Delicooks

This great new eatery is as good as its promise: it’s small, with only 5 tables, and it serves up burgers. The decor is, refreshingly, not what you’d expect in a place like this: there’s no Germanic writing nor sturdy beer taps, no red-cushioned seats nor neon lights. Instead, understated simplicity is the order of the day here: clean gray and ocher walls, black tables and seats... The serious, simple, elegant minimalism tells you you’re not in for a typical burger.

We’d arranged to meet owner, manager and head waiter Carlos at 12 noon and upon arriving a  little late, he let out a sigh. “You’re a little late,” he gently admonished.  Late? One would think that a fast-food burger joint supposed to be open at all hours and time was of little importance. Well, not here. As we arrive, the staff along with Carlos and Ramón - second partner - are about to sit down to lunch ahead of a busy day and everything stops, just like in restaurants.

Like any good host, Carlos drops everything momentarily to offer us a drink while he finishes his work. “A tonic water, please”, we say,  and out comes a Schweppes Indian Tonic in a wide glass. Surprised, we look at the glass coolers behind the counter: Boylan, Q-Tonic, Fentiman's ... we begin to wonder if we’re in a trendy gin bar and we’re not far off the mark. The shelves are stacked with premium gin. Gin tonic with a burger? Curiouser and curiouser

“Burgers are the latest thing and and lots of places around town do them well. So we’re trying to stand out from the crowd. We are a burger joint but we serve them up with restaurant quality,” he says. Indeed, El Petit Burger shares its kitchen with an adjacent restaurant, Bestiari, renowned eatery in the neighborhood. Bestiari is the third partner in this new venture and it’s also where Ramon works as a chef. “We had time thinking about the project for some time and this spot had great potential”.

The dishes pop out of a small window from the restaurant's kitchen, where Ramon has an assistant completely dedicated to Petit Burger. Perhaps that’s why what comes out not your typical piece of ground beef with vegetables, cheese and bun. The menu offers three types of burger based on high quality produce: the classics which are beef-based and are seved with Brie, bacon or vegetables; contemporary - from veggie burgers, to Indian style; and the Gourmet, such as Japanese style based on tuna, or the Sybarite, with beef and foie, served on a plate. “We were serving one like that next door at Bestial, also on a  plate. It proved very popular.” Added to this concept in burgers is a short  but imaginative menu of appetizers and desserts.

But the burgers aren’t the only thing to stand out from the crowd. There are the drinks - and we don’t mean soft drinks. Carlos has left his mark here too and serves up a wide range of wines, beers and cocktails... “I like wine and I started serving up quite a few by the glass. Now our goal is to stick to three good ones and change them weekly. And if you want something different you can choose a bottle from Bestiar’s wine list”.

“We’re currently serving up a few beers and we are considering what to do next: microbrews, international brands …”  And the gin and tonics? “I’m also very fond of them. Some time ago we started doing thematic Thursdays offering hamburgers with a specific flavored gin and tonic. It’s a drink that goes great with burgers. And people love it.”

With time running out, we promise to come back and sample the eclectic menu another day. Carlos and Ramon sit down to eat, before starting to work in Bestiari, Petit Burger’s big brother.