Burgers have featured quite frequently on this blog of late, they very much still the "it' food of the moment in the London restaurant scene, every week it seems another restaurant opening claiming to have reinvented the burger once again. Honest burgers might be cashing in on this trend but they are relying on great quality ingredients, simple and effective flavours and a laid back, clean and bright environment rather than an all out and sometimes overpowering concept in an attempt to do something particularly edgy as can be the feel in places like Meat Liquor. Of course I love meat liquor with its dark, seedy and extravagant interiors but when I first walked into the newly opened Soho branch of Honest burgers (the original almost a landmark south of the river in Brixton) I couldn't help but love the straight forward welcoming interior, simple menu and friendly and unpretentious service, making me feel instantly at home even before I had sampled the burger. London doesn't offer a lot of al fresco dining opportunities so its great that in this cobbled side street in busy soho tables are set up outside to enjoy the few sunny days this English summer has to offer and makes for a very peaceful dining spot in the middle of London.
I went for the veggie option which at £6.50 including chips definitely qualifies for the best value burger in London. Veggie burgers always represent a benchmark of a restaurant kitchen's imagination for me ( another favourite the Clint Eastwood at Lucky Chip winning through its great combination of different textures and flavours) as often they can feel like more of a bland afterthought and forced addition to the menu, something that in a time and age where there are many vegetarians that love to eat out shouldn't be the case. Here the cauliflower fritter topped with a cucumber yogurt is zingy, fresh and a real joy and ticks all the boxes of tasty and satisfying burger. For me personally however the real star of the show are the amazing rosemary scented chips that come served generously with every burger- fluffy and perfectly seasoned they quite possibly are the best chips sampled by me so far. Even though this is far from high end dining, little touches like the trays the burgers get served in, cute jars with striped straws out of which you can slurp the homemade lemonade (even better as float with an added scoop of ice cream) and tin trays that your bill comes in, shows how much thought and attention has not only been paid to the food but eating experience as a whole. Honest burgers is a great addition to the Soho restaurant scene and excuse the awful and predictable pun is just honestly good in what it does and somewhere I'd recommend for a casual, cheap and high quality meal.