Yes, I do and while London has a notorious reputation for being an expensive place to dine (and by the way, it really is), I do think that out of the several thousands (I think it’s 8000 restaurants in London, but I ain’t sure) there are more than a few gems out there which are great places to eat.

I usually answer this question with the questions: what is your budget and what kind of cuisine? And since no two sets of tastebuds are really ever the same… believe you me, that’s one of the on going dilemmas I have in my very dramatic life as a foodblogger because I’d like to be writing truly objective reviews, but how do I know if my taste buds jive with yours? Ah well, can’t please everybody I suppose – but I do try. So today is finally Friday and that means I’m going for a lunch (wee!) and it will be posted on Tuesday. It’s been about three weeks since I ate out in London so I’m really looking forward to it.

Speaking of lunches, I’d go to these ones for something affordable and tasty:

1. Wild Honey for the £ 17 three course set, in old bond street.
2. Hummus Brothers for really chunky beef stew and…. Hummus, in soho.
3. Hache for the great chopped steak burgers and awesome grilled cod, in Camden town.
4. Sophie’s for a great £11.50 rib eye steaks plus a soup plus bread plus free salami, in Chelsea.

I’ve written reviews for these places and you should be able to find them in my restaurant reviews page.

Greater places to find larnch

Beyond that, I’ve always wanted to highlight the great London reviews blogs floating about which write about even more great places to eat, that I haven’t covered and they’ll provide a pretty honest opinion about whether it’s worth your nosh or not.

1. World foodie guide eats across a range of great restaurants and I think she averages about four reviews a week. Helen’s blog is a firm favourite in my browser and I find her reviews up to date and her recommendations are usually very delicious.

2. Gen.u.ine.ness and Food Snob are abit like fine dining fansites,  they tend to (I say tend to) review all the restaurants either holding at least one Michelin star ( and more ) and also the ones which might win one. They also tend to go full whack with the taster menus so expect incredibly detailed write-ups with multi digit courses and lots of dazzling photos. I usually go here, if I want to read about the latest in the world of haute cuisine.

3. Intoxicating Prose tracks the stylistic hedonistic lifestyle of Douglas Blyde as he eats his way through some very fine establishments across the city – in a similar vein to Gen and Snob – but in less words, I like his photography and prose.

4. Londonelicious Of course, how can I forget Krista in London who’s been blogging London food for a long, long time so she’s well established. I actually admire her supershort reviews because it tells me exactly everything I need to know about whether to eat there or not, if there ever was a walking city directory of restaurants, she just might be it.

There you go, even foodbloggers need recommendations.

Aside from these guys, you might like to check out the Urbanspoon blogger list. You’re bound to find a great recommendation from another great foodblogger whom I havent mentioned. You might have (or not) noticed that I have a little urbanspoon logo at the end of all my reviews; that’s because my stuff gets linked back to the urbanspoon site; most of the London foodies do this too, so that list is quite a good one if you’re searching for London foodblogs. Apart from that, I think there’s a facebook group as well called London Food Blogs (surprise.) to which I think I’m a member of, but I ain’t sure.

(Note:  as of writing, my current FB pic is me and a fluffy cat)

Ok well, its close to lunchtime as I’ve scheduled this to go out and I hope this quick post is useful for anybody looking for lunch in the city.

Have a great weekend, and happy eating!

This is the first article you are reading on this website (or it isnt, but just go along with it anyway ) . You’re from beyond the shores and wondering what we Brits eat , or perhaps you’re just a little out of reach from the Big Smoke and have always wondered why city wide boys (no, I’m not one.) throw their money away feasting on overfed snails. Well, forget everything you read, instead let me take you on my quest for culinary indulgence in the year of 2008, in the city of smoke and in search of that dish.

What kind of food blog would this be if I hadn’t come up with some kind of top london restaurants eat list right? In the short four months LE has been live, I’ve chomped my way through 27 restaurants, of which ; 8 are bearers of Great British cuisine, 7 from continental europe, 8 very cool & quirky eats, 1 experience in complete darkness, 5 from the far east, 5 burger bars and 1 lunch while floating along the river thames. I threw in a couple visits to food markets & shows and ate ice cream twice.

