"Stopped in for a burger at the bar. The staff were all friendly and helpful. However, the burger was exceedingly average at best; one of the, if not the poorest “fancy” burger I’ve had in London. A beautifully-plated double stacker, it seemed as if the chef had looked at many pictures of burgers but eaten very few of them. Sadly I didn’t even finish it which is a first in my years of burger eating escapades. Here are a few thoughts on how it could be improved, in no particular order: 1. Patties: Too thick for a smash burger and thus not properly smashed. You could easily remove 10g per patty to achieve a crispier texture and better meat to bun ratio. Bonus: higher profit margins. 2. Bun: While seemingly baked fresh it was far too dense and doughy. An airier bun will better compliment the rest of the ingredients. 3. Fried pickle: Pure form over function. Looks cool toothpicked on top but doesn’t taste of much and is apparently a substitute for any pickle on the burger aside from an insufficient amount in the burger sauce. Given the overall fat content of the meat there needs to be more acidity to cut through it. Non-fried pickles would do the trick. 4. Bacon: Not needed at all. Adds nothing but more grease and higher price point to the equation. 5. Napkins: The little diner-style napkins at the bar are kitschy but aren’t sufficient without using a small forest’s worth. A proper napkin would be better suited for the amount of grease dripping down one’s hand and the level of the establishment. 6. Hot Sauce: The Three Darlings hot sauce on the bar, while tasty, is not properly packaged. The sauce is watery, though the bottle does not have a Tabasco-style stopper on the top resulting in a Niagara Falls-level of liquid escaping onto the plate. Seems like an easy fix. On a cheerier note, the basque-style cheesecake being prepared in front of me at the bar looked tasty and I may one day return for it. Sadly, I will not give the burger another go until at least some of the aforementioned issues are addressed."
