Was The Ivy burger good enough to justify its £13.75 (about $21) price?

The Ivy burger was every bit as good as it looks in the photo: Nice shape and proportions, terrific bun (see the air pockets), the model of medium rare. The gentlest squeeze released deep reserves of juice. BP’s best engineers would not be able to seal its leaks.

But was it worth £13.75? Not at first bite. The Ivy burger was a middleweight with no premium accessories. Forget foie gras or truffles: this baby didn’t even come with cheese, bacon or chips (fries). Pale chips were £4 extra. For what you do and do not get this had to be the most expensive burger in London.

Or maybe not. Three-quarters into The Ivy burger I discovered the house secret: The waiter brought me a finger bowl. That’s right, a finger bowl. Without my requesting one. Without charging me extra for the fresh lemon, most likely organic, and the water expertly warmed to the ideal temperature. Bet you can’t name many burger joints that do that. Begins to make £13.75 seem like a bargain, doesn’t it?

Only later did I realise the waiter had not given a finger bowl to my companion, who had also had a burger. This could only have meant one of two things: Either the waiter had recognised me as the founding director of burgermonday meatups and thereafter afforded me the special treatment The Ivy only gives to A-list celebrities or I just had a lot more grease on my hands than my companion did.