Was it fun? You betcha it was and here’s the best of what I documented, including a few i couldn’t, didn’t, wouldn’t or just plain c.b.a.

1. the best one for skinny wallets and fat lips – Wild Honey

The recently crowned one-michelin establishment is the sister restaurant to arbutus and is rising star Anthony Demetre’s labour of gastronomical love and his second take at the concept of haute cuisine on a budget. It’s hard to beat a recession proof set lunch priced at £16.95 a pop & carafes starting at £6.50 – why aren’t you eating at wild honey yet? Most importantly, the cooking is brimming with subtle brilliance, there are some dishes which are definite misses , but on the whole , fine dining as cheap as chips is simply mind boggling.

Rarely do sequels better the originals, but this is the godfather part II to arbutus as far as I’m concerned. Full review here.

2. the best one for burgers: Hache

Alright, I know, I know back when i was doing the battle of the burgers in Nov I crown GBK as THE London burger, but in retrospect, I need to retract that. THE London burger is the chopped steaks safely bosomed between lovely ciabattas at Hache. ‘Nuff said, prices start at £6.50 just go eat there now. Full review here.

3. the best one the michelin man said was good and I agreed: Hibiscus

This one was really, really good. A frenchman runs the kitchen (his name is Claude) and his food is formidable. The cooking is spot-on perfect such as this pollock which is not slightly undercooked like some restaurants do in order to keep the bounciness,  where its abit raw in the centre of the fish. There is no rawness just goodness and a showcase of culinary technical to marvel at. Full review here.

4. the best one for hopeless romantics who couldnt care less about food but to kiss under dim lights: Da Aldo

The food is so-so here, passable edible but you don’t come to Da Aldo’s for food. You come for romance. Let me set the scene. It is a cold January evening, the clouds are threatening to make you wet. A busy and bustling soho crowd knocks your gloves to the ground but then a tall, dark and lean gentlemen picks it up for you muttering the words in a much too posh standard R.P. accent…

” I believe these are yours? ”

Both of you just happen to be standing outside the quaint tratorria the insides so small, neighbouring diners are literally rubbing shoulders, and your sexy sir in shining armour continues…

“Hungry?”

You peek inside and you see the burgundy walls, aged wooden booths, 70s style table cloths, those dim low lights and robert de nero look-alikes waiting on the diners. What do you say? Full review here.

5. the best kept secret in london : Sushi Hiro

Look, you’re not going to find fresher fish in the city for much cheaper than sushi hiro. It’s all the way out in ealing common and I suspect it’s getting a sweet deal from the fish shop a few minutes down the road from this restaurant. I counted three staff, the sushi master, his Hiro Nakamura lookalike apprentice and a sweet waitress and they only serve raw fish here. No pudding, no tempuras just rice, vineagar and really, really good fish. Full review here.

6. the best one that did British food proud: Launceston Place

Relaunched, rehashed and situated in super posh gloucester road and a stones throw away from Whole Foods, I am in tears because that cream tea pudding is oh so nice. Boris Johnson may have put his hands in his pockets in Beijing, said “Ping Pong is coming home” and humiliated 60 million Brits , but come 2012 and after a visit to Launcestons’ , you will find out why Great British Cuisine is Great. Full review here.

7. the best one I didn’t write about: the Wolseley

Yeah, call it whatever you want – a cop out, a lazy one, a non-starter but I have a brand to uphold here on LE and if they refuse my beloved nikon to kiss their food then I’m not writing about them. The super high ceiling had me coo-ing in delight and the tokyo 1921 throwback furnishings (complete with rosewoods, marble floors and dim incandescents) had me feeling old-school love. The all day menu is straightforward and that breakfast menu is to die for, especially the Arnold Bennett. Cheap, considering the setting. You might not believe my non-pictorial mini prop-up but I know you’ll believe the obsessions of a misunderstood bella…..

