I tried the Soho spot selling 'London's best burger' and it's not worth the hype

A block-long queue, influencer appearances and a bouncer on the door - surely Supernova must be the hottest club in town? But, rather bizarrely, this is actually what I found whilst attempting to try London's 'best burger'.

The tiny Soho joint caused quite the stir last September after confidently opening with just four things on the menu. Just over a year later and the hype, as I soon found out, hasn't died down.

First impressions, however, weren't great as I was directed to join a winding two-part line down a urine-soaked alley. Surprisingly, it didn't do much for my appetite. Between this and Peter Street residents loudly complaining about the obvious obstruction, I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

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The familiar fear of hearing "not tonight, pal" washes over me as I greet the imposing man keeping a very serious tally of his 15-person capacity. Should I show my ID? At this point, I just don't know.

Inside, there's a survival of the fittest approach to seating, with barely any room to move, let alone put ketchup on your chips. To Supernova's credit, the minimal menu makes for a speedy ordering process and I have a smashed house cheeseburger (£9) in my hands just four minutes later.

Sadly, it was incredibly underwhelming. The two patties were well-cooked but there was no semblance of flavour whatsoever- not even salt and pepper. Their turn on the grill had seemingly sucked out all the beefy goodness you want- and expect- when you bite into a good burger.

There was a generous amount of pickle and onion but other than that it really wasn't anything to write home about. Plus, between the soggy brioche bun and thick layer of American cheese, it was as alarmingly yellow as the urine-stained pavements outside.

I would almost go as far to suggest the fries (£3) are the highlight in this burger joint. Made fresh in front of me in the cramped open kitchen, they're grease-free and super crispy. Unlike their fats-food brethren, they are also perfectly salty which was a very welcome surprise. I'd recommend forking out the extra quid for some pommes frites sauce as it's delightfully tangy and a fantastic alternative to mayonnaise.

As I head to leave, I'm basically thrown out my seat by the next person in line and I begin to feel for the staff who have to deal with that type of behaviour until 11pm every night. You definitely won't catch me adding to that chaos again.

So, there you have it. It's yet another place whose reputation has outgrown reality that's resulted in a misplaced cult-following. It it London's best burger? Hell, I wouldn't even say it's the best burger in Soho - but that's a story for another day.

You can find Supernova at 25 Peter St, W1F 0AH. Check out their Instagram here.

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