The Jolly Butchers - Stoke Newington

On Saturday we went to the Jolly Butchers for a late lunch and a few pints in the sunshine. We both ordered the burger, which was absolutely delicious; I'd go as far as to say it's the best burger I've had in London. The lightly toasted, seeded bun was topped with burger sauce, salad, cheese, pancetta and of course a delicious beef burger. I loved the addition of burger sauce, as it's sadly lacking from most gourmet burgers and to my mind is the key ingredient in a delicious burger. The meat was well seasoned and they made the effort to ask how you'd like it cooked (we opted for medium, rare mince does not appeal to me unlike a bloody steak). It was served with chips and a side salad, which was a much appreciated addition as I like to have something green on my plate to help ease my conscience when stuffing my face with red meat. The chips were fried in duck fat, which made for some deliciously crispy chips. According to Chris they were too much like roast potatoes, I do agree that they could probably do with being a little smaller, but they were great.

Compared to the rubbish you so often get served in a pub, it was a welcome surprise to have such a great meal. The only complaint I had was that there was only one very small slice of gherkin, which along with burger sauce is my favourite burger ingredient, but that's hardly a biggie. At £10.50, they're not cheap, but I'm happy to pay a premium if it's worth it and in this case it certainly is. Be warned that it's an absolute beast of a burger, so two people could happily share one. The rest of the menu didn't particularly appeal to me; seeing as they do pub grub so well, it would be nice to see some more British classics on there. Saying that, after eyeing up the food on the table next to ours, the sausage platter with an array of mustard's does look seriously tasty.

The Jolly Butchers has only been open for a year or so, after being converted from the rather less salubrious Bar Stokey's. In this short time it's gathered a loyal following; without fail it's full every night and at the weekends the hoards spill out onto the High Street. As advertised on the website, they serve 7 ales and 3 ciders at any one time which I'm sure appeals to those lusting for a 'real' pub in London. Despite the crazy wallpaper, the interior feels more summery than that of the Three Crowns and the tables outside are a definite bonus (if you get there early enough to nab one that is). It's always nice to see local businesses flourishing and this place is clearly very popular with the locals, but the prices for both drinks & food are at the top end of what I'm able to pay. However, as it's always so busy, there isn't much of an incentive for them to reduce their prices. As long as they keep up the quality of their produce and service, I'm sure people (including me) will keep going!