Little Social, Mayfair

Ok, so i try not to follow the crowd but after reading of this wildcard new entry hitting the number one spot on Burger finder extraordinaire Daniel Young's top ten list, combined with Burgerac giving it 5 gold stars, I had to try it ASAFP. Full marks from these heavyweight burger explorers is a cast iron seal of approval. 

Jason Atherton opened Little Social after the success of his Pollen Street Social restaurant across the street. Canadian chef Carl Docherty obviously has a natural talent when it comes to creating cheeseburgers as this one was one of those rare treats that on the first bite you look up, your eyes widen, you quietly moan "MMHHHHH", then sit gormlessly chewing for a moment in a burger trance. That's what the Little Social are offering. A burger trance experience. Seriously, if the fire alarm were to have gone off, i wouldn't have heard it. 

The burger costs £15 and comes with fries, but we took the £3 upgrade to Poutine (which comes with jalapeños and chorizo) and you should too. A Canadian specialty that we don't see enough of in London, my favourite is served close to Canada in Seattle's fabulous Gainsbourg bar. But thats quite a drive away. 

So, to the burger. The seeded brioche bun was as fresh as could be, soft, not too sweet and it perfectly matched the size of the patty. Top marks. The patty was the really special bit. Loosely formed juicy medium rare beef, seared just enough on the edges to hold it together. The taste buds are bombarded with buttery beef flavours. The crispy bacon adds texture but does not overwhelm the beef, and the pickles, cheese and caramelised onions combine to enrich the overall taste. To my palette, the balance of ingredients and flavours is absolute perfection. 

The menu offers an 'Optional supplement of pan-fried foie gras £10', which i didn't try, and frankly i can't see how it would improve things. Book in advance, this place gets busy. We went in Feb and had to book 3 weeks in advance for a Monday might. 

Best burger in London? For my money, yes it probably is right now.
10/10
www.littlesocial.co.uk
5 Pollen Street, Mayfair, London W1S 1NE
Tel: 020 7870 3730