8. the best one…. for sheer novelty factor: Dans le noir

Eat in the dark. Yes, complete and total darkness. Food is so-so, but who cares whether it is or not, go for sheer novelty factor. Some say, it’s like that scene from 9 1/2 weeks… you just have to go experience this yourself. Full review here.

9. the best one which I loved in ’05,’06,’07,’08 and I don’t care if you slate it because this is my personal favourite: Cambio de Tercio

Everybody has a soft spot for “the one” . Cambio is my one. Aside from my old uni tuition fees, this is the single other institution to which I’ve given most of my money to. I love them because the walls are adorned with striking abstract nouveau matador portraits, I love them because they char-grill the octopus and lay it on top of paprika seasoned potato puree, I love them because the oxtail is slow cooked till the meat falls apart, I love the overly intrusive waiters, I love them because every single person whom I’ve recommended to eat here has agreed, it is great. However, this love is completely and utterly conditional, if you fail me in ’09, I’m never coming back again…. until then, Cambio rocks. Full review here.

10. that best one in 2008: crabs on toast at Great Queen Street

Why? Were you expecting some kind of over the top, over priced slightly raw dish at a Gordon Ramsay establishment or something? I tell you what, I was going to pick the roast cod from my visit to maze but then I thought, what could be better than the perfect crabs on toast? Simple, effective, tasty, premium ingredients and something everybody can and will love. Go eat it now. Full review here.

Goodbye 2008, london eating resumes normal service in 2009.

Ok, that’s a wrap for 2008!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this gastrocentric journey into the Big Smoke with me, I’ve got even bigger and even quirkier plans for next year and I’ve already lined up your new year’s day foodblog reading with a review at Phillip Howard’s two-star establishment ‘The Square’.

Forget AAs, Hardens’ or Michelin and even me because reviews mean absolutely nothing if you don’t like what you’re putting into your mouth. So go now into 2009, love your food, open your appetite, smell the aromas, try dishes you’ve never tried before and go for experiences you’ve never had before. Discover food, love your food and always eat well.

Health is wealth folks, have a hearty end to 2008 and don’t forget to pay me a visit every now and again in the new year and I will try my very best to wheat more of your appetite in 2009.

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the union chilli burger

This is the beginning of the search for the top burgers in london.

It’s no real secret that burgers have slowly been devouring the capital in the past few years and I think it’s only appropriate for me to highlight some of the burger bars which are ever-present around town. On this outing, I chose to try five places:

• Gourmet Burger Kitchen – the original posh burger bar now serving buffalo.
• Burger Shack- smollensky’s take on the ol’ bun.
• Hamburger Union – One of the few which serves a steak burger.
• Hache Burgers – Self anointed connoisseurs and aspiring to be the best.
• Byron Hamburgers – proper burgers and nothing else.

Who has the best beef? Which bun can soak up the most juices? Which one serves the biggest shakes and just who exactly serves the best burgers in london.

disclaimer

Alright, I know the first thing you’re thinking is ‘only five?’ . Yes, there are more and yes, I filtered this list down to the five which I think are worth a shot at the title. You may notice that I’ve not included your favourite pubs or michelin restaurants which do ‘proper’-ly posh stuff, or even a great steakhouse (and there are a few) and I may have even missed off the one which needs to be in this list (cheeky petes?) . No excuses other than that I want this list to be completely biased to this five and that I can only eat so many burgers for one article. But you know what that means right? Yes thats right – there will be a part two, so if you want me to square off your favourite burgers then leave a comment after this post and I’ll go eat & rate it.

In an effort to be completely objective, I’ve come up with six criteria points to judge the humble burgers, 5 points for coming 1st in each category and 1 for coming fifth, as simple as that.

