Three Compasses

3 Reviews on “Three Compasses”

• Free Ranger

  Historically this pub has been a real favourite of mine (worthy of at least a 4.5); a chilled out London pub with a great selection of ales, a simple but tasty burger menu (with free-range chicken and pork), service with a smile and all without the affectation of many East London establishments. We often cycle here to meet friends for a mid-week burger and pint. So imagine my disappointment when we visited this week to discover a new, pretentious menu that required us to get our smart phones to look up some of the ingredients. (There is no mention of free-range meat on the new menu, I asked the barman about it and he looked confused so I cannot comment on that.) When our food did arrive it was admittedly very tasty, but not as good as before. I made the mistake of asking for some ketchup to go with my chips which didnt go down well; they dont serve ketchup anymore, only their own homemade truffled dijonnaise. We were also not allowed a side of the Champagne slaw, you can only have that inside your burger. The staff behind the bar are still friendly and the ales are still good but theyve lost their edge. Sometimes less is more!

  February 23, 2015, 8:56 pm

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• Nick Andrews

  Original Fry Up Material, OFM for short, are doing some seriously good things with burgers. Known for their mobile street food ambulance, and for serving some of the most banging breakfasts (not to mention sausage and egg muffins) London has to offer, they’ve been around since the end of 2012.It’s only natural, then, with breakfast success under their belts, that their attention would turn to burgers in the form of a residency in the 3 Compasses pub in Dalston…and that’s where this burger story begins…Price: Cheesy Burger – 6.50Fries – 2.50Presentation:Simple. The burger comes plated, lid-on. It’s neatly proportioned and smells fantastic. Toppings:Very good. I’ll work from the bottom up there’s a ketchup and burger sauce that’s so similar in style to that you find on a Big Mac, I doubt you’d recognise the difference – a mix of blended mayo, pickles, capers and ketchup – it’s very, very good. Layered on top of the sauces is a bed of chopped lettuce and onion – ideal for spreading the juice evenly across the base of the burger. The patty is then topped with a nicely melted American cheese and another liberal dollop of the big mac sauce. A final magic ingredient is what OFM call their ‘green sauce’ which adds texture, flavour and umami (blitzed anchovy, capers, olive oil, garlic and parsley)Meat:Meat Win. The ground beef in the OFM burger is a proprietary blend of grass-fed, aged chuck and short rib from rare breed cattle. They’re sourced by the most excellent team at Flock and Herd in Peckham, and the quality shines through in the patties. There’s a very decent caramelised crust around the outside, and the seasoning is perfectly balanced. Mine was cooked just beyond medium but for once I didn’t mind – it’s a phenomenally juicy and flavoursome burger patty.Bun: The OFM burger bun is a semi-sweet soft white roll – a rarity in our brioche and semi-brioche dominated London burger scene – but it’s a good one. It’s unglazed and toasted, the base of mine was slightly over toasted, but that didn’t affect the overall quality. It’s a custom bun (source secret) built specially for this burger and it works really well, squashing down beautifully around the patty.Accessories:Skin on fries are hand cut and sea salted, served in an enamel bowl. They’re decent quality and great value for 2.50.Overall Rating: 9/10I REALLY enjoyed this burger. There are a couple of niggles – the lack of pink in the patty, the over-toasted bottom bun – but I really didn’t care because the burger tastes so frickin’ good. It’s the closest thing I’ve come to a burger replicating a Big Mac in London, aside from the Fred Smith ‘Big Boy’ one off special.This burger is a Good Thing.The Three Compasses pub, where they’re based, also serves a decent range of beers, including 5 Points and London Fields, so once you’ve had your burger you can settle in for a couple of pints. And probably another burger. hamburger-me.com

  February 14, 2015, 1:26 pm

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• Graham Banton

  Doing a great veggie burger is tricky. Dry, stodgy, bland…an entire mushroom; are some words commonly associated with disappointment (veggie) burgers. The ones at The Three Compasses though are totally boss. Brioche bun, succulent and spicy patty, and fried kale on the top!There’s only 4 mains on the menu and they’re all burgers…only one of them is veggie which would normally make me rather upset but its too delicious for that. Plus the homemade fries and chili slaw are so good. AND they have 4 ales on.Nice vibe, good music, and aforementioned props to food.

  December 13, 2014, 10:01 pm

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