The Ultimate Guide To The Best Burgers In London
Like everything in London, over the past decade what we have come to expect from this seemingly simple food has been dramatically altered – if your first thought is ‘it’s just a simple burger, how good can it be?’, then you’re sorely mistaken and behind the times. From Bleeker’s award-winning smash to Honest Burgers’ celebrated vegetarian number, here are some of the best burger joints in London.
Dallas Burger Joint
Lisbon favourite Dallas Burger Joint has landed in Shoreditch for its first opening outside Portugal, bringing the burgers it’s been serving since 2019 to East London. The signature Dallas Classic keeps things simple: a hefty 165g beef patty with cheddar, chopped onions, lettuce, pickles and Dallas sauce, with the option to pile on everything from bacon and caramelised onions to homemade cheddar sauce. Add loaded fries smothered in raclette and cheddar sauce, crispy bacon and jalapeños, then finish with the homemade Snickers and vanilla soft serve. Not subtle, but that’s rather the point.
Where: 138-139 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JE
Website: www.dallasburger.com
Dante Mayfair
New York’s legendary Dante now has a permanent home at Claridge’s, and naturally, there’s a burger involved. The Dante Smash Burger comes loaded with melted provolone and caramelised onion inside a freshly made brioche bun for £29. Even better, between 3pm and 5pm every day there’s a miniature version for £10, served while the piano plays in the background. Come for the burger, stay for one of Dante’s famously good Martinis.
Where: Claridge’s, Brook St, London W1K 4HR
Website: www.dantemayfair.com
The Latimer
West London’s neighbourhood pub from the Spiteri family has exactly the sort of burger you want alongside a cold pint. Its £13 Chilli Cheese Burger layers an aged beef patty with American cheese, pickled chillies, onion, cucumber pickles, baby gem and plenty of house sauce. Our advice? Nab a table on the sun-trap terrace and don’t make too many plans afterwards.
Where: 274 Latimer Rd, London W10 6QW
Website: www.thelatimer.co.uk
FOWL
From the team behind Fallow, FOWL takes its chicken obsession seriously. The signature Fowl Burger comes with Alabama white sauce, cheese, lettuce and pickles, while spice lovers should go for the Smoked Chilli Burger with Nashville hot sauce and extra-hot pickles. There’s even a crispy aubergine version with glazed mushrooms and chilli mayo for vegetarians. Pair yours with a Frozen Margarita or one of the restaurant’s beer towers out on the terrace.
Where: 3 Norris St, London SW1Y 4RJ
Website: www.fowlrestaurant.com
CUT At 45 Park Lane
How much can you spend on a burger? CUT at 45 Park Lane is putting that question to the test for National Burger Day. From 24th–29th August, Executive Chef Elliott Grover is serving three suitably extravagant lunchtime specials: an A5 Japanese Wagyu burger with wasabi mayonnaise and spicy pickles (£90), buttermilk fried chicken topped with Imperial caviar and lemon crème fraîche (£68), and a cep mushroom burger finished with shaved Australian black truffle (£56). Definitely not your average burger and chips.
Where: 45 Park Ln, London W1K 1PN
Website: www.dorchestercollection.com
Heard
What happens when a two Michelin-starred chef turns his attention to burgers? Heard is the answer. Cornwall-born Jordan Bailey, whose CV includes Restaurant Sat Bains, three-Michelin-starred Maaemo and his own two-starred Aimsir, takes the same obsessive approach to sourcing here. British beef comes from regenerative farms, pickles are made in-house and everything is tucked into Heard’s signature roast potato bun. Even the drinks have had serious thought put into them, with sommelier Majken Bech-Bailey curating low-intervention wines and beer pairings for the burgers.
Where: 1 Flat Iron Square, London SE1 0AB
Website: www.heardburger.co.uk
The Audley Burger
Mayfair’s The Audley Public House has finally put a burger on the menu, and it hasn’t done things by halves. Created with Black Bear Burger, The Audley Burger stacks dry-aged British beef with cheese, 12-hour beer-braised beef brisket, pink pickled onions and garlic mayonnaise. Then comes the real clincher: a bone marrow beef-fat jus flavoured with parsley, tarragon and shallots, poured over the whole thing. At £18, it’s a seriously indulgent reason to stop by the pub.
Where: 41-43 Mount St, London W1K 2RX
Website: www.theaudleypublichouse.com
Dumbo
Parisian smashburger sensation Dumbo Burgers has taken over London, bringing its cult-favorite minimalist menu to Shoreditch last year.
Founded by Charles Ganem and Samuel Nataf, Dumbo quickly became a Paris staple with its signature approach: a focus on quality ingredients, no-fuss recipes, and a stripped-back, functional aesthetic that lets the food shine.
