onion confiture, black onion seed brioche and patty are crushed between your teeth. £11.75-£20 not including frites.66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
3. Patty & Bun
A burger bun is a handle protecting our hands from drippy greasy, cheese and condiments. Patty & Bun‘s Joe Grossmann did not get that memo. His burgers are not so much over-the-top as all over the place: Open the wrapper and you can’t tell where the orange cheesy stuff ends and the runny orange house sauce begins. Beneath the radioactive goo is an appealingly plump, deep-pink, hand-packed patty just shy of six ounces but not shy of fatty juices. It’s a genre bender, successfully combining classic elements of both joint burgers and steak burgers. Grossman has named burgers after Ari Gold and Smokey Robinson but for me a more voluminous luminary comes to mind, Oliver Hardy. “Well,” you’ll be telling Grossmann as you unwrap yet another Ari or Smokey and lick mayonnaise off your fingers, “here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into!”. Grossmann’s Piggy Smalls was voted best burger in round 2 of the London Burger Bash. £7.50-£8.50 not including chips.
54 James Street, W1U 1HE
2. Elliot’s Cafe
With beer-braised onions, aged Comté melted as if for a gratinée and bread overhead, Elliot’s burger is outfitted in the manner of French onion soup. The accoutrements enhance but do not smother each 160-gram mound of aged, coarsely minced beef shin and rib cap from Borough Market neighbour The Ginger Pig. British Ogleshield has been added to the Comté to give the cheese element more an edge. The plump patty is smartly shaped for height at the expense of diameter. Its shape and fit over a house-baked linseed brioche bun brushed on its cut sides with acidulated dill butter is in the Bar Boulud mould, whereas the meat’s beefy creaminess belongs to the Hawksmoor school. My only beef with the Elliot’s burger is that it’s only available at lunch. £12.50 including chips.
12 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD
1. Little Social
Cooked the old-fashioned, low-tech way in a sizzling cast-iron pan, the crusty burger patty at Little Social, Jason Atherton’s spinoff bistro, is good enough to plate with nothing to go with it other than knife and fork. Okay, if you wanted to throw in some of those golden fries they’d not go to waste. The New York-style chopped steak created by Canadian head chef Cary Docherty is a blend of aged Scottish chuck, flank, neck and clod coarsely minced in-house. The hand-formed patty is so close a match for the garnishes (mild Cheddar, smoked streaky bacon, caramelised onions) that cloak it and the gorgeous Boulangerie de Paris sesame seed brioche bun that houses it you’d think Docherty had employed a Savile Row tailor for the fitting. His classic burger, £15 including fries, can be customised with sautéed foie gras for an extra £10 but that luxurious accessory is unnecessary. Amongst the “est”-ending burger superlatives (biggest, baddest, dirtiest, etc.) there’s only one I’d apply to Docherty’s Little Social burger: best.
5 Pollen Street, W1S 1NE
beautiful post – beautiful pictures. I am not sure I will survive much longer without savoring one of your recommended burgers. *sigh*
A fine list looking and one which I’ve eaten nowhere near enough of.
Great list, Daniel! I agree that, since Eastside Inn has closed, Bar Boulud is no 1 – but your nos. 2 and 3 follow closely on its heels. Did you ever try the Eastside Inn burger (it was only on their bar menu which became available only shortly before they closed). It was my former number 1. I look forward to trying Malmaison’s burger soon. The photos are complete burger porn.
Greedy – I read your post praising the Eastside Inn burger but sadly didn’t get there in time.
Ah, a new years resolution – must eat at all of those in 2011! I’ve only got 4 of them under my (ever-expanding) belt. 🙂
This has made me pine for the Bella Burger at the Strong Rooms off Curtain Road, which used to be my Friday lunchtime special treat.
OMG this post is utter food sluttery haha, pool under my mouth just looking at them haha.
I loved the last Byron bugger i had, cant wait to try Bar Boulud next month when im back in London :). very good post.
Great list Dan
I would not include BB as number 1 in the top 10 unless it was the NYC version as found the core of the burger i.e. the patty totally bland – however I agree the execution and accoutrements are unsurpassed. This burger is like Cheryl Cole beautifully presented but no voice.
The beauty of Goodman is that it is ground in the kitchen from a variety of cuts from top class USDA Omaha , O’Shea’s of Knightsbridge , Belted Galloway or Devon Red beef and the blend always different depending on what they have used that day.
Hawksmoor and BBR also use top quality beef and for that reason along with Goodman would have to put those in my top 3.
The rest mainly use commodity beef and whilst all are perfectly good by London standards we should maybe think about three lists Joint , Mid range and Premium . The questions is are there 10 of each ?
Here is my recategorised list
Joint
1. Meatwagon
2. Byron
3. Hache
Mid Range
1. Rivington
2. Malmaison
3. Joe Allen
Premium
1. Goodman/ Hawksmoor
2. BBR
3. BB
Dino – Greatly respect your views, as always, but puzzled as to why you listed Goodman and Hawksmoor on the same line atop your “premium” category. Of the two, which do you rate more highly?
I thought the American Bar at the Stafford was up there, (in terms of quality, if at the high end price wise) Once I have staggered through this great list I will know though. From memory Joe Allen is a great burger and a good late night spot if you can find it!
Nic – Tried the burger at Stafford’s American Bar this August and was disappointed. Impressive for its girth and presentation, the burger was nonetheless too hard and compact. They were, however, in the midst of a chef change so your experience(s) might have been different than mine. I need my iPhone GPS to pinpoint location of Joe Allen and even then I get lost.
Oh that’s a good post. Seven burgers in there that I still need to try before I die. Good to see Joe Allen made the cut. And the Lib Dems have a minor position in power too I see.
Seb – Joe Allen ranks near the top for diner’s value and at the bottom for diner’s leg room.
Oh my goodness, that is total an utter food porn. It should come with a NSFW warning!! The drip in front of the big slab-o-meat on the Hawksmoor one gets my vote. I’ve yet to try it but I have heard nothing but amazing things about them.
Great list, I can’t wait to try Bar Boulud’s burgers. Two other favourite burgers of mine are at Dollar Grill in Exmouth Market and Tom’s Kitchen in Chelsea.
