Everyone loves a surprise don’t they? Well, that’s what I got when I went to “The Hatter and the Hare” in Bayswater for lunch recently. It was lunchtime on a Tuesday and the place was packed, which was already a good sign. After reading through the copious number of menu items that were vegan, gluten free, and in my world – “fancy”, I was starting to worry about what I would order. As the first bead of sweat started to swell on my brow, I saw three burgers on the menu that were like a beacon of normality in an otherwise strange world.
The options were aptly named, “Tweedledee”, “Tweedledum” and “Pig in the Woods” – the first one was chicken, the last one was pork, so that left the beef in the middle, which is what I went with. “Tweedledum” came with two medium Sous Vide beef patties, Swiss cheese, THATH Island sauce, crispy onions, sriracha, lettuce, pickles, tomato and brioche bun. There was an option to add egg and kaiserfleisch (which I have since discovered is bacon – I think?!), but I didn’t want to be a pig! Lol
Luckily I was hungry though because this burger was pretty big. It was oozing with sauces and cheese and despite the onion rings, looked amazing. The first challenge (as always) was picking it up, and once I had my grip, there was no looking back. The meat had a good taste to it and double patties were a welcome addition. But it was the heat of the sriracha that hit me straight away. It took a few bites for my tastebuds to acclimatise to the heat and once the other flavours of the island sauce, pickles and tomato entered the fray, it all came together nicely.
The whole experience was like having to go to a wierd themed fancy dress party that you’re not really sure about, but once you get into it, actually really enjoy it. This burger was surprisingly good and fries on the side were also tasty. The dessert options are next level with loads of cakes and slices to also please those with a sweet tooth. Well worth grabbing a table and finding out for yourself.
