Go ahead, salivate. That’s the carnivore’s natural response to my list of the top 10 burgers in London. But, please, if my voluptuous burger snaps lead you to envy my adventures as a burger taster, think again.
Finding consistently great burger spots in London has proven to be a punishing quest. The “eureka!” moments are few; the “you’re kidding!” failures, many. All too often the beef is ground too finely, seasoned too early, packed too tightly or cooked too long. British chefs both famous and obscure mix egg and bread crumbs into their patties, yielding mealy or mushy mounds. Come on guys, this is how you prepare meatball and meatloaf sandwiches, not burgers.
My frustration inspired me to curate my own London burger show, inviting accomplished chefs from the UK and abroad to create exceptional burgers for my BurgerMonday spop-up dinners.
Others are getting the message, too. The quality of the burgers on this London top 10 list is steadily improving, so much so that I would not regard any restaurant’s ranking as secure. There are several true beauties here but none qualifies as an “end of ” burger, as in “end of story” – “it can’t get better”. Sorry, it can get better and it will get better. London is only at the “beginning of” stage when it comes to high-impact burgers.
As much as burgers may vary according to genre, composition, price, presentation and personal preferences the best ones are invariably untidy, implosive handfuls you shouldn’t eat without a stack of paper napkins – or a duvet-sized cloth one – at the ready. All the burgers on my top 10 list share this most coveted of burger attributes.
The caramelised crust of what is essentially a charred chopped steak glistens beneath the custom-fitted brioche dome that crowns the Goodman steakhouse burger. The bun’s top half teeters over molten Cheddar and crisp, easy-to-chew streaky bacon, beckoning you to close shut the sandwich with your hands and devour it. But you will need to stretch the C-shaped brackets formed between thumbs and index fingers to make a go of it. The coarse texture of the patty is a tad firm but not dense, making it a joy to break down the beefy, juicy goodness in your mouth. With medium rare burgers blasted in a Josper Grill Goodman used to produce graduated shades of greyish rose rather than deep pink with shades of red. No more. Partly by seasoning the patties with salty fish sauce rather than salt its interior is now a study in pink on pink – London’s best burger. £13 including chips or fries.
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
Custom accessories may distinguish Bar Boulud‘s Yankee, Frenchie and Piggie, but it’sthe matching of two round body shapes – the ground beef patty and the the bun – that gets admiring looks. You’d have to go to Saville Row to find a better fit. Coarse mince, best for improving inner texture and expanding surface area, is softly packed by hand into chubby little patties most would want to flatten out further. The Boulud grillmen, however, are right in their depth, not out of it. Order one medium rare and you get a New York medium rare: beneath the charred shell the beef is pink throughout. No grey fringes. The beef sits snugly beneath a thick layer of toppings inside the domed bun. It’s as if the bottom of the bun has a contoured seat, like an Eames chair. The burger, a tad under-seasoned or under-somethinged, gives easily to the gentlest of finger squeezes, first lubricating the bun and fixings and then your mouth with fatty juices. The Frenchie, with melty Morbier and thin slices of pork belly confit, is a splendid Gallic riff on a bacon cheeseburger, but it’s the Piggie burger, topped with red cabbage slaw and BBQ pulled pork, that is Boulud’s best. The £11.75-12.75, not including frites.
66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
Years ago outsiders flocked to The Cod, as this Chelsea pub is known, to see what the Sloane Rangers who gathered there were wearing. These days they go to see how the burgers are dressed. Chef Fred Smith lays his flat, firm-but-crumbly, fat-glistening patties over what I call iceberg slaw – shredded iceberg lettuce in a Dijon mayo dressing. This ingenious solution to the unwieldy lettuce issue was partly inspired by Heston Blumenthal and is also employed by David Myers for his acclaimed burger at the Los Angeles brasserie Comme Ça. The Cod burger, an 8-ounce blend of rib cap, chuck and fat trimmings from O’Shea’s of Knightsbridge (with extra bits sometimes thrown in) squirts juice with every bite. Fortunately the grilled brioche bun from Millers Bespoke Bakery is up to the task. £15 including hand-cut chips. Iceberg slaw aside this burger, like New York’s classics, is all about the beef. There is no subterfuge. There is nowhere to hide.
17 Mossop Street, SW3 2LYI
There are only 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 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, both basting and breaking down its internal structure with deep, beefy flavours. The Hawksmoor burger patty sticks out the sides of its bun on an untidy raft of lettuce interruptus. Bad tailoring. Messy and squashed, the patty’s fatty juices grease your hands and breach the bottom of its bun even before you’ve taken your first bite. But, oh my, what a first bite! Danger. Implosion. It’s all there.
