Patty And Bun Brighton Food Review
I felt like I was missing out on something special when I came across Patty and Bun on a boozy day out in London this time last year with some friends. Hankering for a dirty burger to soak it all up, one of my friends suggested heading to a local branch, boldly claiming they served “the best burgers in London.” However, when we arrived there word had obviously got around and there were queues out the door and stretching down the road. Not wanting to waste valuable drinking time we crossed the road to McDonalds. I could see so many content happy smiley faces in the opposite window though, and I made a mental note to pay a visit next time I was “up town.”
I have not been back to our capital since, and I had all but forgotten my mental note as Brighton has its fair share of amazing burger joints, which I try very hard not to frequent too often for the sake of my waistline. That was until I noticed “the best burgers in London” had landed slap bang in the middle of Brighton, taking up residency on Ship Street in the old Piccolos site. I have finally gotten round to sampling the goods and I can confirm that if you have not been yet, you truly are missing out on some exceptional burgers.
Having starved myself all day I arrived with my wife Sally at around 6PM, and although busy and buzzing, we were greeted immediately by a very friendly and enthusiastic waitress and got ushered to a table straight away by the huge window, giving us great views of the hustle and bustle going on outside in the laines. Inside consists of what some might say is the typical décor of a new age burger joint, complete with dark lighting and an open plan kitchen where you can see the chefs busily going about their craft. The Neon “Pink and Juicy” sign dominating the back wall really got my attention though, along with the tantalising smells emanating from the kitchen provoking memories of some of the most noteworthy contenders for best burgers I have tasted, and causing my mouth to salivate.
Our waitress and the branch manager Savannah was a delight from the start. Keen to take us through the menu, she made recommendations and make sure we had the best possible time. Sally asked Savannah to choose a cocktail for her as she could not decide herself from the ambitious and exciting menu. I could not resist the triple chocolate milkshake with a shot of dark rum to “make it hard.”
Choosing from the sensibly priced no-nonsense menu listing burgers with innovative names like ‘Smokey Robinson’ and ‘Lambshank Redemption’ was made a lot easier with Savannah’s help. I initially opted for this month’s special the ‘Fromage Simpson’ made in collaboration with La Fromagerie: 2x Double aged beef patties, roast onion mayo, Morbier and Le Skieur cheeses in a brioche bun. However Savannah mentioned that the patties are thinner than normal and cooked well done. As I was already hankering for some ‘juicy pink’ meat I changed my mind and opted for the ‘Jose Jose Chilli Burger’ instead.
I had already decided I was going to order an extra patty in my burger before I had even looked at the menu, but something caught my eye which I could not ignore. You can make any burger vegetarian by replacing the patty with a fried cheese fritter. Or have it as an extra for £4.00 if you are that kind of legend. Challenge accepted! “One beef ‘Jose Jose’ Chilli Burger with an extra fried cheese fritter and a side of boneless fried chicken thighs with chilli butter and pickled red chilli’s coming up” exclaimed Savannah with a knowing smile on her face. I could tell I was going to be in for a treat! Sally, attempting to be a ‘flexitarian’ at the moment and only eat meat occasionally, plumped for a Portabello ‘Dig It’ mushroom burger with a side of chicken skin salt fries with chicken mayo.
The drinks arrived within minutes and I could see my thick creamy and oh so chocolatey milkshake had already made Sally envious so I handed it her to try. As she slurped down several mouthfuls I could not help but laugh when she grimaced at the extra shot. “That really packs a punch” she exclaimed. The pink mojito Savannah chose for Sally went down a treat with the addition of cranberry adding a sweetness that offsets the tang of the lime beautifully. It is worth mentioning that both drinks are served with paper straws. There are no single use plastics used here!
The food was quick to follow. Our burgers arrived in neat little packages designed to keep in the heat and moisture should you decide to dig into the sides first. As Sally had first dibs on my drink, I took the first bite out of her mushroom burger. I was taken aback at just how good it was. As I bit in the juices from the mushroom along with the cheese sauce, garlic and parsley filled my mouth. I handed it back to her knowing that she would love it, and quickly unwrapped mine.
My stacked burger was piled high with the extra cheese fritter, beef patty, cheese, tomato, lettuce, chilli sobrassada relish, pickled onions, ketchup and smoky mayo in a brioche bun. It was absolute perfection. Incredibly messy and fun to eat, there were bits falling out all over the place and spicy chilli and cheese oozing down my chin. The flavour of the lightly spiced pink and juicy patty took centre stage, pushing through the other perfectly balanced flavours. The extra cheese fritter was a delight, salty like halloumi, stringy, and in a crispy shell. The whole combination was heaven in a light and fluffy brioche bun. Incredible!
The sides were equally as impressive. The ‘PFC’ chicken thighs were piping hot, juicy and tender, coated with an exceptional flavoursome batter and drizzled with chilli butter and chillies. I also decided to chuck a load of P&B XXX hot sauce on them which was unnecessary, but gave them an extra kick which I thoroughly enjoyed. The fries were perfectly crisp and fluffy, and combining the flavour of the chicken skin salt and the chicken mayo created a flavour not unlike that of a chicken roast dinner!
I’m going to make a bold statement of my own now. Patty and Bun is a serious contender for Brighton’s best burger! Due to the fact they make a fuss over lamb, chicken and tasty vegetarian and vegan option, it means you can go back time and time again and not have the same burger twice. I plan to test this statement time and time again in the near future, and I wholeheartedly suggest you do too.
Tony Shattell