Wow. These pictures are turning me on. I’ve been looking for the best burger in London but apart from Byron the others are still alluding me. Actually I think the Meatwagon (which I’ll soon try at the Florence) one looks the best, the Bar Boulud one looks a bit sicky for me. I’m going to Hawksmoor and Goodman soon but not sure whether to try the burger or the steak first? Actually FIRST I need to lose some weight from eating all these burgers. Sigh…
Sasha x
Mmm-mmmm. That is a tasty burger. Daniel, ever have a Big Kahuna Burger?
Matt – No, I’ve not had that pleasure. Have you? Which location?
I’ve just got back from New York where I had two of the most amazing burgers of my life and I’m keen to find a decent fix here in London. Thanks very much for this list, I will be trying as many as I can. Have you tried the burger at the Boisdale (near Victoria station, superior to the Bishopsgate branch) though? It’s only on the bar menu I think but it’s well, well worth it. Particularly if you get the truffle mayo on top…
V – Must try Boisdale burger. Thanks for the tip. Where in New York did you have those two great burgers?
I went to Hawksmoor based on this recommendation and was incredibly disappointed. I ordered the Kimchi burger and my brother the regular cheeseburger. Both of us had the same comment – tasteless. There seemed to be no seasoning in the meat. And my patty was overly charred. Fair enough I will give you it’s moist and succulent, but the only thing giving my burger flavour was the kimchi.
I also ordered the bone marrow with slow cooked onions. Again, burnt onions and brunt toast. And no salt on the bone marrow! I’m not a huge fan of salt (I never add salt to food that comes to the table) but this had me reaching for that salt mill. Do not see myself going back at all.
Just tried the Bar Boulud burgers.
The bun is freshly baked and the meat is of good quality and well-cooked.
However, the sauce is almost absent and the overall dish is very salty. Will go on working that list but will start from the bottom; upscale places are usually bad at providing simple good food.
The best for me is found at Broadway farmers market Hackney & Tootsies .
Sorry, I’ve only just seen your response to my original post last month. The two great burgers we had in New York were at Shake Shack (366 Columbus Avenue at 77th Street, but there are others) and the funny, hidden diner behind the lobby of the Parker Meridien hotel. I think the key, apart from the excellent quality patty cooked to perfection, is the almost brioche-like burger bun that New Yorkers favour. I wish restaurants here would realise that ciabatta or any kind of ‘fancy’ bread just doesn’t work, particularly if toasted. The bun needs to be soft, squidgy, and delicious!
We tried Bob Bob Ricard last night in our quest for the ultimate London burger: a wonderful experience in a beautiful setting, but my burger was overcooked. This is another thing that grates – when restaurants claim they have to cook the burger all the way through because of “health and safety issues”. If they mince the steak themselves, this shouldn’t even be an issue surely…?
Daniel,
Great list, I need to try Bar Boulud, Goodman, and Brasserie Malmaison… Hawksmoor is my favorite by far, I went to Joe Allen and the burger was extremely disappointing, probably the chef had a bad day… Byron in my opinion is over rated, the only time I accept an invitation to go there is in February to have the Big D the rest of the year not good enough…
Meat Wagon is excellent however is absurd to wait two hours to order the burger and the another two to get it….
The last one I tired was the Mini Iberico Pork and Foie Gras burger at Opera Tavern in Covent Garden, excellent I highly recommend it, but is a tapa burger so you should order two otherwise you will be wanting more….
New York I recommend Minetta Tavern, nothing like the Black Label burger….
I’ve tried the Piggy burger at Boulud. Highly recommended, even by the company who bring you the Mal burger. Thanks for putting us in the charts. Good to see in a city where dining is everything, the humble burger is still mighty. We’ve just opened a Bistro du Vin, our first in London on Clerkenwell, we do a burger there. We’ve been experimenting with textures and flavours for it. We’d welcome you give it the once over. Thanks again Gary
Thanks, Gary. I’ll be sure to check out your Bistro du Vin burger asap.
Gary – I was in for the Bistro du Vin burger last night. Exceptional. It is a very strong candidate for this list. Thanks for reco.
Burger dilemma, courtesy of Jonathon Safran Foer (2009) ‘Eating Animals’ p74
Very often, those who express concern about (or even an interest in) the conditions in which farm animals are raised are disregarded as sentimentalists.
Two friends are ordering lunch. One says: “I’m in the mood for a burger,” and orders it. The other says “I’m in the mood for a burger,” but remembers that there are things more important to him than what he is in the mood for at any given moment, and orders something else [presumably not the product of the cruel torture of animals].
Who is the sentimentalist?
Enjoy!
Daniel,
I see you’ve swapped Bistro du Vin in at No 8 and removed Hache. A little odd to me – shouldn’t there be an update notice? And was Hache really the 10th best all along, that you’d add Bistro du Vin and leave Byron/Bob Bob on?
Incidentally, I’m a Texan living in London and am “counting down” your list whenever I get homesick: Byron falls into the “okay for England” category, Hache was very enjoyable, but the best burger I’ve had in England yet was out in Wendover, Buc’shire, at a pub called the Village Gate. Burger night is Thursday night. Obviously the 45 minute train journey excludes it from this list, but if you ever need a Thursday getaway, the Village Gate had stuff that made this Yank feel fat and happy.
This list isn’t right. Christopher’s Grill on Wellington street, Covent Garden needs to be somewhere near the top. Shame on you Daniel, you’ve neglected a burger that i’ve staked my reputation on many a time.
Great list, but I especially like what you were able to put into words, concerning Byron’s – something I felt but could not express: “Byron is very easy to like and a little bit hard to love”.
By the way, Hawksmoor is #1 on my list, but then, I haven’t tried Bar Boulud. That’s going to be next on my list – thanks for the tip!
Excellent list of suggestions, I think I prefer Goodman’s burger to Hawksmoor’s but they’re very close. Yet to try Boulud and the Meatwagon. Also I would rate Hache above Byron (and maybe the burger at the Diner come to think of it).
But in my top 5 I would include the burger at the Duke of Wellington in Marylebone.
http://www.thedukew1.co.uk/menus/barmenu.pdf
At £16.25 (including chips) it’s one of the most expensive ones on the list but in my opinion it’s worth it. The barbecued pulled pork addition is a great idea.
Great list!
One to investigate. In a moment of desperation whilst stranded in Marlyebone station we discovered that the burger at Sports Bar & Grill — also in Farringdon — betrays the somewhat quotidian surroundings.
Juicy, soft but reliably meaty burger on a (controversial) ciabatta bun. It’s not the finest by any means, but a good back up…
Chips on the other hand? a bit hit and miss.
