Bunsen

Tom Gleeson had lived in New York and eaten what he considered the best burgers in the world. Back in Ireland, he was frustrated that he could not find a burger of the same standard, given how good Irish ingredients are. His answer was Bunsen, built on “product, not profit”, which opened on Wexford Street in Dublin; within two years there was a second Dublin branch, and the brand has since reached Cork and Belfast.

The menu is famously tiny, small enough to print on a business card: a hamburger or a cheeseburger, single or double, three kinds of fries, sodas and milkshakes. The toppings are the classics: pickle, onion, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Bacon is the only extra, and the only non-burger dish is a grilled cheese sandwich.

Everything is about the beef. Bunsen uses Black Aberdeen Angus from farms in the Irish midlands, supplied by the Dublin butcher FX Buckley, minced in-house every day in a cold room and formed into patties by hand, seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper seconds before they hit the grill. The buns come from a bakery in Naas, County Kildare, and the potatoes from a veteran trader of Dublin’s Smithfield market.

Restaurants in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

• Franky's (Sweden, since 2014). A Stockholm burger bar that began as a tiny street grill, home of Sweden’s best classic cheeseburger. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.
• MEATliquor (United Kingdom, since 2012). A burger van turned into a dark, loud London bar famous for the Dead Hippie. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.
• Supermac’s (Ireland, since 1978). Ireland’s own fast-food chain from Galway, which took McDonald’s to the EU courts over the word “Mac”. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.
• Burgermeister (Germany, since 2006). The Berlin burger chain that started in an old public toilet under the U-Bahn. Also built on beef, cheese and a double stack.