Burgerlicious London

I'm not a picky eater, but when it comes to burgers, dark chocolate, and espresso martinis, I'm a serious snob. I love a good burger, and growing up in the land of In N Out Burger in Cali has made me a seasoned burger connoisseur. There's a serious burger community in London: Burger Anarchy, Burgerac, and Burgers & Nails are some of my favourite blogs to keep me in the burger loop. If you're visiting London from Cali, where a standard In N Out burger starts at $5 (£3), prepare to cough up a pretty penny for a Great British Burger. So, without further ado, here are 5 of the many praised burgers in London, which I have rated and slated for you. Bon appétit!

Haché 

My rating: 8/10

www.hacheburgers.com

I was pleasantly surprised after trying my first Haché burger, although it was tough picking which burger to try. Haché offers 16 different types of beef burgers - not to mention the lamb, chicken, and tuna burgers they also serve. I tried the steak reblochon cheese burger with red onion chutney (pictured above), served rare on a brioche bun. I have to say, the sweet potato frites were rather overcooked and the vanilla milkshake was far from special, but the texture and flavour of the burger was fabulous. For a burger starting at £9.95, you would think frites (priced at £2.95 - £3.25) would be free, right? Take advantage of the current Four Square special and save yourself some cash on a free beverage with proof of a check-in. If you have a sweet tooth but didn't save enough room for a proper pudding, a small dish of Smarties comes with your bill! This is a great spot for a good burger that won't disappoint and I have already returned for another visit.

 The Admiral Codrington

My rating: 10/10

www.theadmiralcodrington.co.uk

I had heard rave reviews about the burger at the Admiral Codrington (aka the Cod) from fellow burger experts, Hannah and Adam, so I naturally had my doubts the Cod burger would live up to all the hype... but when I took my first bite out of this juicy bad boy, I had a dimpled grin from ear to ear. The hype was well deserved, because the Cod burger is truly out of this world. It might cost £15, which is pretty steep for a burger if you ask me, but it is worth it. On a recent girls' night out at the Cod, the entire table ordered burgers (along with a bottle or four of vino) and we all agreed that this burger is absolutely Admirable.

Gal pal Kate's first Ad Cod burger.. her expression says it all

The Ad Cod is a charming pub on a quiet side street near South Ken with a nice outdoor patio for sunny afternoons or al fresco heat lamp evenings. It gets crowded, so make a reservation and arrive early to bag a seat before all the locals beat you to it. Although not on the dinner menu, it would be a big mistake (and I'm talking a Julia Roberts Pretty Woman BIG MISTAKE- HUGE) not to order the mouth-watering hand-cut chips with smoked raclette.

Worth every melted raclette calorie, I promise!

The Ship

My rating: 9/10

www.theship.co.uk

The Ship sells close to 50,000 of their beloved burgers a year, so I wandered on over to Wandsworth to see what all the fuss was about. A hearty Sunday lunch proved why The Ship has a good reputation for their burgers. The burgers are a mean mouthful of delicious flavoured meat with oozing melted cheese topped with a fluffy yet crispy brioche bun. 

The Ship's char-grilled beef burger with cheese, pickled cucumber, and fries is priced at £11.50, which isn't too shabby considering the portions are generous and this is one hell of a burger. Looking around the jam-packed pub, it was clear that the burger is the signature dish, since just about every table was devouring one. Personally, I'm more of a hand-cut chips kinda gal, but their french fries are like a Michelin starred version of The Golden Arches signature fast food fries. Here's a little Ship burger collage to get you drooling...

What carnivorous dreams are made of?

Byron

My rating: 6/10
www.byronhamburgers.com

One unnamed individual (you know who you are!) told me Byron was London's In N Out... I've since told her she needs to pay the shrink a visit, and fast. I should have known I would be unsatisfied by a burger from a burger chain, but some Londoners rave about Byron, so I had to try it for myself.

Overall, I thought the Byron burger (with cheese, bacon, and avocado - pictured above) is a decent burger, but mainly because of the toppings. Although I ordered a rare burger, my burger appeared to be medium rare, which wasn't brilliant. The bun was fluffy, the bacon had great texture, and I loved the Byron sauce (tomato, mayo, pickles, chili), as well as the bourbon BBQ sauce. Each burger topping is £1.60, which annoyed me -£1.60 for freaking sauce?!- and the fries (not included) were decent, but not great. Basically, Byron is not as cheap and gourmet as it holds out to be. I left thinking, been there, done that, and doubt I'll be back any time soon. That said, the Byron oreo milkshake is definitely worth a big slurp.

This milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

The Sporting Page

My rating: 9.5/10

www.thesportingpagechelsea.co.uk

Ahh, the Sporting Page, just saying the name of my beloved local pub brings a smile to my face. A fantastic sports pub, lovely staff, entertaining crowd, and bomb dot com burgers - need I say more? I've had so many Sporting Page burgers (don't tell my nutritionist) and I've never been disappointed. For £10, you get a seriously good cheese and bacon burger with hand cut chips and coleslaw - yumsker central. My only criticism is that the chef doesn't cook rare burgers, but every now and then you get lucky. Once this April monsoon finally comes to a halt, head on over to the Sporting Page and treat yourself to a burger and Pimm's outside - a great spot for people watching and catching rays.

Summer time and the livin's easy

Patty And Bun

My rating: 8.5/10

www.pattyandbun.co.uk

One of the many reasons why I will always be a city girl at heart is my love for pop-up venues, whether it be a restaurant or a boutique. I got particularly excited when my mate Lucia suggested I hightail it on over to the Doodle Bar to try a recommended Patty and Bun Burger, which was featured at the pop-up for a few weeks. 

The Doodle Bar.. where you can literally doodle

Come Friday evening, I sashayed on over to the shabby chic Doodle Bar warehouse and joined the line of trendsetters all wearing Top Shop's latest collection, to order an Ari Gold Patty and Bun burger with bacon (priced at £7.50). Although they were slammed, the staff were friendly and smiling as they pounded out burger after burger. In less than 10 minutes, we had our burgers and Trip Chips with rosemary salt (£2.50) served in a styrofoam take away box. Finding a seat proved a challenge, but taking a bite out of the Patty and Bun burger was worth the wait and commute to Battersea.

The Ari Gold burger has a great texture but not life changing flavour. I thought the brioche bun would have been better if toasted for a bit longer. The chips were absolutely amazing - time to get a one piece swimsuit, so I can eat these fries sitting poolside this summer. The burger was impressive, the venue was cool.. I only wish Patty and Bun had stuck around for longer so I could visit them again. Another reason to stay a loyal Patty and Bun pop-up venue attendee.

The Greyhound

My rating: 9/10

www.thegreyhoundkew.co.uk

Trekking to Kew might seem like a mission, but the burger at The Greyhound makes it all worthwhile. The famous Greyhound 8oz beef burger (£9.50) is a massive piece of beefy glory, which will only make you return again.. and again. The flavour of this burger is really something else. Served on a cutting board, the bun is soft yet toasted and the cheese touches every layer of this sexy burger, which I think shows special craft.

Salad and chips come with the burger and extra toppings are £1.50- I would recommend adding the bacon, just for the full effect. Last May I raved about The Greyhound, because it really is a lovely pub, especially during the summer months on the back patio. I have heard the management recently changed since I last visited, and I'm hoping that means the incredible Greyhound burger hasn't changed as well.

On a side note, I'd like to apologize to my vegetarian readers, because this probably wasn't the most helpful or enjoyable post for you to read. But for fellow burger lovers, please let me know if there is a burger hot spot you think I need to try... I'm always up for a new place, especially if it boasts a glorious burger!