I agree with Alex – in fact I had to check that it wasn’t me who posted it. Being a bit price conscious I also like the fact that the Goodmans one is cheaper than Hawksmoor despite having everything included in the price.
Glad to see that Byron made your list. I somewhat disagree though on your thoughts on it – for a chain establishment, I think it does a fantastic job at making each restaurant different to its others, plus it has excellent staff.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jason. You’re right, Byron does a good job of making each location decoratively distinctive. However, I’ve been to the Islington Byron recently and stand by my comments.
Love this burger ranking. Must go to bar Boulud and Mal.
But I’d rank Black and Blue over Byron. It’s a bit soggier, and the chips could be better, but I do find the burger done properly always. I’ve had hit-n-miss experiences at Byron.
Ooh and The Commander off Westbourne Grove is deffo in my top 3. The bun is a fluffy brioche type thing and not soggy, and the burger juices seep out only once bitten into. aaah.
i’ve had one experience with the Black and Blue burger at the Gloucester Road location and was very disappointed. Dry and drab. Must try The Commander, however. Thanks for tip.
Daniel,
Just been to Bar B-as a taste test definitely well up there but I have to say my initial reaction was where is the rest of it?
I did have great burger at the Draught/Drafthouse near borough a few months ago. Good selection of American craft beers as well.
My friend, also an afficiondo rates the Broadway market burger.
Peace
Muhunthan
Daniel
Have you tried Lucky Seven on Westbourne Grove? They would definitely go top five in your list, I think.
Matt
Matt – How recently have you stopped by Lucky Seven for a burger? I was there this week and the burger wasn’t very good at all. The fries were criminal.
I still have dreams over my Meatwagon# burger, to the point where I have become obsessed with tracking them down to see where the next location will be… it has proved very tricky so far, since they moved out of their semi-temporary location at New Cross…
In the interim, we are satisfying our carnivorous cravings through regular trips to Hawksmoor in Spitalfields on Sundays….
My partner is American and a very harsh judge of what constitutes a “proper burger” here… happy to report that Hawksmoor has passed the test with flying colours!
The only thing left now is to convince him that paying £15 for a burger+chips is not unreasonable (for central London *ahem*)
Hi Daniel,
Great list. I have tried Hawskmoor and Goodman’s burgers, both really good and I can not wait for my visit this weekend to Bar Boloud but personally I would rank Haché on top of Byrons if we talk about meat quality and consistency, have you tried them?
Vanesa – Since you are comparing Haché and Byron on the basis of consistency I will assume you’ve been to both several times. I’ve only been to Haché’s Camden restaurant three times. I’ve had two very good experiences and one so-so experience.
Really?! Its been a while to be fair – probably 6 months since I was last there. I’ll have to re-visit.
Most of these burgers look revolting, and I’m a big burger fan.
Think you’re missing the point with burgers somehow.
Nils – Out of curiosity, which of the illustrated burgers did you NOT find revolting?
As a burger fan I am delighted to find this site. One of my faves is the Electric’s house burger (Portobello Road). Consistently tasty and convincing, and £10 with fries.
Looking forward to trying out the list. As for Lucky 7 – don’t bother with their measly effort. The Elgin pub on the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park Road is worth a try and they will cook it how you want it…
Have you ever tried The Gun pub in docklands? Their juicy beef shin burger with Keen’s cheddar is far, far better than Byron in my opinion, and therefore probably deserves to be on this list.
…I haven’t tried the burgers at the other places yet, but can’t wait to get stuck in – can’t believe I’ve been to the top 3 several times and missed the burgers every time!
I know The Gun’s beef shin burger and even hosted a BurgerMonday meatup at the Docklands pub. Unfortunately Its impressive 10 1/2 ounce (300 gr) burger is not always cooked to the requested level of doneness (or within the accepted margin of error), thus disqualifying it for the London top 10.
Especially with your Honest Burger review! Went on Friday, top class burger that!
went to Joe Allen’s the other day…. Two obvious questions to ask are:
– why won’t they put the burger on the menu? we actually had to ask the waitress whether they make them or not
– is that a slider or a burger? it was tiny!!
Good burger though…. but ridiculously small to compare with some of the heavy duty beauties we have sampled elsewhere, namely Hawksmoor and #Meatwagon
Anna – The off-menu status of the Joe Allen burger, clever or just annoying, is by now a London tradition. Many, such as this freelance journalist writing for the Guardian, would be horrified to see this change.
I agree the burger is smallish, especially when compared to Hawksmoor’s. But it’s reasonably thick for its size and roughly half the price. Plus you yourself rated it good. Next time have two!
Great stuff Daniel. Must say I find Hache a bit overrated and Byron too for that matter.. Eagle Bar and Diner is my spot – brilliantly consistent and high marks in terms of toppings for caramelized onions as standard, option of 6oz or 8oz and decent range of toppings. Plus the huge cloth napkin is a statement of intent. I’d be interested in your thoughts…
Daniel great updated list we are almost on the same page – I think 3 is up there with No 1 based on my recent experiences and 4 is ahead of 2 pour moi – go figure !
Daniel,
I had the Goodman burger yesterday, and i must say i was pretty disappointed. Dry bun, overcooked burger, sloppy tomato, and just a general lacking of juices and moisture. Not to say i didnt enjoy the experience but dont think its number 1.
With that being said, I had the Ad Cod burger on Saturday, and that was an excellent Burger, and what i would rank as number 1. The burger was perfectly cooked, bun excellent, bacon excellent, and the lettuce/slaw topped it off perfectly.
Also think Baloud is overratted but perhaps i need to go back.
Burgerfoodie – Very disappointed to hear your Goodman burger yesterday did not look anything like mine a couple of weeks ago.
Expat American here. An Italian friend and I have been following your list religiously (with updates!) for almost a year now. Agree Goodman and Admiral Cod are fantastic but actually rate the Malmaison burger above them all!
Any reason in particular you delisted them?
TNburgerlover – The restaurant group behind Malmaison began doing strange things to their meat to circumvent the dangers associated with serving rare and medium-rare mince (ground beef to us Americans). See this post.
I have had the Goodman burger about 5 or 6 times now and have absolutely loved it. After telling my wife how great it was, she finally came along to try it out.
I have to agree with BurgerFoodie, the burger just wasn’t up to standard. The bun was very dry compared to normal (almost tasted stale) and the meat was not as juicy as normal. It felt like there was a lack of care taken with it. This was very disappointing. I wish I had chosen the steak instead.
