The Thrillist proclaims it to be the best in town while Le Figaro puts it in its Top5 of best burgers in the capital. Indeed, Blend has great burgers of which we tried three, today.
Accompanied with my friend Gabriel, we went for a 25-minute walk to reach Blend. We went together to Big Fernand the day before and we couldn't help talking about our experience, hoping to discover something even better.
It was Saturday around 1pm and we had to wait for more than 25minutes to be seated. Blend is a small place, which looks like a tube that's completely painted in black with wood flooring. Black walls, black ceiling and black posters decorate this space filled with real wood tables surrounded by square wooden seats. Everyone's welcoming in here and the ambiance is nice. Expect to be sharing a table with others. Since we were two, we had to sit with another couple that unfortunately lost any chance for an intimate conversation.
As simple as it is, the restaurant was build perfectly well to serve burgers. The walls are all covered with simple posters showing cows, burgers, muffins and some writings of which I remember: "Einstein took science we took burgerness".
Three metallic baskets landed on our table each containing a burger cut in half and two pots of French fries. The coleslaw on another hand is served in a plastic container with a plastic fork.
Taking the burger in your hands prepares you for a unique experience to come. A soft and tender brioche, gourmet fresh meat, lettuce... tasty, rich, crunchy are a few words that describe each bite that melts like butter in your mouth. The richness of the ingredients and the different textures are just great.The best part here is the condiments in the burgers. Rich sauces add a hint of sweetness and a lot of finesse. I loved the aged cheddar and enjoyed the caramelized onions that are not too sweet. You know the sweetness many use to trick your mind.But the part I enjoyed the least are the shredded pickles that spoil the enjoyment when you press the meat between your tongue and palate. These should have been kept in slices. I think that they can make the bun fluffier by adding some more yeast to the mix. This would make the burger perfect on all fronts.
Do not expect to chew anything, do not expect to cut the meat, do not expect to have anything spilling off. Yes, it is a fine gourmet burger served in a street style ambiance affordable to all.
The fries on another hand, were not good at all. I ate one of each and stopped. Served cold, soggy and non crunchy, they are a mess. Deceiving after tasting such a good burger. The sweet potato ones was undercooked and looks cheap.
The big mess is the salad: A huge big NO. A mix of cabbage, onions and carrots blended in the machine and slacked in mayonnaise. The texture is like baby food and the mix has an unpleasant strong lemony taste and mayonnaise aftertaste. I will start by not using the shredder anymore; apply less sauce and definitely less lemon. This is something I won't recommend you order.
The verdict:
- Does Blend serve gourmet burgers: YES
- Is it the best burger in Paris like many claim: NO
If I were to visit a place again, I would go for Big Fernand or 231 East St., which are until now the best two I've visited during this trip to the French capital.
