The Ultimate Local Burgers

London has developed into a glorious gastronomic breeding ground for high quality global gourmet grub and whatever you fancy you can find it in the capital.

Some places you’ll have to look a little more carefully to find but what you’re not short of here is the staple we all come back to time and time again – the humble burger.

But this time they’re not so humble. Burgers are the hottest gourmet trend in the city and there’s now serious competition to be crowned London’s Best Burger!

Orson Welles said ‘Don’t ask what you can do for your country, ask what’s for lunch’ and after a morning seeing the sights, the answer is ‘a gourmet burger!’

We’re not talking about lukewarm, tasteless and limp fast-food served up by the billion in cardboard boxes; we’re talking about the most mouth-wateringly marvellous burgers in London. With the popularity of the US staple at an all-time high there are lots to choose from.

Here’s our selection of the best burgers in London close to the Collingham Apartments…

Boom Burger

The best burgers aren’t always American – as Boom Burger in Portobello Road ably proves. John de Lisser, the Jamaican-born chef has put a unique Caribbean twist on the humble burger in a restaurant space with a proper carnival vibe.

He is combining explosive spice combinations inspired by old family recipes for a real taste of Jamaica in west London. The Mad Boom is two British beef patties, two slices of cheese and ‘nuff bacon jam and the Jerk Boom is old-school with jerk chicken, fried plantain, rocket, mango and pawpaw sauce which will give your taste buds serious ‘boom’.  Wings and classic and Boom sides make up the menu so if you want a burger but you want to go a bit leftfield, Boom Burger is the place you’re looking for!

The Admiral Codrington

The Admiral Codrington is a classic upmarket Chelsea gastropub with an outstanding selection of wines, cocktails and cask and guest ales and while the menu is of a very high standard, it’s the burgers that people flock here for.

The Admiral’s Classic cheeseburger is as described – a burger with cheese and bacon in a brioche bun with hand-cut chips but they don’t tell you it’s Black Angus beef, rich and creamy smoked Applewood cheese and crispy, salty and sweet maple bacon which makes all the difference! So popular are the burgers here that Tuesday night has been designated Burger Night with a revolving menu of deliciously decadent burgers including an unknown ‘chef’s special’ every week.

Electric Diner

The Electric Diner, next door to the Electric Cinema and downstairs from the Electric House is a classic slice of Americana in west London. Red leather banquettes, low-level lighting and a diner menu that wouldn’t look out of place in a John Hughes 80s teen movie, it’s the place to satisfy your all-day diner cravings but pride of place on the menu is the cheeseburger.

Order a single and you get two, order a double and you get three all-beef patties with the usual fixins including pickles, onions and a tangy mustard-inspired mayo. It’s been described as a ‘delightful assault on the senses’ and after one bite you’ll understand how accurate that sentence is.

Elliot’s Café

Based in the centre of cool that is Borough Market, Elliot’s is an unassuming café using a wood-fired grill to create what is now regarded as one of London’s very best burgers. Elliot’s Cheeseburger is an innovative, well thought out burger using exceptional ingredients that’s good enough to create queues round the block.

Nutty French Comté cheese, beer-braised onions, homemade buns, dill butter (which gives the merest hint of the memory of chomping into a Big Mac) and some of the tastiest beef in London all come together beautifully for a cheeseburger that will be remembered long after the last bite.

Dip & Flip

On the surface, Dip & Flip is an unusual concept. On the one hand they serve the classic burgers – cheese, bacon cheese, bacon double cheese, fried chicken and a veggie potato rösti burger with a fried egg – which are all absolutely delicious but the place is called Dip & Flip for a reason…

Imagine a classic cheeseburger (fantastic on its own) but with the addition of thinly-sliced roast beef – or roast lamb if you fancy – and then dunked in gorgeously unctuous and rich beef gravy for what is a genuine taste sensation! If you’re looking for a burger with a twist, all you have to do is dip and flip!

Ben’s Canteen

Described as an all-day café, Ben’s Canteen is an Aussie-inspired pub alternative where owner Ben wanted to create a place for people to hang out on an all-dayer, to come for a boozy Sunday lunch or brunch, coffee and the papers. As well as a good selection of mains and bar snacks including duck nuggets, pulled pork nachos and DIY doughnuts, people love the burgers.

From 5pm every night, they serve gourmet burgers paired with great wines including the BC Burger – 7oz of prime beef, salt beef, smoked cheese and BC burger sauce and the accurately-named Salad Dodger which consists of a beef patty, pulled pork, bacon, nduja sausage, American cheese, onion rings and BC burger sauce.

Dirty Burger

If you’re looking for an exceptionally tasty, no-frills burger with excellent crinkle-cut fries served up in an army-esque metal dish, Dirty Burger is the place for you.

If you’re a burger fan, the menu is beautifully simple – Cheeseburger, Dirty Bacon and Dirty Cop-Out (the veggie option) – and you can double up the patties for three quid. Chuck in crinkle-cut fries or onion fries and a selection of super-thick milkshakes and that’s it. But then that’s all you need for the full Dirty Burger experience.