Dumbo feels very Parisian and cool – it’s an unassuming spot right by Brick Lane, but you’ll see it because of the queues outside. We waited 30 minutes for our food and ate it out the back of the restaurant in the tiny courtyard.
Elle, Senior Venue Partnerships Manager
Where: 119 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E2 7DG
Zula Burger
Istanbul’s viral burger spot, ZULA, has taken the city by storm in Marble Arch with its signature bold flavours, daily-baked brioche buns, and a tight, elevated menu. Standouts include the Basic Burger—a classic cheeseburger reimagined with truffle mayo— and The B.I.G. with a double patty for the extra-hungry.
With interiors designed for lingering, along with a sweet alfresco front, ZULA is a burger spot you’ll actually enjoy dining in.
For dessert, you won’t want to miss the creamy cheesecake that’s already a cult favourite.
Natasha, Digital Editor
Where: 5 Old Quebec Street, London W1H 7AF
Website: www.marble-arch.london
Supernova
The smash burger, when the patty is crushed down into the pan while frying, is the trendiest style around at the moment. A deviation from how large and, frankly, impractical burgers got in the 2010s, smash burgers are satisfying and much lighter, and Supernova delivers one of the best.
Walk-in only, it’s casual, no-nonsense, and absolutely delicious.
The smash burger is the trendiest style around at the moment, and Supernova is one of the best
Where: 25 Peter St, London W1F 0AH
Website: supernovaburger.com
Blacklock
Blacklock is known for its solid meat offering, and while you might think that ordering the burger is a bit of a cop out, you’d be sorely mistaken.
It used to be an off-menu item but, thankfully, has made its way into the main rotation. The double cheeseburger with gherkins and caramelised onions was too good to remain a secret.
It used to be an off-menu item, but thankfully has made its way into the main rotation
Where: across london
Website: www.theblacklock.com
Dove
This Notting Hill restaurant from Jackson Boxer has a homely neighbourhood vibe with simple, elegant decor that has light streaming in as you wait to find out if you’ve made it early enough to get your hands on their prize offering – a highly sought-after burger. The restaurant only makes 10 of their infamous burgers per service – that means if you want one for lunch, you have to make it by 12 noon or you won’t get one. The burgers are made from 50-day aged rib cap with a generous portion of Gorgonzola cheese that has flavour, literally, oozing out of it. Absolutely worth the hype. If you miss the burgers though, we also recommend the grilled Atlantic prawns with a delicious smoked garlic and black lime butter sauce – you’ll want to take some of the sauce back home with you, it’s so good.
where: 31 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2EU
website: www.dove.london
Hawksmoor
Meat experts Hawksmoor might be best known for its steaks, but the burger is equally good. The secret ingredient? Bone marrow. A little bit is mixed into the burger patty, which keeps the meat extra juicy and provides an added depth of flavour.
Served with either a classic Oglesheild cheddar or, for a more tangy experience, Stichelton blue, this is an indulgence of the highest quality.
Where: across london
Website: www.hawksmoor.com
The Plimsoll
The Plimsoll, regardless of how much time passes, is still the go-to place for a burger.
The Dexter cheeseburger has become the stuff of Finsbury Park legend. Packed with meat, cheese and gherkins between brioche buns. A sink your teeth in and close your eyes experience.
The Dexter cheeseburger has become the stuff of Finsbury Park legend.
Where: 52 St Thomas’s Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2QQ
Website: book here
Bleeker Burger
Bleeker sits atop many Londoners’ lists, with locations all over London and hotly debated as the best burger in London.
There’s nothing fancy here, just the highest quality ingredients and perfectly constructed – exactly what you want from a burger. They also place a large emphasis on supporting charitable causes and are working with homelessness organisations The Outside Project and Stonewall Housing in 2024.
Where: Across London
Website: bleeker.co.uk
Manna
Set amid the foodie wonderland that is Arcade Food Hall, Manna is perfect for those searching for something just a little bit different. Developed by Bake Street’s Feroz Gaija, Manna is a smash burger and fried chicken joint inspired by diner culture and regional fast food joints in the States.
The fried chicken burger is a great alternative, but their beef smash is also a winner.
Where: 103-105 New Oxford St, London WC1A 1DB
Website: www.arcadefoodhall.com
Honest Burger
Honest means a commitment to high-quality, sustainable and British ingredients. They make their burgers from scratch in their butchery, and fresh chips made with potatoes from local farmers.
For vegetarians who always feel left out, Honest has a stunning halloumi and chilli jam combo that is as good as the real thing.
For vegetarians who always feel left out, Honest has a stunning halloumi and chilli jam combo
Where: Hammersmith, South Kensington, Tooting
Website: www.honestburgers.co.uk
