This branch encompasses each element of its name – a true Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

The Venue
Competing with the chain of chains that make up Clapham High Street, GBK has secured a small but central spot. The restaurant is narrow with tables starting at the floor to ceiling front window, stretching right back to behind the kitchen to make the most of the space. The busy road is enough of a view to keep you occupied so push forward for a front of house seat if there are any free.

The Atmosphere
Simple surroundings with old VW prints in the hallway and a menu board covering the entire wall settles you straight into what seem like familiar surroundings, even if it’s your first visit. Staff feel like friends and the laid back Aussie vibe infiltrates throughout (even down to some of their accents). The fast food tradition of ordering at the counter stands, but being served at the table merges the experience into one of a relaxed restaurant. The meal arrives quickly, with just enough of a wait to decide that you really are hungry.

The Food
Eating at GBK means taking on the towering burger challenge - spend the first five minutes discussing the best tactics and then observe which works best as you tackle it. A wooden skewer holds the masterpiece together and once dismantled halving and compressing it is the easiest way to enjoy, with minimum mess. Other options include: removing the substantial salad (ring of red onion, slice of beef tomato and a leafy piece of lettuce) to the side of your plate; complete deconstruction; a knife and fork for amateurs; or attempting it whole for real pros/ big mouths. At £5.65 for the classic burger the quality served up is impressive. Thick, soft meat cooked medium to well done, slightly sweet tomato and onion relish on top, a spread of mayo underneath, between a lightly toasted and sesame scattered bread bun. Perfection.

There are worthy temptations to stray from this simple base burger, adding your own extras such as a crisp rasher of bacon (£1.65), or opting for a world-inspired burger from Mexican (kidney bean salsa and guacamole), Greek (cucumber raita and hummus) or even Kiwi, complete with pineapple and egg. If beef is not your bag there are plenty of alternatives including lamb, chicken, chorizo, five meat-free options (making good use of falafel, lentils, aubergine and squash), or a pricier organic selection (£9 - £10) of buffalo, wild boar or pork sourced from Laverstoke Park Farm.

GBK fries (£2.75) are a point of contention at this branch – Clapham hasn’t introduced the skinny option which is generally lauded as a superior chip to their slightly greasy counterpart. Arguably the advantage of the fatter variety is a greater surface area to dip in one of GBK’s homemade sauces. However, for classic sauce aficionados the ketchup is on par with Heinz standard and can be squeezed liberally from the kitsch tomato-shaped bottles that adorn each table.

The Drink
A good selection of wine, from French house for £11.95 to New Zealand bottles for around £17. Laverstoke Park Farm features again supplying its organic ale, or choose a New Zealand lager instead (£3.30). The freshly prepared juices, smoothies and milkshakes suit this chic burger joint perfectly, and are as tempting for adults as the smaller ‘not just for kids’ portions on the food menu.

The Last Word
GBK Clapham serves up fast food with a laid back vibe, capturing the burger niche on the high street.

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