LONDON | A burger that can compete against Patty & Bun? A big call we know, but hear us out. The group behind Lucky Chip, one of the first movers transforming the London gourmet burger scene, have finally given the burger loving public a permanent place to enjoy their amazing burgers. Lucky Chip’s burgers have become massively popular since their stall opened in Netil Market a few years ago, and as excitement spread, burger loving founder Ben Denner started to set up residences at various pubs around London. Lucky Chip enjoyed a long run at the Sebright Arms in Hackney where its cult following started to flourish. Most recently Lucky Chip could be enjoyed at the Queen’s Head in Islingston and Birthdays in Dalston. Mr Denner has now taken things to the next level opening his own space, aptly named Burger & Wine in Ridley Market in Dalston. The view from the street might not be much, but the décor is super welcoming and pays homage to an old school American supper club.
Throughout our meal, we enjoyed a solid musical soundtrack. In addition to its offering of uniquely named burgers, Burgers and Wine offers a selection of Spanish influenced starters. Before getting into the main event, we enjoyed some delicious padron peppers with Maldon Salt (£4.50) and Tallegio & Leek Croquettes (£4.50). The padron peppers were equal to, if not better to the quality we’ve seen in some tapas bars.
The real draw of the Lucky Chip menu is, of course, the 5 uniquely named burgers. In fact, Mr Denner recently found himself in a bit of legal trouble when Mark Wahlberg sent a cease and desist order after a burger was named in his honour. We opted for the Cheeseburger (what it says on the tin), a Kevin Bacon (with apple wood smoked bacon), Royale with Cheese (adds tomato, onion and special sauce). Each of the burgers were divine. The City Lane London thinks Lucky Chip could be a contender for the best burger in London, and the sides are rather brilliant too. We couldn’t resist completing our burgers with French fries covered in garlic and herb seasoning (£4.00).
One of us was very pleased that we opted to splurge (extra £4.00) to upgrade our burger to the 50-day dry aged Galician beef. We knew the Spaniards did wine and cheese, but wow was this beef exceptional. The waitress explained that Galician beef is from cows that have lived a much longer, happier life than the typical burger patty providing cow. Think the Spanish version of Wagyu. One thing is for sure, and that’s that these cows brought increased joy and happiness to the diner who ordered it.
When it comes to drinks, the focus is unsurprisingly on wine. Over 100 wines appear on the wine list, with most bottles landing between £20.00-40.00. We were impressed to see such a huge variety from several lesser known wine producing regions, and used our first visit to enjoy a Blaufränkisch, one of our favourite Austrian grapes that we don’t see too frequently when dining out.
If for some strange reason you aren’t in the mood for a burger, Burger & Wine offer other options such as chicken parmigiana topped with Iberico ham, served with Neapolitan sauce (£12.50) or a Galician steak for two (£49.50).
We can’t wait to see what’s next for the ever expanding Lucky Chip empire and the changes happening along Ridley Road in general. During our next visit we definitely want to try El Chappo burger (bacon, jalapeno, blue cheese and aioli) and continue sampling the exceptional wine offering. If you find yourself in the area, a visit to Lucky Chip Burgers & wine is a must, and if you’re not in the area, it’s worth the trip.
Lucky Chip Burgers & Wine
25 Ridley Road
London E8 2NP
United Kingdom
Telephone: n/a
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://luckychip.co.uk/
Open
Mon – Wed: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Thu – Fri: 5:00pm to 12:00am
Sat: 12:00pm to 12:00am
Sun: 12:00pm to 10:00pm