1. atmosphere & service

white noise at byrons

Burger bars should be lively places, may not necessarily need loud blaring music, but it definitely needs to have soul. A large part of that is down to the staff needing to let their hair down and make it infectious , its a burger bar, just let loose! Probably one department where it’s difficult to get it wrong. London is generally a pretty progressive place to dine out in any case.

best: GBK scores highly because the atmosphere is just great. Staff are ultra-nice and the music ( not loud ) is appropriate for the mood. +5

worst: Byron is a soul-sucking machine. The walls are drab in white, the tables are cold steel and they have creepy qoutes about george foreman need to fight to stay away from burgers scribbled across the walls. Even the staff seemed restrained and the music is so low – I felt I had to whisper. No, no no.

overdone: Hache’s music is 80′s pop and its too loud. If I find myself needing to raise my voice over ‘Love is a Battlefield’ , you know something’s wrong. Staff are actually a little snotty here as well , perhaps it’s because of that ‘connoisseur’ image they are trying to project… and a no photography policy in a burger bar? Senseless.

Points: GBK 5 , Burger Shack 4 , Union 3 , Hache 2-1 (for wham on the stereo) , Byron 1.

2. the beef

smollensky’s beef

If the beef aint good – there’s no point.

Generally speaking, the standard across all these places are very high, in that all of them use a high quality mince, usually a good cut of steak ( some even use matured beef) in one form or the other. Of course, not all of them are necessarily grilled to the same spec. I must say, it’s rather difficult picking them apart, however, not an impossible one.

best: Close call, but I have to give this one to hache. The char-grilled taste is really sizzling, the beefiness is really full and the chunkiness is perfect. Being that it’s 100% scotch steak chopped (hence the hache) , the texture is just great. It’s as close to perfection as you can probably get in a burger.

close seconds: I’m on the fence with GBK and burger shack. The burger shack burger ’sticks’ together better, making it taste almost like a really soft steak! It’s pretty amazing stuff, but that classic GBK taste is just awesome, in that it’s consistently juicy and amazingly grilled, just pink in the middle and just the right chewiness.  Byron is not far behind in this department either, although on my visit, I felt it was delicate compared to the others. Being the new boys, I think they are probably still honing their burger making skills.

lonely at the bottom: Hamburger Union. Not that there’s anything wrong with it.. it’s just dry. Like I said, the benchmark is high, either you get it 99% right or you’re out. Unfortunately hamburger union was a 89.

Points: Hache 5 , GBK & Burger shack 4 (tie!) , Byron 3.5 , Union 1.

3. the bun

the gourmet burger

If you think about it, the bun makes up about 60% of the actual burger. Unless if you’re a fan of the bunless burger (if you are, you should be shot) , a superior bun is key to bringing out the umami. Ok, this is debatable as to which works better. Soft and light or hard and intense? Sour dough or plain white? Sesame seeds or onions? I think one think we can all agree on is strength. There’s nothing that makes me more annoyed than a bun which breaks apart the moment you bite into it. Also you want a bun which has super absorbing abilities to soak up all the stray juices.

best: I’m going to give this one to burger shack. It’s not a soft bun, but rather a dense ciabatta-like bread which keeps it’s shape and form and is great for soaking up all the juices. The bread itself actually tastes great too being that it’s moist inside while the crispy exterior gives it a nice toasty flavour. Yummy.

worst: GBK buns feel like they were bought for 20p at the local asdas. It sucks. For one it’s too fragile to hold that monster of a burger and slowly disappears as the juices flow out from the meat. And for some reason, they think that a measly toothpick stuck in the middle is going to solve that issue. Nice try, but no.

‘tweeners: Not that there’s anything wrong with the others as you dont notice the bun at all – perhaps its a good thing, it means its doing its job. A special mention for byrons though, the buns here are as good as the shacks’ with the difference being that they have a soft exterior. So if you hate crusty rolls, maybe this will be higher on your list.

Points: Burger Shack 5 , Byrons 4 , Hache 3 , Union 2 , GBK 1.

