Growing up in Italy, my siblings and I looked to the very rare occasions when we'd be fed burgers and fries at home with almost ecstatic trepidation. It wasn't simply because, despite my parents' lenient, permissive food education, this didn't occur as often as I would have liked, particularly as a child. But also — or maybe, especially — because it just so happened that every time a bun would land on our plates, we knew there was something to celebrate. A low-key birthday party; the start of the summer break; a night when, having all got back home from a holiday far too late, we'd get to feast on hamburgers and watch TV before heading straight to bed, leaving the unpacking and the tidying up for the next day.
If, as a teen, I remember finding the idea of hanging out with friends at a burger place desirable still — whether it meant meeting up with them at a fast-food restaurant or getting excited at the thought of stepping inside an old-school diner while on an English school trip to the US — as I got older, I must admit the appeal of this kind of eateries began to fade on me. Later, blame the slightly greasy atmosphere and sticky tables of their cheapest type or the widening age gap that began to set me apart from most customers, they lost my interest altogether. But guess what? Thanks to a new wave of burger bars competing even with the best restaurants in London as for food, vibes, and creative flair, patties, fries, and sundaes for dinner might have just got cool again.
Think it this way: why go for an overly formal, sit-down meal at an award-winning restaurant when some of the addresses serving the best burgers in London now guarantee you Michelin-level food and (yes?) wine pairings within a playfully inspiring, design-forward setting, all while even affording you the luxury of turning the clock back on your dining habits to embrace a more spontaneous, less stiff-upper-lip way of conceiving your nights out? If I still haven't convinced you, simply take a moment to discover the three London burger joints spotlighted below — and their newest openings — to see what the 'high-low' revival of burger culture is all about.
Supernova
And the outside of the London burger joint's new Mayfair is just as striking.
25 Peter St, London W1F 0AH; 39 Thurloe Pl, South Ken - SW7 2HP
Remember when I said you can now find some of the best burgers in London in spaces whose interiors ooze with the genius of today's finest design? The debut location of BVC hospitality group's Supernova concept, located at 25 Peter Street, Soho, and launched in the autumn of 2023, is perhaps the most fitting embodiment of the burger renaissance. Completed by one of Livingetc's favorite Parisian interior designers, Dorothée Meilichzon, a couple of years back, this petite burger bar (mainly ideal for takeaway) couples the the feel-good escapism of a guilty pleasure meal of burgers, fries, and sundaes with an ambience that's equally transportative.
Walking past it is enough to be lured inside, as back-lit, coffered ceilings with a retro feel, straight and arched geometrical lines, and textural detailing absorb you even before you step in. Menu choices might appear limited at first — it's either a classic or a house cheesburger, with hand-cut fries and a choice of ice cream or a coke — but it's chef Jeremy Coste's high-quality smash burgers everyone is there for, and in our case, the space-y decor, so it is no surprise that's where the focus goes. Supernova, which has recently got its second address in London's South Kensington, a larger eat-in destination that preserve the same buttery tones and chrome-clad ambiance (and, in this case, counter, chairs, and bar stools) of the first one, is only getting started. With further outposts inside the Al Liwan development in Bahrain and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, its burgers and aesthetics are taking off.
DUMBO
119 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E2 7DG
If there's a burger bar in London that's pioneered the ongoing, style-led burger mania, exporting its success to the rest of the world, it's got to be DUMBO. Founded in Paris in 2019 by Charles Ganem and Samuel Nataf — two young restaurateurs keen to reinterpret the American-style, crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside smash burger for the French capital clientele by honing in on few, premium and yet affordable to all ingredients and essentially beautiful interiors — its sleek, hip take on the traditional fast food quickly led to duo's establishment to social media, as well as IRL, fame.
Endorsed by the world's most discerning fashion set (Paris's, of course), and widely connected with the city's rising, itinerant gastronomy scene, it didn't take long for the DUMBO phenomenon to overspill. Last June, when the Red Deer-envisioned spaces of DUMBO London opened their doors to the public for the first time, they took the ever-buzzy Shoreditch by storm — and unsurprisingly so. Not only does the eatery rise on one of the British capital's most traveled roads, but with its theatrically lit, cinematic interiors and vintage-inspired decor (that banker's lamp near the entrance? The sculptural chrome and cream bar counter? The timeless details like that clock?) DUMBO brings unparalleled charm to the East End hotspot.
Heard
The warm, Art Deco-infused interiors of Heard's Flat Iron Square outpost, brought to life by warm tones of ochre, terracotta, and forest green, and eye-catching tiling.
1 Flat Iron Square, London SE1 0AB; 31 Foubert’s Place, Carnaby, W1F 7QG
My encounter with Heard, the sophisticated burger concept helmed by two-Michelin-starred chef Jordan Bailey, was very serendipitous. To be fully transparent, I had never really heard (no pun intended) about it before when a friend and I stumbled upon its warmly illuminated eatery on Flat Iron Square on a Wednesday night, which convinced us to stop by. The plan was to just grab a drink, which, consdering that the restaurant serves the expected alcohol-free selection along with a crafty, curated offering of beer and wine pairings, made us feel like we had landed in the right place. But as we glanced at its contemporary Art Deco interiors — pendant, spherical lights, glazed tilework bars, chocolatey timber, and a soothing palette of forest greens, terracotta tones, and buttery notes — we realized we'd be better off making some time to properly enjoy the space.
Known for its sustainably sourced, double smash burger offering of dry-aged beef, and for reinventing burger culture through painstakingly researched ingredient combinations, starting from its ‘secret sauce’, that night Heard made my day. If finding a gluten free burger in London is hard, finding a mouth-watering one is almost impossible. With its indulgent layers of Italian black truffle mayo, Baron Bigod, balsamic pickled red onions, and green leaf, Bailey's Truffle Shuffle took the lead in my personal edit of GF-friendly, patty-filled meals. Just opened off Soho's Carnaby Street, the concept's second location was designed — like its inaugural one — by Superfutures, with early shots promising more of the eatery's sculptural looks and mossy feel. I shall report back after I visit next week.
Shop the Modern Burger Joint Aesthetic
As more burger bars boast wine lists and even cocktails, the items we selected will help you bring home some fun.
From glasses and serveware all the way to their back-lit menu, here nothing is left to chance.
Forget tacky, plastic trays and tableware, the best burgers in London can now be found inside meticulously crafted dining rooms with equally outstanding decor.
Chrome has become somewhat of a staple inside the chicest London eateries, and burger places are no exception. Imagine throwing a burger party at your house, and serving them in this. Iconic?
Name me a better combo than burgers and ice cream, apart from ice cream and wine, which we've covered previously. This Bitossi Home handblown glass ice cream bowls are all one-offs.
There's a suble nostalgia in all of our favorite burger joints in London, and if the look is your thing, well, then you might like what's coming up, starting from these 1960s salt and pepper shakers from Denmark.
In other restaurant news, we have just launched a new series, Chef's Essentials, where every month some of our favorite gastronomy tastemakers (yes, literally) share the kitchen utensils and brands that help them refine their creations and couldn't do without.
Speaking of trendy, retro-futuristic addresses, we recently had a blast at TOWN, Stevie Parle's newest restaurant, where North End Design has crafted a dining room sure to take you to another planet, as if the food alone wasn't enough.
