London is full of tried, tested and true burgers. If you fancy a burger, you could easily spend your time and your money frequented places like Honest Burger, Patty & Bun and even MeatLiqour. Or you could live little and try Big Fernand which is one of the city’s new-ish burger joints. Big Fernand opened back in March 2015 and specialises in “hamburgés” – burgers made with a pronounced French accent of course.
IDEA
The idea behind this endeavour is pretty obvious – it’s created for people who love burgers. The guys here prepare homemade French burgers cooked as you want, from raw to burned. The burgers are topped with a winning combination of French unpasteurised cheeses and home-made sauces, all wrapped up in a robust, secret-recipe “pain de mie” bun that won’t collapse in your hand.
Location
Big Fernand is located in the heart of Fitzrovia on Percy Street. Nearest tube stop is Goodge Street.
The Atmosphere
We like it. Not only can you walk right up to the counter and order, but it’s also a comfortable place to eat. However, the only thing we found slightly strange was the split-personality décor. Downstairs is your typical burger joint – a counter, wooden table etc, however upstairs looks like a French Bourgeois inspired living room that should be serving tea and french pastries.
The Burgers
We were initially a bit sceptical of a French Burger joint, after all burgers aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of French cuisine. However, like with nearly everything they do, they have thrown some classic Franco-Flair at it, and turned this American classic into something that is a bit more refined and dare we say more classy.
The burgers at Big Fernand have a French twist and a certain je ne sais quoi (clichéd we know) that is down to many components. From the artisan buns made in London using a French baker’s secret recipe, and the class meat and unpasteurised French cheeses, to the freshly chopped herbs and home-made sauces created by Chef Thomas Boutin that have some serious zip to them, the burgers here are perfectly formed – not to big, not too small and they don’t sag or fall apart.
Build your own Burger
Just as kids get excited when their parents take them to the Build-A-Bear Workshop, adults will get excited at the prospect of the “atelier hamburger” at Big Fernand. It literally means hamburger workshop and you can make your own burger, deciding on which meat you want (beef, lamb, chicken and veal) which cheese and which condiments.
Top Tip
If you go for one of the burgers already made on the menu, please do not mess around with it. No it wouldn’t be better with a different kind of cheese, or no cheese or with a different kind of sauce. It’s excellent as it is.
Why Go
We’re not saying the burgers at Big Fernand are the crème de la crème of burgers in London (Honest Burger we’re looking at you) but they are certainly up there and you’ll be happy if you go.
Address: 19 Percy St, London W1T 1DY
www.bigfernand.co.uk
IDEAL dined as a guest of Big Fernand
