This November, Covent Garden will up its burger game. Heard Burger – the burger concept by chef Jordan Bailey – will open its largest site yet, a two-floor flagship that Bailey says will be “the biggest expression yet of the restaurant people already know”.
With a background in fine dining, Bailey opened Heard first as a touring food truck, then as a pop-up in Borough in early 2025. Quickly, he went permanent with a restaurant in Borough, then opened a second site in Soho later in the year. And while he made his name in Michelin-starred restaurants – opening Aimsir in Ireland with his wife, sommelier Majken Bech-Bailey, which earned two Michelin stars within four months – he’s keeping things casual with Heard.
“People sometimes assume that because of my background, we’re trying to turn burgers into fine dining,” Bailey said in a statement. “We’re not. I love burgers because they’re simple. Heard has always been about seeing how good something familiar can become when you obsess over every part of it.”
Heard’s Covent Garden site will showcase Bailey’s signature burgers – each made with British beef sourced from a cooperative of regenerative farms. Each patty is smashed to order, cheese is sourced from British producers, pickles and sauces are made in-house, and Heard’s roast potato bun is toasted in butter. The Heard tops a double smash patty with jalapeño hot honey, Ogleshield cheese, white onion and the restaurant’s secret sauce – and vegetarians are well looked-after with the Wild Umami, made with a house-made black bean and wild mushroom patty.
There’s an entirely new element to the menu, too. Tucked behind the main restaurant will be a space that Bailey is referring to as a “dessert speakeasy”, which invites sweet-toothed diners to customise their own ice cream sandwiches and sundaes from a selection of ice creams, sauces and toppings. Some existing Heard favourites, like the Milk Soft Serve, Hot Apple Pie and Brûlée Cheesecake, will still appear on the menu.
Given that drinks are designed by Bailey’s wife, sommelier Majken Bech-Bailey, they’re guaranteed not to be an afterthought. Every burger will come with its own suggested pairing, featuring low-intervention wines, craft beers from Five Points Brewing Co, and Baek, Majken’s own brand of alcohol-free wine.
“Covent Garden is the first time we’ve had enough space to really build a world around Heard,” Bailey said. “It feels like the first proper glimpse of what Heard can become.”
Heard Burger opens in November in Covent Garden at 33–35 Wellington Street, WC2E 7BN. Sign up for priority booking now.
