Saturday 16 March 2013

Diner

If you're in an "only a burger can fix this" mood, but hate finishing your Big Mac and thinking, "I could eat another ten of those," The Diner on Ganton Street is the place for you.

Despite the fact it was 3pm on Wednesday afternoon, the restaurant was buzzing. We had a brief wait at the bar before our rock-chick waitress showed us to our table.


Uncharacteristically, I overestimated my eating prowess by ordering a cheeseburger, cheesy fries and a chocolate and vanilla milkshake. This should give you an idea of the classic American fare on offer. 


We both had a cheese OD as my friend went for macaroni cheese with a side of cheesy fries.The menu offers a selection of cheeses to accompany the dishes. I went for Monterey Jack, but would've liked cheddar as an option, as for me, it is the cheese par excellence for  a gourmet burger (and I belong to a family in which "cheesing" is a verb i.e. "are you cheesing?")


The food is served in pleasingly trashy plastic baskets. We decided that for future visits, one basket of cheesy fries would suffice as a side for two healthy appetites. 


Alcoholic and non-alcoholic milkshakes are available. I went for the virgin option. It is best to think of the milkshake as less of a drink and more of a dessert, as we both needed to order a more hydrating beverage. 


The burger was a tempting combination of flavoursome beef, cheese, tomato, onion and lettuce. Just don't expect to be asked how you'd like it cooked.


The cheesy chips were delicious and just what I needed after traipsing around the British Museum's fantastic Ice Age Exhibition. 


The Diner gets +1 point for service for our friendly and accommodating Anglo-American waitress. 


We met up with my friend's sister after our meal and she expressed envy at our trip. She said: "if you don't feel at least a little bit sick after going to that place you haven't done it right." I think it's fair to say that by that token, we most certainly did it right.


7.5/10