It’s not like we need an excuse to get stuck into London’s best burgers or tastiest steaks… But, just in case you were looking for one, Monday 21 April heralds the beginning of National Beef Week. Here’s our roundup of the greatest places to get your grill on…
Steaks & Grills
If you don’t fancy going to one of the big chains (even though some of ’em are very good), then why not try…
Buen Ayre E8
£50
“A small, humble, crowded and insanely popular Argentinian steakhouse, in the East End”; regulars say it “laughs in face of more sophisticated rivals like Hawksmoor”, by serving “life-changing hunks of meat” (cooked on an open fire) at “great-value” prices.”
Flat Iron W1
£22
“Simple” and “straightforward”, this steak-for-a-tenner newcomer offers “serious value, by the standards of Soho’s often overpriced no-bookings eateries”; “squeezing onto benches” at communal tables doesn’t seem to be a problem.
If you want the big hitters (and their price tags to match), it’s got to be…
Goodman (group)
£63
“Just getting the edge over Hawksmoor”; these “high-powered” and “male-dominated” Mayfair, City and Canary Wharf locations are “probably the closest London has to a proper US steakhouse” – “incredibly consistent” standards, plus that “genuine NYC/London feel”!
Hawksmoor (group)
£62
“The group that can do no wrong” (well for the blogosphere anyway) – Huw Gott and Will Beckett’s “failsafe”, “meat-paradises” mix “superlative” steaks with “tantalising” cocktails; prices can seem “hideous” however and – by a smidgeon – its overall rating is pipped by rival Goodman.” Locations in Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Spitalfields Market, Knightsbridge and the City.
Burgers
Taking the road less travelled by. Burger spots you may (or may not) have heard of…
Lucky Chip E2
Burgers cost £6.95-10
It may not look like much, after all it’s a burger van in an East End car park, but Lucky Chip sell some of the best patties in London. Whacky burger names include; the Tom Selleck, the Kevin Bacon, the Christopher Walken and the Woody Harlesdon. Now also resident at the Seabright Arms in Hackney.
Bleecker Street Burger
Burgers cost £5-8
New York-inspired, as the name would suggest, this burger van is a firm favourite with connoisseurs of the old beef and bun. It pops-up all over London so you have to keep an eye out for its next known location.
Psychic Burger N16
Burgers cost £7.50-11
The original burger bar (above Birthdays in Dalston) must be doing well as the founders are branching out to Islington. They start a residency at The Old Queen’s Head at the end of the month, serving their signature (ethically sourced) horse burger alongside the beef varieties.
Tried and tested. The burger bars that meat eaters across the capital love…
Patty & Bun (group)
£21
“I waited over an hour in the cold for this burger… and boy was it worth it!”; this “cramped” new burger joint, near Selfridges, inspires lots of reports, all saying pretty much the same – “apart from the perma-queue, it’s brilliant”! Locations in Marylebone and the City.
MEATLiquor W1
£35
“Finger-lickin’ good!”; this “sinful” yearling, near Oxford Street, doles out “greasy, unhealthy, and absolutely wonderful” burgers, in a “stripped-back and grungy” setting; queues are a “nightmare”, however, and all that “striving to be edgy and urban” can be a “turn-off” for some reporters.”
Honest Burgers (group)
£37
“AMAZING” burgers and fries “to which the word ‘chip’ does not do justice” – the original Brixton branch of this growing small chain serves London’s No 1. burger; the queue, though, is “a total pain”. Locations in Camden, King’s Cross, Soho, Brixton, Notting Hill and one on the way in Fitzrovia.
Keep an eye out for…
#Steaksecret
£75
Okay, this isn’t actually a restaurant, #Steaksecret is a Twitter driven dining club, where – if you know someone who’s willing to share the access code – you can book a place at a seven-course steak extravaganza. The pop-up has finished a very successful run at JW Steakhouse in Mayfair, surely it will make a comeback soon?
Yeah! Burger
Burgers cost £5
They just finished a month-long residency at Catch in Shoreditch, but with the founders having graduated from the likes of Lucky Chip and Viajante, it can’t be long before this burger bar pops-up again. Keep your eyes peeled for news of Yeah! Burger.
*Please note that for food trucks and pop-ups we have priced the cost of a burger only. All the other restaurants are priced on the basis of the Harden’s formula, which is three courses, half a bottle of house wine, coffee and service.
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