London, Burgers, Etc Restaurant Guide

“Portions are similar to what you’d get in any decent steakhouse in the US” at these NYC-style operations (which are in fact Russian-owned), whose comfy styling and “extensive wine list” makes them a natural favourite for red-in-tooth-and-claw business types for wining and dining (particularly in the City, where it vies somewhat with its nearby rival Hawksmoor). “The bill will probably remove all the cobwebs in your wallet, so get ready for that”.

“Perfectly aged, hung and cooked – this place is steak-heaven”. Huw Gott and Will Beckett absolutely nailed it with this zeitgeisty 15-year-old chain of steakhouses, which they still part-own (and which – in July 2021 – announced the possibility, later cancelled, of floating on the London Stock Exchange to fuel future growth). For a generation of London restaurant-goers, “Hawksmoor hits it every single time” and the increasing introduction of fish from a dedicated buyer at Brixham market is a popular (and wise) innovation. Is it finally becoming a victim of its own success though? Ratings slipped notably this year due to an assortment of non-pandemic-related gripes (“beginning to feel formulaic…”; “just not tasty enough for such high prices…”; “still knocks out a succulent ribeye, but not what it was…”). Still, in late 2021 they’re gearing up for the biggest and most ambitious space yet, and their first branch amidst the scrapers of Canary Wharf. Spread over three levels, it will be housed in an eco-friendly floating pavilion made from sustainably sourced timber decking, aluminium extracted from hydro sources, and with a green roof planted with wildflowers and grasses! [Instead of the wildflowers and grasses and aluminium extracted from hydro sources, should we all maybe just eat less meat!? Ed]

2021 Review: In less than 20 years, Danny Meyer has transformed his New York City hot-dog cart into a global fast-food brand giant with eight outlets in London – including a Covent Garden flagship that was revamped earlier this year. Ratings remain remarkably solid for “a chain that does what it’s supposed to do”.

“Juicy, tasty, moreish” – New Yorker Zan Kaufman’s “great dirty burgers” are, say fans, “the best I have tasted anywhere”. Starting out from a van 10 years ago, she has graduated to five permanent sites including the biggest yet, at Westfield White City, which has an all-female management team. With the Bloomberg Arcade branch in the City closed during the pandemic, the brand linked up with Deliveroo to open three delivery-only kitchens in Battersea, Bermondsey and Canary Wharf.

“Both the burgers and the lobster rolls attract long queues for a reason – they are very good”, agree fans of this 10-year-old surf ’n’ turf chain that has expanded to nine branches across the capital and a growing list around the world. “Prices are up sharply since launch though, so they’re not quite the value they once were” – nor are they as straightforward, with the initial flat price of £20 morphing into a more conventional menu of burgers and assorted seafood. The value offer now is in the “stunning lobster rolls, which have redefined for me and others how lobster should best be served” – so “stick to the lobster for good quality at a reasonable price”. The chain and its equally American-style stablemate Goodman steakhouses were founded and are still owned by Moscow-based Misha Zelman.

“Both the burgers and the lobster rolls attract long queues for a reason – they are very good”, agree fans of this 10-year-old surf ’n’ turf chain that has expanded to nine branches across the capital and a growing list around the world. “Prices are up sharply since launch though, so they’re not quite the value they once were” – nor are they as straightforward, with the initial flat price of £20 morphing into a more conventional menu of burgers and assorted seafood. The value offer now is in the “stunning lobster rolls, which have redefined for me and others how lobster should best be served” – so “stick to the lobster for good quality at a reasonable price”. The chain and its equally American-style stablemate Goodman steakhouses were founded and are still owned by Moscow-based Misha Zelman.

The “succulent, juicy burgers” at Joe Grossman’s indie burger chain are “a sloppy-ish mess… and all the better for it” – “and the food can be washed down with a decent glass of wine or a good margarita”. Having started out with pub-based pop-ups, Grossman opened his first branch in James Street, Fitzrovia, 10 years ago, and now has a further eight in London and one in Brighton.