I would even say I had a better burger at Hache today – I had the Canadian bacon burger (make sure you ask for it Medium Rare – as they do medium well as standard). Reminded me of the burger at the draft house at one of the burger Mondays.
On a mission to tackle this entire list. Went to Goodman today for lunch, Mayfair rather than the city. Quite simply excellent, its the best burger Ive had in London so far.
Small disappointment was the lack of fries vs chips. To me burgers should always come with fries but thats a personal choice I guess.
Daniel,
This weekend I continued my quest to visit all of your top 10 burger spots, and on Sunday took a trip to Lucky Chip.
I thought the experience as a whole was good, not amazing. Almost half of the menu was unavailable due to an apparent busy evening on Saturday. I thought the Burger was slightly over cooked, but was still very juicy. A little too slippery, but i actually thought the bun held quite well. The jalapenos were excellent and i thought the fries were good, but again not great.
Last three trips off your list still rank:
1. Ad Cod
2. Goodman
3. Luckychip
So far off this list I’ve done Opera Tavern, Hawksmoor and Lucky Chip and thought I’d give some feedback – they are all fantastic burgers by the way.
For a short period, Lucky Chip were parked in NW10 about a 10 minute walk from my house. I was bitterly disappointed when they lost that spot and moved out east. Great burger although I think the alioli is quite a sympathetic dressing and a touch overused. The first burger I had there blew me away, the second and third were still pretty good but that’s when I cottoned on just how much the garlic taste was adding to the burger. Incredible fries though! Need more coverage on the fries in general on this page!
Hawksmoor was also a pretty incredible burger – very greasy though, maybe a little too much fat for some people’s liking.
Despite the pork, despite the size, I’d still put the Opera Tavern’s burger above both Lucky Chip and Hawksmoor. Incredible flavour combination and well worth the visit. Also make sure you try their charcuterie selection.
As per another commenter, would also be interested in your thoughts on Eagle Bar.
I’ve eaten at most of the above and I think that London’s best burger has been omitted… get yourself down to Chiswell Street Dining Rooms in the City.
Consistently exceptional
HI Daniel, great list. Two quick things. Can you get the iphone app to be updated with this list (and this list only). The app is missing bar boulod and some others. Further, I would suggest removing all the Byron listings as they are just a chain now and clutter the app with their ever growing locations. -e
Love the list, looking to try out Goodman and Hawksmoor in the near future (although I’ll probably try the steak first if anything). Went to Rivington Grill last night, decent burger, pretty sloppy with the bottom bun coated in grease but overall the bacon, cheese and chips complemented each other well. Perfect red too.
Did you ever try out the Hoxton Grill? They do a very manageable burger, loads of taste (I think they add coriander but not overpowering) and a very mean vanilla milk shake.
Great list and I’ll be working my through this over the next few months. Can’t wait for more to come.
Daniel,
How come the meatwagon/easy has dropped off your list? For me this deserves a place in the top 10, superb burger I thought and superb atmosphere, and unbeatable value for money!
Best wishes
Chris
Not a restaurant, but I recently bought Heston Blumenthal hamburgers at Waitrose (2 to a package), and they made for a very nice fix when unable to get to any of the above 10 top picks. One has to add their own fixings, but that’s what we call ingenuity.
As far as a franchise goes, still rate Ed’s Diner pretty highly but then not had any of the above – any comparison?
I’ve only eaten at 3 or 4 establishments from this and prior versions of the chart, but the best burger I’ve had in London, hands down, has to be this new Hawaiian burger joint on Carnaby Street.
http://www.kua-aina.co.uk/
I’d love to hear Daniel’s opinion on the place as I personally preferred it to Hawksmoor.
Cheers
David
James,
Do yourself a favour and try a real burger that’s made with top quality product and a bit of love and you’ll see the difference.
And then let us know what you think!
I do not understand how every burger list misses The Idle Hour, now also in Barons Court having previously only been down a hard-to-reach alley way of Barnes. I know that there are eatery secrets all over London but this pub regularly wins best gastro-pub, best organic pub food etc and it burgers are 50% off on a Monday! Their red onion jam is the …cherry on the cake??!
Four of us went to Hawskmoor last night purely to try the burger. Between us we tried all of their burgers and they were all far too salty and far too messy (fell to bits on first bite). In a pub I would have been unhappy with this burger. Such a shame.
My expectations of anything beating the Bar Boulud burger are diminishing but I live in hope that my first Goodman burger will surpass it.
Byron used to be on this list didn’t it? Sure it’s a chain but their burgers deliver every time. They also have an amazing selection of beers (Kernel, Brew Dog, Little Creatures) and you can walk in off the street.
Just tried the burger at The Idle Hour in Barnes based on a recommendation here and was wholly unimpressed. Messy burger, too much salad and an old bun from a supermarket.
I think all places serving meat should put the provenance of their flesh. This includes Meatliquor. In the case of beef, I want to know what kind of cow, how long it was hung for and where it came from.
you forgot Kua’Aina in Fouber’s Place.
This was an interesting thing to read and see, as I am not British and have never been to Europe (I am an American). It is surprising (from my perspective) to see that these burgers are almost universally pink on the inside, which is completely different from most burgers you find in the U.S. Our burger’s are typically “well-done” with almost no pink or red hues on the inside. In fact, a burger I ordered a few days ago at a restaurant came out slightly pink and even the waiter was a little grossed out when I showed him and asked for them to grill it a little longer (and it was not nearly as pink as most on this list).
You must try http://www.atomicburger.co.uk in Oxford
Sigh. I really shouldn’t have read this at 12:05 when my tummy’s rumbly anyway….it’s taking all the will power possible not to dash over to MeatLiquor right now and get a burger hit….great post as always x
Ad Cod all the way for me. Just sensational.
A burger you should definitely check out is at The Thomas Cubitt, Belgravia (Elizabeth St)- Best burger in Victoria by a country mile and in my top 5 for London. Consistently exceptional.
Cheers…Pete
Sorry to disagree, Pete, but I have had the Thomas Cubitt burger and didn’t much care for it: Too fine a grind. Too much pre-seasoning.
I absolutely agree that Goodmans burger is, perhaps the best burger in London. Unfortunately, I found Meatliquor extremely disappointing (I would rather McDonalds than this one. I think that Gourmet Kitchen Burger, Lucky Seven and Byron’s are superior to Meatliquor.
