The ability of Instagram’s algorithm to synchronise with your interests can be both a wonderful and a taxing thing. Recently my discover page has been inundated with smash burgers – hypnotising stacks of wispy beef patties, glued together with bright yellow plastic cheese. It was just at the point I felt my brain reaching the brink of saturation, yearning for a period of rehabilitation from burger-centric content consumption, that I saw one more meat patty I felt couldn’t be ignored, writes Caitlin Odell.
Within twenty minutes I had scoured The Whole Beast’s feed, ascertained that their food was served at The Montpelier in Peckham, booked a table for two that Friday, and recruited a friend to join me. The pub was just the right level of busy, and the great playlist and carefully adjusted lighting created such a nice atmosphere that we abstained from ordering any food until at least two pints had been finished. But once we were ready, we ordered two aged cheeseburgers, two green chorizo tacos with saddleback pork, hash browns with whipped cod’s roe, and fries with chipotle ketchup.
If, like me, your burger eating ritual starts with a chip soundcheck before introducing the headline act, you’ll be familiar with the tick on the mental clipboard that appears when you discover that things are off to a strong start. Even better if you have to make a concerted effort to interrupt the flow and focus your attention elsewhere before you get too full.
There’s not a great deal of criteria that need to be met in order to produce great chips, making it all the more infuriating that so many restaurants and fast-food chains continue to fall at this non-existent hurdle. These chips were well salted, perfectly crispy and generously portioned – no further notes.
Even within the category of smash burgers, there is a spectrum, and this one definitely fell more towards the smashed-within-an-inch-of-its-life end. At the end of the day, it all comes down to preference, and I’m mainly impartial, so long as the ratio of the other components is adjusted accordingly. For the most part I’d say it was, and any qualms in this area were far overshadowed by the flavour of almost-caramelised meat paired with melted cheese, tangy burger sauce, and sweet, sharp pickles.
Both the hash browns and the tacos were unnecessary from a physical satiation perspective, but both contributed greatly to the meal’s overall enjoyment. No one needs that much potato in one sitting, but when someone in the kitchen has taken the time to painstakingly assemble layer after layer of wafer-thin sheets into an intricate potato brick, attention should be paid.
Calling it a hash brown actually feels too diminishing, but these ones were top tier, and smooth – salty cod’s roe was the perfect accompaniment. Just as we began to consider the pending repercussions of our one-dimensional ordering, well balanced mouthfuls of herbs and vinegar brought by the tacos reinstated the harmony.
The Montpelier pub does the invaluable thing (that few can do well) of intersecting multiple genres of ‘night out’, catering to needs beyond great food and drink. The plan wasn’t to while away the entire evening there, but somehow, we did – and if I was looking for a pub to host another open-ended Friday night in South London, it would be this one.
The Montpelier, 43 Choumert Rd, London SE15 4AR
Food £44; Drinks £36.
Booking: https://www.themontpelier.net/
