Tag Archives: American

Five Guys, Covent Garden

Posted on by

I had high hopes for Five Guys, the second of the American burger newcomers to Covent Garden. I tried the other US establishment, Shake Shack months earlier, keen to review the famous burger and crinkle fries.

Eagerly spotting a lack of queue on a quiet Wednesday evening, we raced to the counter and ordered our Little Bacon burgers (normal size for us English!) and a portion of fries to share. I liked that toppings are all optional and free, additions such as grilled mushrooms, pickles, jalapeno peppers and BBQ sauce allow you to create your ideal burger. We paid up and sat at one of the booths; it felt like a glorified version of McDonald’s.

Ten minutes later our order was called and our food was ready to be demolished. It looked and smelt like your typical American burger. While the taste was satisfactory, I felt there was nothing special about the Five Guys burger and I definitely felt let down after the overwhelming hype. My main issue was the food temperature, both burger and chips were lukewarm, which definitely mitigated the seductive juiciness that I was expecting. The flavour is just rather ruined when the meat isn’t sizzling hot.

Served in a retro brown paper bag (for diners in and out), the Five Guys meal is only slightly better than the McDonald’s just round the corner. We had substantial leftovers so donated them to a hungry homeless man on a nearby street – he didn’t seem interested either!

More information here: www.fiveguys.co.uk

Burgers at Automat, Green Park

Posted on by

A few people have recommended Automat to me, but it was only when I heard about the burger that I felt any urgency about going.

Seeing the perfect opportunity while working in Green Park, I popped to Automat on my lunch-break to see if their burger was anything to rave about. Hoping to offer something new to Mayfair’s elite dining choices, Automat aims to fuse London’s pleasure-seeking social appetite with New York’s inimitable style presenting a brand new venue for relaxed, fashionable dining.

Classic diner red cushioned seats are available round tables in the first part of the restaurant but keep walking through and you discover a more relaxed bistro. We sat in the back perched on high stools and sipped lemonade while waiting for the food to arrive.

AUTOMAT USDA PRIME BURGER (10oz) with fries £14 add bacon, cheese £1
CHICKEN BURGER with fries £14 add cheese £1
AUTOMAT VEGGIE BURGER with tomato chutney & fries £12 add cheese £1

I tried the classic burger while my friend opted for the more adventurous festive burger of the day which came with melting brie and cranberry sauce. The burgers are a generous size, evenly stacked up and easy to eat with your hands. The meat was nothing special, cooked for too long and lacking flavour perhaps due to the meat being too finely ground. The burger bun was slightly on the stale side and the lettuce and tomato looked limp. Fries were suitably thin and crispy but served lukewarm which soon turned to cold, all in all a bit disappointing.

The Automat burger has little substance and zero passion. I guess the Mayfair should stick to fine dining, and leave the burgers to Soho.

www.automat-london.com

Hot on the Highstreet Week 118

Posted on by

It was the ‘Pardon my French’ t-shirt that first caught my eye. With only a few days to go until my next Paris press trip, and a mere week until my annual Provence family holiday everything and anything remotely French was catching my eye. Stuck in Covent Garden with a few minutes to spare, I gravitated naturally towards the bubble gum bright Kate Spade shop, where I temporarily subdue my NY cravings.

Noticing the delicate gold Eiffel Tower earrings, it soon clicked that the whole shop seemed to be possessed by a Parisian spirit. Garance Dore is an illustrator, photographer, writer, blogger and Paris darling – frustrated with the rigidity of magazine work, Garance started her blog in 2006 to share her inspiration and express herself freely and spontaneously. She hasn’t looked back since and the website continues to grow in popularity.

Kate Spade spotted her talent and has collaborated with her on a gorgeous Paris inspired collection. Many of the subtle girly pieces are printed with her quaint illustrations, while others quote familiar French slogans like ‘joie de vivre’ and more comically, ‘Pardon my French’. This capsule collaboration combines the essence of Paris and Garance’s enthusiasm with Spade’s inimitable sense of style and humorous character.

I wished I could take away the whole collection but prices are not cheap.  A beautiful silk shirt will set you back £200, though the t-shirts are priced at a more manageable £45.

A fabulous New York brand with a pinch of Parisian prettiness = a match made in heaven.

Visit the Kate Spade website here to see the whole collection.