Been following Daniel for a while, having now had five of the burgers listed. Bar Boulud was great, Admiral good, Goodman was ok (great steaks). Hands down for me personally and the six people who’ve joined me on the ultimate burger quest over the last five months, Hawksmoor (Seven Dials) takes it home every time. I’ve now been there five times, twice for the burger and it’s a real winner! The beef dripping chips along with the burger is mind blowing. Joe Allen, I’ve been many times since I was a young child ‘the secret burger’ pretty standard really. The first time I went to Bar Boulud I had the Yankee, the second time the Piggie which we really loved! I like my meat red and dripping wet, no other way to eat it. Thanks for all the reviews Daniel. The search goes on. Where to go next?!? PJ Clarkes in New York is pretty fantastic!
go to the posh bangers in london bridge
the burger then is the greatest burger of all time
i had such a burgasm
I’ve just come back from Goodman’s and the burger was pretty good. Four of was ordered the burger, all medium but one came out too rare, hence was not finished but as a favour I finished it for her.
All in all the burger was nice. The meat was very very good and the chips were amazing. I had a problem with the bun though as it did not hold form for long. If I had ordered a medium rare burger tha bun would have lasted one minute.
Though good, in my mind a great burger should be embelished all sorts of fancy sauces and added parafernalia otherwise it’s just a mince sandwich :-).
Hawksmoor next to try.
Dazel – I’m sorry your Goodman’s experience was disappointing.
I know many agree with you about a burger acquiring its greatest through sauces, toppings and accessories. I am not one of those people. For me a great burger stands on its own, even with nothing above or below the patty except a bun and, of course, your hands.
I’ve just come back from a trip to LA and NYC and was able to try out a number of acclaimed burgers. Some of them were memorable; more so than say the burger I had from Goodman which was a little disappointing but perhaps my expectations were too high. Also, in response to an earlier post, asking for a medium rare burger was a fairly standard request. In LA, burgers from Father’s Office and Short Order were excellent but I was less impressed by Umami Burger. By the time I got to New York, my desire for a burger had started to wane a little but did manage a trip to Shake Shack (not gourmet but excellent nonetheless and worth the 20 minute queue). Also, I had a tasty lamb burger at Breslin (Ace Hotel) and a superb chicken burger at Diner in Williamsburg.
At our household, we have been working through your list. For the most part we agree, although I do miss french fries in a few of your listings. However I think you have a major omission in you. The Cross Keys pub in Chelsea. Also the new Hawksmoor cocktail bar in Spitalfields do a rather splendid Cheeseburger.
Have been totally inspired by the list Daniel. Many thanks. In fact, since i read it on Monday i have been to Joe Allens and Honest Burger. Both great, but Honest on top at the moment. Going to go for three in three days, so am trying to choose between HAwksmoor and Goodman for tomorrow…..decisions, decisions.
Either way, my plan is to nail all ten before my twin babies arrive in 5 weeks time.
ps. meant to say, dont know if you know it, but my favourite burger in the world is at Primeburger – 51st Street in New York. Had my first one 20 years ago and it’s never been bettered.
All our burgers are 100% flame-grilled pretension…
“its interior is now a study in pink on pink”
“a splendid Gallic riff on a bacon cheeseburger”
“This ingenious solution to the unwieldy lettuce issue… squirts juice with every bite”
“marbled meat put through the most minimal of workouts”
“a shared weakness for molten yellow cheese”
“shaped for height at the expense of diameter”
“its commanding presence looms in your consciousness”
“beef-braised onions and melted aged Comté… are able sparring partners”
“… the patty’s fatty juices grease your hands and breach the bottom of its bun… Danger. Implosion. It’s all there.”
“Yianni spins spine-tingling, yellow-cheese-dripping compositions… This carnivorous funhouse of gothic surrealism is a dark ride”
Have been closely monitoring The List for the past year or so and have managed to sample the delights of Goodman (my personal fave), Bar Boulud (my boyf’s fave – he had the Piggie), Opera Tavern, Joe Allen (we love the guy who plays the piano) and MEATLiquor (good, but the queuing and slow service will probably put us off going back again). I have also tried Hache (used to be on the list) but didn’t rate the bun.
Next on the list was Hawksmoor, but we still haven’t managed it given that you can’t get the burger if you book a table in the dining room, and you can’t book a table in the bar (the menu it is on) – we’ve tried a few times now (granted at weekends) and haven’t been able to get a table at the bar. We’ll keep trying though – REALLY want to try it out!
The one disappointment was the Admiral Codrington, although not for the taste of the burger – because we couldn’t even try it out! When my boyfriend booked a table for my birthday (knowing that it would be a fun surprise) we turned up, only to be told on being handed the menu that they had sold out of burgers!
Maybe this shouldn’t have annoyed us so much and we should have just chosen something else from the menu. But the fact is that they are known for their burgers so you’d think they would have enough to feed whoever might order one. Instead, we were told that a large group had booked and PRE-ORDERED burgers for the whole table, hence they had run out. Surely, in this instance you would make extra for the large booked group?!
Anyway, in the end we actually left the table and went elsewhere. I’m sure we’ll give it another try as it seems to be a list stalwart, and the burgers are clearly delicious if they can sell out so quickly on a Saturday night!
p.s. one of the best burgers I’ve ever had was at The Harbour Master hotel near Aberystwyth http://www.harbour-master.com/ – and Burgerac actually does a good ‘out of town’ burger blog for anyone heading out of London on a burger-based adventure: http://midsomerburgers.blogspot.co.uk/
Myself along with 5 friends have been going through this top 10 list and it has split the camp into two groups. I personally think that Admiral Codrington was the best with Hawksmoor and Goodman joint 2nd. But for everyone so far, those 3, are the top 3 but in different orders.
Offt
@Dazel – each to their own, of course, but no. One of my favourite burgers is from Louis in New Haven, CT. They claim to have invented the burger – who knows? – and their burgers are just meat between two pieces of lightly toasted, white bread. They’re phenominal. http://www.louislunch.com/
I’m working my way through this list now. I’m more of a Five Guys, burger joint guy (as opposed to gourmet), but Bar Boulud ranks highly so far. Hawksmoor, not so much – it was unwieldy and the bun fell apart after the first bite.
I spent an age choosing where to visit from your list. In the end decided to go for the Lucky Chip in the Sebright Arms. What’s better than a burger? A burger accompanied with real ale (and they had some great ales to choose from).
