When Parisian smashburger sensation Dumbo opened on Bethnal Green Road last year, it prompted lengthy queues of Londoners waiting to try the crisp-edged burgers that had made it a hit in France. Come September, there’ll be a second spot in London to try Dumbo’s burgers: it’s opening in Soho, on the corner of Berwick and D’Arblay streets. “We’re excited to become part of one of London’s most iconic food neighbourhoods while staying true to the simplicity and quality that define Dumbo,” co-founder Charles Ganem said in a statement.
Like the Shoreditch diner, Dumbo Soho will have a streamlined menu – smashburgers (with a veggie option), fries and house-made nuggets – in a minimalist space that nods to classic fast-food diners. At the heart of the menu are the smashburgers: two crisp-edged dry-aged beef patties from HG Walter piled on a hybrid potato-brioche bun with a slice of American cheese and doused in Heinz ketchup.
The new space is designed by Parisian studio Rodaa. It’ll be open to the street, with an open kitchen at its centre. Expect plenty of stainless steel, solid wood and yellow resin tabletops, sitting atop a bare concrete floor and below Brossier Saderne pendant lighting.
Dumbo was founded in Paris’s Pigalle neighbourhood in 2019 by Ganem and Samuel Nataf, who wanted to pay tribute to the simplicity and popularity of classic fast food. It’s since spawned three Parisian outposts alongside its London location and, most recently, a residency in Milan. Dumbo also regularly hosts takeovers of more traditional restaurants, including Planque in Haggerston and Parisian Seine-side bistro L’Escale.
Dumbo Soho opens at 37 Berwick Street W1F 8RJ in September.
