The Black Hamburg will leave you spoiled for taste rather than choice.
PLEASE NOTE: This venue has permanently closed.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that no human can resist a cheeky bit of fast food after a few drinks. But rather than plumping for something greasy and fried, why not aim for a little more sophistication? Step forward The Black Hamburg, the foodie’s late-night spot of choice. Here, sandwiches full of meat and cheesy goodness make for a more refined offering, as you can see.
A hole-in-the-wall style place, The Black Hamburg serves melt-in-your-mouth sandwiches late into the evening. It’s not the kind of place where you’ll spend hours hmming and hawwing over the menu, because there are only two options here. Simpler times, as The Black Hamburg fondly note:
Do you remember when we only had a couple of tv channels and life was much simpler? Just two to pick from at the Hamburg 😉 #FinsburyPark
— The Black Hamburg (@the_hamburg) March 9, 2018
The two options in question are smoked beef shin, kimchi, Ogleshield cheese, and fermented chilli, or the double cheese offering with kimchi and fermented hot sauce. The Black Hamburg’s small menu is a deliberate choice, to reduce food waste and perfect the sandwiches on offer. Sometimes, the menu reaches the dizzying heights of three options, with specials arriving frequently. Their reliance on seasonal ingredients means they won’t stick around for too long, so you’ll need to be swift to nab one.
Sit-down dining is not on the cards here, as The Black Hamburg only has four seats. Helpfully, these buns are perfect to munch down whilst ambling around neighbouring Finsbury Park. If you were wondering about the name, it actually has very little to do with either the city of Hamburg, or their most famous product. The Black Hamburg is named after the variety of grape used to create Muscat, and presumably because it sounds punk AF.
At its heart, The Black Hamburg is by foodies, for foodies. It was founded by local chefs Ian Mcintosh and Michael Spurgeon, envisaging the kind of place they’d want to eat after a hard day’s cooking. Very considerate of them to do so, particularly when the rest of us get to enjoy the spoils. Even if we’ve been mucking around in nearby Rowan’s, rather than slaving over a hot stove…
Location: 20 Stroud Green Road, N4 3EA. Nearest station is Finsbury Park. See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: 4-11pm (Wednesday to Thursday), 12-3pm and 4-11pm (Friday and Saturday), 12-6pm (Sunday). Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Price: the smoked beef shin sandwich is £6.50, the double cheese is £6. Specials are usually £5.
More information: from their website.
Featured image: @the.black.hamburg
Explore more of the best places in London:
? Push A Button, Get Champagne At This Restaurant
☕️ Get Your Caffeine Fix With A £1 Espresso
? Wander Around This Gorgeous Garden Centre
⚓️ Drop Anchor At London’s Floating Bookshop
Also published on Medium.