I went for the cheeseburger and fries. It came out looking like a dream. The bun felt lovely in my hands and the initial meat taste was amazing, as was the next bite.
BUT- then!
WHAT WAS THAT? Salt, lots and lots of it.
okay I know on your review above it states it has Australian Sea Salt in it, but it was as if they had a chef de salter in the kitchen sprinkling the lovely burgers with grains/rocks of the stuff. It was ruinous amounts.
My friends and I finished our burgers and all agreed that we had been left with a very bold taste of salt in our mouths. It was a shame as it ruined the delightful initial few bites massively.
Oh well, a few more pints of Redemption Ale helped wash the salty taste away!!
Next week we’re going to Hawksmoor Bar in Spitlefields….
Anyone else have the same salty experience with their Lucky Chip Burger.
To finish on a positive note, the SeBright is a well run boozer, with great staff, great ales and some brilliant tunes playing in the background. You know the saying ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover?’ Well go in and see how well these guys have done.
Chris – You’re right and I let you down: My most recent Lucky Chip burger was wickedly salt. My recommendation should have carried a warning about the oversalting of the burgers and the fries.
Daniel – You should try the Wooly Burger at The Woolpack pub on Bermondsey Street. It is juicy, pink and comes with Chorizo. Simply amazing.
Do people have recomendations for the best chicken burgers in London? The burgers above look great but aren’t suitable for those of us that don’t eat beef! Bodean’s is disappointing and although Meat Liquor’s buffalo chicken burger is great, it’s pretty pricey…
Dharle – The chicken burgers to which you refer are not, in my book, burgers but rather chicken fillet or chicken breast sandwiches on burger buns. To qualify as a burger the chicken would need to be ground (minced). I know of no serving a true chicken burger in London.
Was in NYC last week, and aside from my regular pilgrimage to Lukes Lobster on E7th, I was able to sample the burger at The Spotted Pig. Really good burger, made even better by the almost full plate of perfect string fries.
My wife and i tried the Hawksmoor burger and the special burger for the day the Black Burger that came with black pudding as a pre matinee theatre meal on Sunday. The burgers were certainly the best we have both tasted with the added bone marrow making them quite rich and we whole heartedly recommend trying a manhatten cocktail with your food (after you have had it served up and tasted it you will see why as i wont ruin the surprise).
Hey
What’s going on with this list?? Goodmans was number 1 last week and I had just started working my up the list (went to the Opera Tavern on Sunday) and now it’s gone!
2 of the burgers aren’t even reviewed – looks like you’ve opted for mega-expensive options here…not impressed!
Wow. No Ad Cod???!
Rotter – The Admiral Codrington would have been a top two selection had chef Fred Smith not announced his plans to leave the pub in the next couple of weeks.
I’m very surprised that you felt the need to exclude the Admiral Codrington from the top 10 due to Fred Smith leaving. I wonder if you would have excluded another top ten entry purely because a chef (head or not) had announced that they were due to leave?
A top ten entry can surely only be based on previous experience and therefore it seems bit unfair that the Ad Cod (I.e mr Smith) haven’t been given the recognition they deserve? Who’s to say that they don’t carry on making a good burger but if they didn’t then it would be reflected in the top 10 reshuffle.
I’m interested to hear your thoughts.
Ant
Anthony – This game is a bit like handicapping racehorses: You predict results, you make recommendations, you place bets based on past performances. If the chef in the saddle was directly responsible for those positive outcomes, as I believe Fred Smith was through his tenure at the Admiral Codrington, then recommending the burger before a new chef has taken over the reins and proven him/herself seems chancy at best.
I agree with your larger point: Few restaurants would be dropped from top 10 consideration just because their chefs announced an imminent departure. But you maybe see this as an indication of my failing. I see it as a reflection of what made Fred’s exacting, passionate approach to burgers so special, so unique: Who else could have transformed the former Sloanie headquarters into a must destination for burger lovers of all stripes?
Most of these just look like part of the “gourmet” burger trend of yesteryear, especially Goodmans which looks way too tall to be any good at all.
Throwing a load of foie gras at the problem isn’t the makings of a good burger. It’s just a clumsy shortcut, the meat should be able to stand up on it’s own without that crutch.
Only ones I’d bother with off this list are Honest, Lucky Chip and Hawksmoor. Ad Cod should be up there too.
Well done Dan for heroic research , you must have eaten so many poor burgers for the research you deserve a Knighthood.
Would it be cruel of me to say only 2 of the above would probably make a NYC top 100 list ?
Which two, Dino?
Personally I do not rate lucky chip, the last three times I have been there, the burger bun has been undercooked, therefore, white and doughy. It had too much cheese, which did not taste of anything.
To top it off the burger meat was grey and only has a few bits of pink meat showing through.
Massive fail.
I honestly don’t see how Hawksmoor’s burger doesnt feature at your top 3, if not the no1 burger on the list…. we have tried 8 out of the 10 listings, by pure coincidence and due to the fact that both my American partner and me are devoted burger aficionados…. Our absolute top3 which combined quality and price in a city as pricey as London is:
1. Hawksmoor (NEVER disappoints)
2. Lucky Chip
3. MEATLiquor
Joe Allen was ok but so small you literally had to order 2 to fill up. Need to try Opera Tavern and Honest Burgers
Anna – I like the three you’ve short-listed, especially when they’re at the top of their game. With Hawksmoor you’ve had better luck than I have. I’ve had two burgers at two Hawksmoor locations within the last two months. Compared to prior experiences both were disappointments.
This list gets me salivating every time, and it’s always interesting to see who’s in and who’s out. Surprised at the Cod omission, I’ve been there when Fred has not been at the pass and always had a good Burger. But the Cod is also my best Burger in London too, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens at the Cod, sans Fred and also what and where Mr Smith resurfaces and will there be hamburger action.
The main disappointment is that I simply don’t get to eat half these burgers half as often as I’d like to. I think I end up enjoying London’s burger vicariously through your posts and Top 10 updates.
Hey Daniel… love your blog and love this list. Through it I now list Honest Burger among my favourites and am looking forward to a Hawksmoor soon. Would love to know what ones fall outside the top ten as well.
BTW… if you have a chance check out the Draft House. I went to their Burger Monday (easier to get seats then your own) yesterday and was amazed at the quality of burger and bun. And the beer of course.
I visited meat liqour the other week and was impressed with what I was served ( dead hippie burger ) and the battered gherkins are a must try . I’ve also been hearing good things about a place called red dog saloon in hoxton has anyone been there ?
