Dollar Grills & Martini's, Clerkenwell

Located in Clerkenwell, the outside of the DG&M venue looks great with its curved glass and neon. Lucky we booked, it was a Tuesday night and every table was taken. Its a stylish place. Moody wall uplighting, candles on bench style tables and low hung ceiling lights glow dimly over tables. They had Casablanca showing on a flat tv on one wall. The unisex loos downstairs are reminiscent of nightclubs. Burger orders continually arrive at a central kitchen hatch where they are whisked away by waiters and waitresses. Its buzzy verging on noisy and its a little bit grill-smokey. 

The Westbury, Kilburn

An Oasis on Kilburn High Road. The Westbury is a hip venue in a somewhat out of the way part of town. Chandeliers, high ceilings, a long bar, cosy lighting, pool table, alcoves and offshoot rooms make the place feel spacious and fun. The Westbury was mid-week quiet, a few tables having drinks, a couple playing pool, a few geezers chatting in the back room. Waitresses are cute and friendly. 

Honest Burgers, Brixton Village

Honest burgers in Brixton Village. What can i say that's not been said before? Nothing probably. What i will say though, is that they serve one hell of a good cheeseburger. 

Lucky Chip - Hackney's Finest

Its cold. Its december. My burger-loving compadre for the evening, Al, isnt sure about the idea of eating outside. I try my best to convince him its a great idea, and its on the way to the Trailer Park Boys Live show we're going to see at the o2, which makes it convenient. We arrive at 5.45 to an old carpark with a few stalls shutting up shop & a bunch of people sitting at tables around Lucky Chip, who are busy doing 'stuff' in their burger hut. I imagine Del boy trotter had a stall here once. No one is eating. Everyone is waiting. I walk upto the counter and start to order but i'm cut off - "We don't open till 6 mate". Ok so there it is. We're waiting in the cold with nowhere to take a piss. There's a pub nearby apparently, but we decide to wait. I grin at Al who is starting to get annoyed. Mr Lucky Chip lights a fire drum next to us which completely smokes out our table. We cough and move seats. 

Edinboro Castle, Camden Town

I recently attended a friends birthday party at this quaint Camden boozer. The menu looked good and i had my eye on the pork belly, but was told that they had just run out of it. With a waitress and table full of people waiting for my decision, my emergency backup response kicked in "I'll have the cheeseburger please" and i'm so glad i did. 

The Diner (Kensal Rise)

Almost everything about this place is great. Red neon exterior sign, red booths, well chosen old rock n roll background music, cool looking bar, retro american diner styling and genuinely friendly staff. The Diner has all those facets of the classic American diner that i love so much. I've been waiting to eat here for ages. Just walking in put a big smile on my face.

Be Frika, Buenos Aires

Something a bit different here, i was in Buenos Aires recently to see the sights, eat as much 'bife de chorizo/ancho' and drink as much Malbec as i possibly could. Whilst looking for lunch one day I was fortunate to stumble across this place. Be Frika is a cute little burger spot in a nice part of town. They sell 'Tini-Minis' which are small sliders with a choice of interesting toppings. The venue is very much an independent fast food joint with orange livery, plastic seats, free wifi, papers, magazines, chilled music, and a big list of cocktails. Its a peaceful environment to relax and eat in.