Shoreditch, Burgers, Etc Restaurant Guide

For a meat-free burger, this tiny brand (the first vegan restaurant in Europe to use ‘Beyond Meat’ in its patties) is well worth a try if you need a bite near the Old Street roundabout, or are down Pop Brixton way.

“Dead hippie sauce is a must” at these “very loud” operations, which “remain at the head of the gourmet burger pack” for many fans with “lots of options available”. After 14 years of growth from a food van to a national chain with 10 venues in the capital, they “don’t seem to have lost their way yet”. “The dark and grungy ersatz New Orleans interior vibe” is of the love-it-or-hate-it variety.

“Doing what they do very well” – “top burgers” are presented with a veneer of Parisian sophistication at this seven-strong chain, popular not just for their value but their “lovely” styling too.

A “cool spot” in Shoreditch that’s the permanent home of a former truck selling some of the “best burgers in London” – “flavoursome, with great ingredients”, most notably Yorkshire-bred beef which is dry-aged in Himalayan salt fridges. They also do chicken burgers, funky sides and boozy milkshakes. Spin-offs have opened in Soho and Borough Market, with delivery kitchens in Camden, Vauxhall and Acton.

“The burgers are so juicy and tasty” – “just the right combination of taste and juiciness” – at this small group, which has continued to expand from its Shoreditch’s Boxpark origins via a proper restaurant in Brixton Market Row to new branches in Market Halls Cargo at Canary Wharf and also the largest opening to date: a 45-seater in Exmouth Market (formerly a Dirty Burger). The brand only uses grass-fed, dry-aged British beef.

2021 Review: “A nice, laid-back American buzz” has helped win a loyal following over the years for this small chain of Kansas City-style diners: one of the first in London to bring BBQ indoors. “It’s a fun place” (in the right mood) and the food is “decent” and in man-sized portions, but “not particularly special”.

“Bloody good, succulent steaks”, with “epic cocktails and wines”, all served in “rather clubby”, “classy” surroundings is a formula that’s won fame and fortune for Huw Gott and Will Beckett’s steakhouse phenomenon. “Many happy afternoons have been lost in these places!”, which continue to be voted as London’s “best steak chain by far”, and “a go-to for business”. “Everything is top-notch: the quality and cookery of the beef; the exemplary seafood (be it Salcombe crab on toast or their lobster); even down to their excellent sides of mac ’n’ cheese, bone marrow or Caesar salad”. However, a visit “is not exactly easy on the wallet”. “It’s verrrrry expensive” (and “if you go with mates who like to chug back the wine, the bill will be massive!”). And ratings are coming under ever-more pressure due to “staff who seem unable to cope”, or meals with “too many misses at too heavy a price to be a reliable bet”. Last year, the team expanded to Manhattan and also opened a “stunning floating boat/barge” in the docks at Canary Wharf. Later in 2022, the group will also add a Liverpool branch to rival Manchester’s; and a few months later make a Dublin debut on College Green too. “Are they losing some of their je-ne-sais-quoi as they get bigger and badder? There’s a sneaking suspicion the lustre is being slightly lost.”

“Quackers about this place!” – a fixture of Spitalfields Market, this street food truck delivers “duck in a wrap and much, much more” from an “eclectic” and “mouthwatering” menu. And the duck comes with a very modest… bill (geddit?).