After building a loyal following across London, Burger & Beyond has opened in Brighton. We went along to see if it was worth the hype.
It’s a bold move. Brighton takes its burgers seriously and competition is fierce, but the independent group known for its bougie burgers has chosen the city for its fourth restaurant – and first outside London.
Burger & Beyond has taken over the corner site on Ship Street where Patty & Bun once stood. It’s a prime spot right in the heart of the Lanes and, according to co-owner Craig Povoas, one they’d had their eye on for years.
Burger & Beyond isn’t part of some faceless corporate conglomerate. It’s a small, independent, growing business, founded and owned by Povoas and Tom Stock. The attention to detail starts with the beef. For starters, its dry-aged on the bone for at least 40 days. The burgers themselves blend British rare breed rib cap and chuck, alongside Galician Blonde and Wagyu, creating patties with plenty of richness and flavour. This is burger nerdery of the highest order, and we’re here for it.
What we ate
We started with the Caramel, Chilli and Cocoa Chicken Wings, which were properly crispy and sweet with a lovely caramel flavour, but missing a hit of the promised chilli for us. The bitter cocoa dusting added an unexpectedly savoury finish that worked surprisingly well.
The standout starter, though, was the Mozzarella V&P: deep-fried, oozing mozzarella in a crisp case served on a rich tomato and vodka sauce, finished with pesto and crumbed parmesan. It packed all the classic Italian flavours and delivered an epic cheese pull. We’re talking above-the-head levels.
Then, the main event. The Bougie Burger: two dry-aged beef patties, double American cheese, steak sauce and beef fat onions, all bound together by their famous ‘marrownaise’, a bone marrow mayo that makes the whole thing incredibly rich, salty and savoury. Ours arrived in a brioche bun sitting on top of a glossy puddle of gravy, so gloriously soaked that we had to admit defeat and take a knife and fork to it. This is messy indulgence at its finest.
The Hot Honey Chicken Burger was excellent too: a huge piece of crispy chicken thigh with loads of tangy pickles to cut through the grease, and you could properly taste the honey and the chilli.
As for the sides, tater tots came smothered in a blanket of soft parmesan, with a zingy buffalo sauce coating each tot, while the kale and parmesan salad was bright with lemon juice and crunchy with roasted sunflower seeds, bringing some much-needed freshness.
The drinks
The cocktail list is small but perfectly formed. We enjoyed a fresh, spicy margarita and an indulgent strawberry milkshake with biscuit crumb topping.
Inside, Burger & Beyond is very much a cool burger joint: white-tiled bar, industrial-chic touches and understated styling that keeps the focus firmly on the food. There are a handful of tables outside too, making it a great people-watching spot if the sun’s out.
Our verdict
Burger & Beyond arrives with plenty of hype, but unlike some restaurant openings, it actually delivers.
Is it cheap? No. Burgers start at £12.50 while the Bougie is £22, But is it wonderfully over-the-top? Absolutely. These are burgers that fully embrace excess, and they’re all the better for it.
If you’re after a quick, no-frills burger, Brighton already has plenty of options. But if you fancy treating yourself to one of the city’s most indulgent burgers, Burger & Beyond deserves a place high on your list.
And if you’re reading this while the soft-launch opening offers are still running (50 percent off for the first few days of the opening week, then 30 percent off – read more about that here), we’d suggest taking full advantage.
Go. Stock up on napkins. Get messy.
The BOTI Lowdown
Best for: Big, messy, indulgent burgers
Eat this: Any of the burgers (but especially the Bougie). And the Mozzarella starter.
Drink this: Spicy margs, a milkshake or the iced tea.
BOTI pro tip: Head down Monday-Friday between 12 – 3pm for the lunch deal: burger, fries and a drink for £16
56 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AF
burgerandbeyond.co.uk