How does meat liquor manage it?!
Every time a massive amount of you fall for what is a tarted up McDonald’s in a cool setting.
London has so much better than that sugar fries pretentious rubbish. Even walks all over it every time!
Keith – You have a point.
@SK A bunch of us had Red Dog Saloon one night working late… it was awful, the corn bread bun was like eating stodgy cotton wool, the patty was bland and the bbq sauce had a very unusual taste. My favourite London burger is the Smokey Robinson cooked by Joe at Patty & Bun… I had one at Feast in London Bridge this weekend. It’s the only burger I’ve ever eaten that doesn’t leave you feeling over-full. Patty & Bun do great rosemary fries on the side too, makes a change to the lovely but over-salted ones that some places offer.
Thanks for the list guys.
There is nothing better than a good burger to hit the spot.
I’m thinking about working my way down your list in the next few months.
A suggestion I’d like to ad. I go regularly for my burger fix in a place called 1920 in Central London. Don’t know if you heard about it but they’ve been there for quite a while and they are in my personnal favorite. Let’s see if I change my mind after trying out your top 10;)
Bravo on the list! although I’m still eating my way through the top 10.
Surely Bar Boulud is cheating (IMO) with the foie gras? they should have their own list as that burger is out of this world. Although so far only MeatLiquor has me going back for seconds (and thirds)
Call off the search. Its over. Ignoring the fries (so hard, they are nearly crisps) the Best cheese burger in town (by a country mile) is CUT at 45 Park Lane.
1) remove the salad.
2) enjoy that burger
NB tastes that blow your mind,
Out of interest, would Byron even make top 20?
Also Hache is worth a try.
Hi, went into a bar called the carpenters arms on cambridge heath road, they had a burger night last friday’ and i can tell it was one of the best burgers i’d had in such a long time,all served with chips and in a 1/2 brioche bun prices started at 6.50 upto 9.00 pounds i think, the sloppy joe was fantastic and my friend had the new yorker and looked fantastic also. i’ve heard the kitchen will be open from this friday as they have just been testing the water to see what the trade would be like” i can tel youl i will be their for sure going to have the fire cracker this time, bit of a old looking pub but always like to find a new place to eat.
And Bodiens? Just because it is a chain you exclude it form the list? I think they deserve their place in the Top 10!
Will be interesting to see whether Tommi’s Burger Joint makes it on to this list. Cheap, excellent burgers, BYO, friendly staff, cute room. What’s not to like?
Richard – I like Tommi’s Burger Joint well enough but don’t see either of its burgers as in contention for the Top 10 list.
Went to Bread Street Kitchen the other day for their burger. Came recommended but it won’t be troubling the top ten any time soon. Too small, too salty and really nothing special at all.
£12.50 by itself, small and in a dry bun. £2 cover charge (lets hope this doesnt become popular), £3.50 for chips and £1 for charity does not a good experience make. Add service ( which is calculated on top of the cover and charity donation) and nearly £22 for a average burger and chips.
Bodeans? no way!!! poor food. poor service. No burger they serve cracks this top 10. I doubt they would even make a top 50 list.
News from Ad Cod? Is it still great??????
Great list but I agree with Anna, Hawksmoor should be further up the list! I come to London regularly and they never disappoint. I know it doesn’t really count as a true burger but yesterday I had the Christmas turkey burger they are doing there at the moment and WOW. This alone should put them at the top of burger creation! If you get a chance before Christmas go and try it I asked and they said it would be coming off in January and wouldn’t be back on till the following Christmas, which kinda makes sense I guess 🙂
finally tried the BB at bar Boulud and while it was very good I prefer Elliots over all for the flavour – BB wins on chips and the textures are on a par
hey daniel – i thought this may interest you
http://www.cheeseandburger.com/
Pretty amusing. Love the guy’s voice.
Hi Daniel – just wondering why Meat Liquor/Market/Mission dropped out of your top ten? Was is it the grey burger you had at Mission, or do you think there has been a more fundamental decline in standards?
Hi Richard, I’d say it was a variety of things:
* Several grey burgers at all three locations (not just that one).
* Diminished standards.
* New competition.
I went to the Ad Cod yesterday. I thought the burger was great but as I haven’t been before I can’t compare to Fred Smith era. Would like to hear someone’s opinion
Went to Honest Burger Soho at lunchtime. The burger was small,well done and not at all tasty. Chips good but the burger should be much better to be in the top 5.
Re: ‘Vicky says: 7 August 2012 at 11:07 am’
Ladies and Gentlemen, please go to Red Dog and try for yourself. I’ve spent too much money there not to stick up for the place. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course but personally, I like to be full at the end of a meal. There’s a salad bar round the corner if you ‘re watching those calories Vicky : ) Patty and Bun have it down too for sure. Youngandfoolish…I think we have a Patty and Bun employee on our hands…’My favourite London burger is the Smokey Robinson cooked by Joe at Patty & Bun’ – does everyone know the name of the guy cooking them burgers when they go to a burger joint? and what a nonsense comment…”makes a change to the ‘lovely but over-salted” ones that some places offer’… I mean come on!
Having tried countless burgers in the months before leaving England recently, my hands down winner was the off menu double Honest burger in Brixton, unbelievable, apart from the Fred Smith’s winning burger at the first London burger bash, the best burger I have ever eaten by some way, with the patties being the stars….
While I will refrain from a set opinion until I’ve actually tried one of those burgers, I have to say they look nasty! And I LOVE burgers! These look like some undercooked burgers topped with a bunch of condiments to disguise it’s lackluster taste.
I’m willing to bet none of those burgers would satisfy MOST Americans fussy palate. We are Very Fussy IF we are being asked to pay a lot for said burger. I’ve already been warned about an American owned popular franchised restaurant, where the burgers are said to taste like shoe leather. But this SAME place in most American cities are pretty good. They cost about $3 and they taste like it. No problem.
But when asked to pay over $30 for a BURGER it had better be worth every penny and NOT one of those look they’re worth 5 pounds let alone 22 pounds. AGAIN, I will wait to form a final opinion till after I’ve tasted one. I KNOW Looks can be deceiving. Some Mexican food didn’t look too good at one Mexican Restaurant near my house and yet now 5 yrs later it is MY FAVORITE Mexican Restaurant. SO I CAN AND DO OFTEN CHANGE MY MIND!
