Solita, Manchester

Dave BigMac reveals the burger secrets of the north

Solita, or South of Little Italy as I'm sure no one will ever call it, can be found in Manchester, England's Northern Quarter, on Turner St. The following is a recounting of the authors first and only visit so far, written from memory as the review while welcome, was also unplanned.

Bukowski Grill, Shoreditch

@yesiamben on the smallest burger spot in Shoreditch.
I went to Bukowski Grill in Boxpark towards the end of last year and promised CBB I'd write a review for the blog. I didn't. I figured I'd write one this week so decided it'd be as good an excuse as any to meet and a friend and head there for another burger. After all it's only just down the road. So here you go.

Burger & Lobster, Soho

@yesiamben experiences B&L...

Last week I headed down to Soho to finally try Burger & Lobster. I say finally because every time I talk to someone about burgers (who isn't a burger glutton) they say "so have you tried Burger & Lobster." Irritatingly I have to say 'no' every time, at which point the conversation ends. To be clear, I don't think it's because they've actually been to Burger & Lobster, but more that they've read something about it, heard something about it from a friend, or seen some celebrity Instagramming pictures from inside. 

Wenlock & Essex, Islington

Highly regarded by some yet has left others underwhelmed, is the Wenlock & Essex burger is a goodun or not? Read on burger fan, read on... 

Directly opposite the Islington branch of The Diner sits this grand old pub. Nicely decorated, well lit and with a huge bar, its a decent spot, and definitely a place i'd happily while away an evening with pals and beers. 

Giant Robot, Clerkenwell

Lookout! its @yesiamben again!

The attention to detail and actual science that's going into this review is, ahem, fairly awful I'm afraid. You see eating here was a total unexpected surprise, and I was somewhat, well, for lack of a better word - drunk. I'd been drinking in Clerkenwell at Craft Beer. If you're in the area (or planning a burger), I definitely recommend that bar. There is a *lot* of good beer on tap. 

Patty & Bun, Soho

@pattyandbunjoe started selling his tasty burgers at the Doodle Bar in Battersea. I never made it over there but people raved about them. Next he moved to the Endurance in Soho, an old fashioned boozer just off Berwick street. This is where I first tried Joe's Ari Gold and Smokey Robinson burgers, in amongst a rowdy crowd of locals and a handful of excited diners sitting in the corner. The burger was great, and the fan base kept growing. Less than 6 months later, the inevitable Patty&Bun restaurant has opened in Soho and I went there last week to check it out. There were at least 50 people waiting outside in the 4 degree January evening air when I got there but fortunately my burger pals had been waiting for 40 mins already and asked for a table for 7, so I didn't have to wait long. A head nod to the friendly staff who gave the queue regular updates and well, hope. 

The Henry Root, Chelsea

 

The Henry Root Letters is a book of amusing letters written by fictional wet fish merchant 'Henry Root' who lived in Chelsea in the 70's. Its a silly book but its beautifully written. I was excited to hear that there was a restaurant named in his honour, and that they sold a burger. I wanted to go immediately. 

Sitting just off the Fulham Road, this cosy little place looks very inviting. Spacious, quirkily decorated yet grown up. We lucked out and got the great circular table in the far left corner.