Hawksmoor Spitalfields – 157 Commercial Street, E1 6BJ
Hawksmoor Seven Dials – 11 Langley Street, WC2H 9JG
Hawksmoor Guildhall - 10/12 Basinghall St, EC2V 5BQ
The first taxable address registered to Yianni Papoutsis and Scott Collins, the co-conspirators behind the Meatwagon burger truck, sits at a shadowed site back side of Debenhams’ Oxford Street flagship. The Phil Spector of burger producers, Yianni spins spine-tingling, yellow-cheese-dripping compositions of Americana under the neon glow of twitter. The bacon cheeseburger leaks fatty juices from every crevice of its patty’s desirably crumbly periphery, lubricating the liberally seasoned surface for its bacon patty piggyback. There are black highlights on the crusty shell and pink ones through the medium-rare interior but you won’t see much of either at MEATliquor: This carnivorous funhouse of gothic surrealism is a dark ride dimly lit like a darkroom. Bacon cheeseburger is £7, not including fries (no great loss). Bring your night vision goggles.
corner of Henrietta & Welbeck Sts, W1G 0BA
Imagine the name of Orson Welles missing from the credits of The Third Man and you can begin to appreciate one’s astonishment at not finding the Joe Allen burger anywhere on the restaurant’s menu. The burger, like Welles, may not be the star of this production, but once it makes an appearance atop that house-baked brioche bun its commanding presence looms in your consciousness. Befitting its unlisted address in a discreet West End celebrity haunt, the all-chuck burger is a performer of measured stature: big but not obscenely so, lean but not dry, tender but not mushy. £8.50 not including chips.
13 Exeter Street, WC2E 7DT
A makeshift burger luncheonette built with hammer and nails, Honest Burgers has stuck to the fundamentals to give Brixton Village a strong contender for middleweight burger champion of London. Look out, MEATliquor. Tom Barton and Philip Eeles form 5 1/4 ounces (150 gr) of coarse, fatty mince into marbled beef balls and flatten them with their hands (not spatula) on their sizzling flat-top griddle. Only then are the burgers seasoned top and bottom with coarse salt. The Honest burger’s crunch comes from the level layers (important) of sliced 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. £6.50-8, including chips.
Unit 12, Brixton Village, London SW9
As food trucks go Lucky Chip is more Parcel Force than FedEx, its deliberate, one-by-one griddling suspiciously Meatwagonesque. But the comparison stops with a shared weakness for molten yellow cheese. From their rough patty surface encrusted with Murray Hill Australian sea salt to their beefy pink core to their fat-soaked crevices Ben Campbell’s burgers are high-impact middleweights. They’re nearly impossible to put down, figuratively and literally. Once you get your hands on that soft, polished bun you don’t want to let go. Lucky Chip may jump back up the London burger charts its busy griddle cooks become more attuned with how their burgers cook and eat. The smoked back bacon, for example, can be chewy and gristly. For the winter Lucky Chip has pulled out of its parking place at Netl Market and into the Sebright Arms pub, where it is in seasonal residence, dispensing burgers Tues-Sat 6pm until “late”, Sun 1pm-6pm.
Sebright Arms, 31-35 Coate Street, E2 9AG
In ordinary circumstances a 35-percent burger with zero-percent beef would not qualify for this list. But maxi exceptions must be made for a mini burger when the pork mince comes from acorn-fed Ibérico pigs and the melty succulence is from a corn-fed duck. Its luxurious components notwithstanding, the surprise star of Opera Tavern‘s tapas-style Ibérico pork and foie gras burger is the humble red onion. It’s prepared two ways: as a relish for the cushioning and fried in the manner of floured onion rings for the crisp topping. Both the pink-centered patty and bun are branded with black stripes of smoke off the charcoal grill. £5.95, not including chips.
23 Catherine St, WC2
Can there really be nine burgers in London superior to the one served only for weekday lunches at Elliot’s? Probably not. I’ve inserted it in the 10 spot only because I’ve only tried it twice and the second, ordered medium rare, was a soft pancake of not so much rare as uncooked mince. Elliot’s must first prove to me some level of consistency before I can rank it any higher. This is nevertheless a meaty addition to the middleweight class, its 160 grams of aged, coarsely minced beef shin and rib cap from Borough Market neighbour The Ginger Pig shaped for height at the expense of diameter. The creamy beefiness is closest to the Hawksmoor burger, whereas the shape and fit over Elliot’s very own outstanding olive oil brioche buns is in the Bar Boulud mold. As for toppings the beef-braised onions and melted aged Comté from the superb Borough trader The French Comté, are able sparring partners. So what can be improved? A darker sear to give the burger more of a crust? A crisp or crunchy accessory for texture? No matter. If my third and fourth Elliot’s burgers are as good as my first this baby will fly up the charts. £10.50 including matchstick fries.
12 Stoney Street, SE1
About Daniel Young
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”
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.