Frankly while I am only an average cook, I bet I could set up a Restaurant with some help, and be able to put together a menu of delicious hamburgers which would kick even the most expensive ones butt! And using British Beef of course BUT using the Best American techniques!
One thing bothers me is that there is NO MENTION of whether or not the meat is frozen or fresh! That makes a HUGE difference in taste. Fresh is ALWAYS better.
Hi Daniel, The new burger joints in town have missed out. While they are chains Shake Shack prides itself on not being a chain, and what’s a shocker is in US it manages to feel special, in London it’s lacking and feels like a chain even though its the only one one UK. Who is managing it as it feels so different to the US restaurants. They have soul……. Anyone any thoughts?
I have to say as a burger lover…. Especially as pregnant and craving MEAT!! I have tried most of these and without a shadow of a doubt Burger Bear wins hands down, so fresh! It actually melts in your mouth… I think this may be the only one that’s not an actual restaurant too… If they started an actual restaurant the others would have to worry….. Burger bear… That’s all I’m saying!
While not being one to praise Soho House – they have in spite
Of this created best burger in London at Dirty
Burger in Kentish Town / how did you miss it?!
William – I did not miss Dirty Burger. I tried it three times and based on those experiences did not view it as a serious contender for this top 10 list. The burger at another Soho House restaurant, Electric Diner, was on the prior version of this list but slipped out of the top 10.
That Dirty Burger is nowhere on this list invalidates the whole thing!!!
Hi Daniel
Great list! Must have been difficult! I think you made a very good to judge that place on the fact that the chef was leaving so missed out, but I have to say 1920 in clerkenwell still tops it for me. With its amazing own recipe pattie and a great interesting range of all fresh toppings to pimp your burger or not. I don’t know if you’ve tried it yet I mentioned it to you before, but don’t rush! I think you’ve earned a break and clear your burger palet, but I did notice there was another 1920 fan named Jennifer! Who wrote here earlier that she enjoys the burgers there. Who knows may meet you down there and now there’s Jennifer too! Nice one!!
Daniel, a great list and very refreshing to not see the usual suspects that dot every top 10 burger list in London (MeatLiquor, Shake Shack, 5 guys etc) nothing against them but all the lists just became too samey. I had a question regarding Little Social, can they cook the burger rare? Im a man who loves the burger more or less mooing but have found in many Soho and surrounding burger joints, they claim the counsel will not let them go lower than medium. This is not something they rigidly stick too (Byron aside) but wanted to know if I went to Little Social, would I be forced to endure an over cooked medium?
Paul – Thanks for the kind words. Not to worry, Little Social will cook your burger any way you want it: rare, medium-rare, even medium. They mince their beef in-house as part of a process that has the council’s blessing.
I would highly recommend you try the steak burger at Tommi’s burger shack on Thayer Street W1. Really flavoursome with the taste of steak coming through.
I did try Tommi’s steak burger, Philip, and didn’t care for it quite as much as you. In truth I preferred Tommi’s regular £5.90 burger.
1st I would like to salute Daniel for providing this service which is more important than the NHS and national security. Burger greatness! I will do this in two parts as I need to try some of the cheaper burgers on the list:
Part 1 the expensive burgers. Let me start by saying that I love them all from Goodmans, Cut, Hawksmoor, Little Social and Bar Boulud BUT they all suffer from construction issues…big juicy beasts loaded with Wagyu, bone marrow, foie gras and the rest that often require a knife and fork. Of these big bullies…I would put only the Piggy Burger from Bar Boulud in a top 5 due to excellent / unique taste (like the others) but with an architectural excellence that would impress Da Vinci. (Part 2 next week).
Went to Electric Diner for the burger you kicked off the list for being over-cooked. I asked for it medium rare and they said the patties were too thin and they couldn’t do it and then promptly served a delicious medium rare burger. Go figure.
Is the burger at Berners Tavern the same as the one at Little Social? Looks the same from pictures.
I have returned now to everywhere on this great list and here is my top five: 1. Lucky Chip 2. Bleeker Street 3. Electric Diner (when Medium rare) 4. Burger Bear w/ bacon jam and Piggy Burger @ Bar Buloud.
Yum! Time to do the top 10 hot dog / sausages!
Thanks Daniel, that’s a lovely review, you’ve spent your time and food miles for our benefit, and Im grateful. Ive read all of the feedback comments and, where your decision is called into question, you back up your decisions with well reasoned argument. There are a few people who post opinions without having even visited any restaurants, and there are a few blatant plugs (‘Robin’ and ‘William’ posting plugs for Dirty Burger within 10 minutes of each other… hmmmm… are you really not affiliated with DB? I can see why they didn’t vote for Honest Burger). There have been a few calls for it but I can see why MEATLiquor isn’t in the top 10; its really not a very nice experience. Ive been twice, most recently last week, and both times I was underwhelmed. The emphasis seems to have been on the décor rather than the food, and both visits weren’t a very pleasant experience for several reasons; the lights are so low that its too dark to read the menu; the fries are boring, frozen, tasteless, the service is awful since the staff are unattentive and pretentious (maybe because its so dark the staff cant see you). Quite oddly, in this equal, indiscriminate age we live in, theres pictures of topless women on the wall to indicate the location of female toilets. REALLY? This is puerile Page3 misogyny, and if only for balance and justice, why no pic of a guy with his cock out for the mens toilet? Because it would probably put you off your hot dog. This place tries too hard to be something it isn’t, a kind of road house, but it ends up being a dimly lit freak show with arrogant hipster staff and not very good food. And the fried pickles were previously alluded to were totally naff.
Good post, but…
Why did you guys nofollow the links to all the restaurant websites? You should give them full credit since your content only exists because of their products. You didn’t nofollow http://www.pattyandbun.co.uk/, mistake or on purpose?
I like t think of myself in a very small way as a burger explorer, wifey looks on in amazement as whenever we eat out ill always have a burger if its on the menu, my justification being im looking for the perfect burger. I must admit to not trying any ( shame ) of the above top 10, but can I put forward boisdales( lcations all over London ), not a burger joint, but you really have to try one.
I will as part of my voyage of burgerness discovery, get to trying the rest on this top 10, but for my money, boisdales is very hard to beat
I used four napkins at Patty & Bun today. I haven’t been to most of the names on the list, but I thought the Ari Gold was the most enjoyable burger I’ve had since my move to the UK. And the chips are delicious, too. I don’t eat burgers very often now that I’m older, but it would be worth fasting for a few days to make a return visit!