To be quite honest I don’t generally eat meat unless I know it’s organic and it’s going to be amazing. Although I didn’t have great hopes for a hamburger joint run by a group of Icelanders, I was very quickly disabused.
This is the second branch of Tommi’s Burger Joint (the original is in Marylebone). The guys behind it are purists; they do burgers, only burgers, and they do them well. The steak burger (£8.95) is a compilation of coarsely ground rib-eye, rump steak and filet grilled to perfection. The regular burger (£5.90) is comprised of lean ground beef.
When Siggi, the Icelandic head chef, says ‘medium’ he really does mean medium-rare. The meat has a lovely rosy hue to it, is moist and totally flavoursome with an amazing texture. Burgers are served with a generous portion of French fries (£2.75) and home-made sauces (£1). The Béarnaise sauce is absolutely delicious and has a real kick to it. Cheese (60p) and bacon (£1) are optional. The burgers and fries are served in baskets and the wine in plastic goblets (the cutlery is also plastic). One wonders for how long they are going to be able to get away with overdosing on the plastic before the locals’ eco-sensibilities start to smart!
Tommi’s serves only wine (red and white at £4.50 for a 187cl bottle) and beer (£4.50) and I think the latter is the way to go with serious brews from Boston, Sweden and Iceland.
As my New York guest observed ‘These Icelanders have beaten us at our own game: they make better burgers than we do!’ All this in a low-keyed, lively atmosphere (there’s an eclectic mix of film posters from different eras and music which ranges in style from heavy rock to ‘50s rock and roll) and the staff are attentive and charming.
So glad I went.
