Tribute at Honest Burgers
I find it hard to imagine a day when I will be bored with burgers. I confess that when the number of burger joints in the city was reaching saturation point, I briefly foresaw that I would tire of them and start obsessing about something else instead, but that never happened. Instead, it has invigorated my need to get out and try as many as possible of London’s diverse offerings. Scotch egg burger? On my list. Ramen burger? Making plans to go as we speak. See… not bored yet.
Honest Burgers has been on my list for longer than I care to admit. Considering their original site in Brixton is close to where I live, I really should have been by now. Blame the long queues, the allure of Franco Manca or the unbearable number 37 bus, the only form of transport between Peckham and Brixton, if you like, either way, I feel as though I’ve been missing out. It’s been a long time since I read a list of the best burgers in London that did not have Honest Burgers on it.
A new site in Oxford Circus finally gave me the push I needed to go, for it is a mere five-minute walk from my office. My initial plans for a late breakfast were scuppered when my colleagues protested against a pre-midday burger, so we arrived instead at 12.15pm and got a table right away. Like many other restaurants of its ilk, it operates a no-reservations policy and has only about 30-40 covers, hence the queuing. That being said, even when full it did not feel too cramped, and its minimalist decor left it feeling light and airy.
Honest Burgers have a permanent menu of one chicken burger, one veggie burger and three beef burgers, including their eponymous offering with mature cheddar, smoked bacon and onion relish. As well as this, there are usually a couple of monthly specials. Their aim is to do simple burgers with excellent local produce, and use dry-aged beef from the excellent Ginger Pig butcher for their patties. The salads are seasonal and the drinks local – including gins from London and Sussex and an English wine.
I ordered a Tribute burger, one of their monthly specials. I usually make a point of ordering the most simple burger on my first visit somewhere but could not resist the perfect combination of cheese, bacon, American mustard and pickles – the exact kind of burger I have a weakness for. Once it arrived, I could see why it was so popular: the patty was cooked perfectly medium rare (I would even say that it was verging on rare) and had an excellent beefy flavour with just the right amount of seasoning. It was coated in a thick layer of delicious American cheese, my favourite kind, and topped with crisp bacon. They were generous with the pickles, and I was lucky enough to be dining with a colleague who removed hers, so I quickly swiped them and added them to my own burger. The brioche held it all together well. My only gripe is that I wish the red onion had been pickled instead of raw, but that was it. Honestly (sorry!) a very, very good burger.
Honest Burgers, 4 Market Place, London W1W 8AD.
Six Hundred and Seven Square Miles 