Spuntino, W1

Slap bang in the middle of London Fashion Week, Gary and I check in at Spuntino at the same time as this guy (and girl), yep Chris Pine aka James T Kirk from Star Trek just casually dining at this trendy as fuck, try hard American style bar. Having witnessed an evening of inspiring talks at charity gig Night of Adventure (nothing to do with fashion) it was around 10pm and we were starving so nipped up to Soho for some sliders.

The space is small and has that luxurious (costs loadsa’ money) derelict effect like so many joints these days but it works on this occasion. The bar is cool and feels authentic. True to the New York style dive bar you sit right up at the counter, in perfect position to be served instantly by the bartenders.

Reading the placemat menu nothing particularly excited me but being hungry we chose a normal-sized 5oz Cheese Burger with Chipotle and Jalapeno (£9) and two sliders, a Pulled Pork & Pickled Apple and Ground Beef & Bone Marrow (£5 each) to share and a side of chips. To be honest none of these dishes lasted long enough to make an impression, the buns seemed slightly stale and the flavour was ok but a bit thin on filling. The chips were a big let down, super bland and everything was served on camping plates. On the plus side the service was good, staff seemed nice and laid-back, food was quick to arrive and we listened to a great playlist (which Chris Shazamed)!

There’s no menu online but I recall there being some interesting sides and salads you could order alongside your meat and they did have some fish and vegetarian options. For anyone that wants to know Chris and Zoe seemed to be sharing some Market Greens at £4 – that’s fashion week for you! I reckon they must have had some sneaky sliders to follow whilst their mate (third wheel) opted for the Mac & Cheese (£9) which the barman stated was the best mac and cheese in London. Bold and probably untrue.

I liked the place but not the overpriced food. I always enjoy a good burger and chips, it’s any easy dish to get right even a McDonalds can taste amazing! Whilst Spuntino’s sliders packed some flavour the flaws can’t go unnoticed. Put simply there’s too much competition doing it far better and cheaper close-by. If you’re looking for a similar experience I’d check out an Red Dog, Byron, MEATliquor and pretty much anywhere in New York city.

Alas one thing it has got going for it is it’s not an obvious chain, a combination of MEATliquor’s kitchen and Spuntino’s bar would probably rock my world. If you still want to see it for yourself, opt for a mid week late night so you get served straight-away.

Posted in: 2 Star, Burgers, Central London, Dinner, London, Pubs & Bars, Review