A few reminders of a good night and too many whiskey sours...
Meat Liquor
Last week I took trip with friends to Meat Liquor, the much talked about burger joint situated in Mayfair. Previously a travelling food truck (the uber-fashionable way to dine in London, NYC and Los Angeles which has gained prominence in the last couple of years) located in New Cross, South East London, Meat Liquor has been settled in this permanent location, a glamorous spot behind Debenhams off Oxford Street, for a few months now.
I was warned of the queue before I arrived, yet nothing prepared prepared me for the 45 MINUTE wait! I wish I had taken a photo, as the line outside resembled something you'd see outside a nightclub. The wait is in some part due to the strict door policy; no reservations and even if you have a friend inside-waiting and seated- you are told to join the end of the queue. This self-righteous air challenges the diner. Do you have the patience, the staying power, the commitment to queue and wait for these hyped burgers? Of course you do!
Say what you will about the food, there's no denying that ML has pulled off a coup with this door policy, creating a mysterious air around the restaurant, drawing in passers by who persuade themselves that they too want a bite of whatever everyone else seems so eager to try.
So, is it worth the wait?
Well yes and no. The burger was very good; juicy, with a good amount of gherkins- which I know some people hate- and no overload of onions, which I do hate. I would say the burger was up there with the Bar Boulud's and maybe a notch below those offered at NYC's Shake Shack; the only thing that let it down was the fact that it got quite soggy toward the end.
The fries on the other hand were AMAZEBALLS! Piping hot and crispy on the outside with a perfect crunch. I did feel slightly duped however by my Donkey Punch (second photo), where the main component of gin was virtually undetectable. For £7, I want to taste that gin! But above all ML loses points for the pretentious door policy. This trend for no reservations, masquerading as 'fairness' is seriously beginning to irk me. What's unfair about picking up a phone and reserving a table?!
I'm keen to try Brixton's Honest Burger in the next couple of weeks to compare the two venues. Word is, Honest Burgers offers the same standard of burger as ML, but without the queues and the oh-so-convenient location of Brix-TOWN (or convenient for me at least). Plus, they offer gluten-free buns! Stay tuned...
I was warned of the queue before I arrived, yet nothing prepared prepared me for the 45 MINUTE wait! I wish I had taken a photo, as the line outside resembled something you'd see outside a nightclub. The wait is in some part due to the strict door policy; no reservations and even if you have a friend inside-waiting and seated- you are told to join the end of the queue. This self-righteous air challenges the diner. Do you have the patience, the staying power, the commitment to queue and wait for these hyped burgers? Of course you do!
Say what you will about the food, there's no denying that ML has pulled off a coup with this door policy, creating a mysterious air around the restaurant, drawing in passers by who persuade themselves that they too want a bite of whatever everyone else seems so eager to try.
So, is it worth the wait?
Well yes and no. The burger was very good; juicy, with a good amount of gherkins- which I know some people hate- and no overload of onions, which I do hate. I would say the burger was up there with the Bar Boulud's and maybe a notch below those offered at NYC's Shake Shack; the only thing that let it down was the fact that it got quite soggy toward the end.
The fries on the other hand were AMAZEBALLS! Piping hot and crispy on the outside with a perfect crunch. I did feel slightly duped however by my Donkey Punch (second photo), where the main component of gin was virtually undetectable. For £7, I want to taste that gin! But above all ML loses points for the pretentious door policy. This trend for no reservations, masquerading as 'fairness' is seriously beginning to irk me. What's unfair about picking up a phone and reserving a table?!
I'm keen to try Brixton's Honest Burger in the next couple of weeks to compare the two venues. Word is, Honest Burgers offers the same standard of burger as ML, but without the queues and the oh-so-convenient location of Brix-TOWN (or convenient for me at least). Plus, they offer gluten-free buns! Stay tuned...
41 Grados...
Images from Ferran Adria's 41 Grados in Barcelona...at least I can say I have eaten at an Adria restaurant now! The highlight of the meal? Most definitely the last dessert, some sort of almond cakes with a warm oozing centre, served with raspberry sorbet. I also liked the take on pan con tomate; the CRUNCH delivered when you took a bit was off the Richter! I can't say it was the best meal I've had, or even in the top five, which I am slightly disappointed about, given all the hype. However I did love the interiors, the presentation of the menus (which were available to buy at €18!!) and the quirky exterior which was designed to look like a ticket booth (in homage to the adjacent venue, cocktail bar Tickets). I have just seen that the owners are now looking for a larger venue, given the demand for tables in what was admittedly a smallish space. I look forward to seeing what new surprises this will throw up...
It's usually a bad sign when the presentation of the bill is a highlight of the meal, but check this out:
Cool!
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