4. chips

chips, chips ,chips at the union

Behind every burger is a strong chip. The venerable potato is the humble supporting cast that does not seek the limelight from it’s attention hogging partner; doesn’t mean it’s not important though. A burger needs a chip like Tom needs Renee to complete him.

best: For fries, the crispy hache version wins hands down. For the ultimate fat chip, you can do no wrong with GBK. Everything else is just a pretender.

worst: Union’s chips are soggy and a half way house as it’s undecided to be a thin fry or a fat chip. No.

Points: GBK & Hache 5 , Byrons 3 , Burger shack 2 , Union 1.

5. sauces & relishes

minis and that byron sauce

Sauces can breathe much needed life to a dry burger. Pairing it with something sweet or perhaps fresh onions and maybe even chilli sauce. Every little bit makes a big difference.

best: GBK has a wide range of flavoured mayos from blue cheese to garlic but what sets its burgers apart is that superb tomato relish which carries a sweet edge and really works well in bringing out the flavour of the beef. However, this category has to go the byron sauce. Supposedly based on a secret recipe of capers, chilli, peppers and all sorts, these guys keep things simple but with a sauce like that, you don’t need much else. Byron wins hands down.

worst: I had the chilli burger at hamburger union and it was dry – need i say more?

Points: Byron 5 , GBK 4 , Hache 3 , Burger shack 2 , Hamburger union 1.

6. special mentions

a burger shack menu

Each of these burger bars made it to my shortlist because each of them have some kind of special selling point which I can’t necessarily categorise:

• Hache: Selection includes cod fish, hoisin duck, salmon, lamb and even venison. Best of all – they taste fantastic. 5 pts.
• GBK: Portions are huge here. The milkshakes, in particular are massive and the prices are peanuts. Economic woes demand value for money – 4 pts.
• Hamburger union: They are one of the few burger bars around which does steak (not minced or chopped but grilled as a whole piece of meat) burgers! 3 pts.
• Byrons: I was actually going to penalise byrons for serving tiny ‘mini’ burgers, but that special mayo sauce is too good and deserves more points. 1 pt.
• Burger shack: At the risk of totally contradicting myself, nothing in particular which adds value. 0 pts.

Racking up the numbers

So after much poking and prodding and lots of burger eating, this is what I’ve come down to:

• In fifth place 12 pts: Hamburger union.The food just isnt up to scratch compared to the superior counterparts. Great name – but the burgers are in dire need of a re-hash.
• Forth with 13 pts: Burger shack.They have great buns and the beef is actually quite tasty, but everything else is alittle deflated. Not bad though.
• And the runner-up to the runner up with 17.5 pts: Byrons. Looks like these new boys are serious competition, but they still have alot to learn if they want to churn out London’s best burgers. A worthy addition to the London scene, especially that sauce.
• The would be champ with 22 pts: Hache. The burger connoisseurs are great and come within a hair of victory ( 1 point to be exact ) . They really are good, possibly the best , but ‘love is a battlefield’ killed it for me.

Drumroll.. Weighing in at 23 points, with super-sized beefiness and ultra fat chips, the winner is…..

Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

Yup, that sounds about right, it explains how GBK are all over the country and why everybody just loves a gourmet burger. Deserved champs indeed.

Here’s a shot of the winner:

winner

Some honorable mentions that perhaps should have been included in this list:

• Ed’s easy diner. Malt shakes are great but tiny portions turned me off. The rarebit is pretty good though.
• Black & blue. More of a steakhouse, but burgers here are nice. Abit too expensive for my liking.
• The big easy. Loud american crabshack on kings road serving up kobe burgers. Must try!
• Cheeky petes. Apparently the god of london burgers which is still unspoken for; uses prime welsh black from pembrokeshire and in dire need of a visit.

Did you think that I missed off a worthy champion? If so, leave a comment so I can go eat it and do a follow up to this

For more in-depth reviews, do have a read below:

• Byrons
• Gourmet Burger Kitchen
• Hache burgers
• Burger Shack

Now go out and eat a burger.

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