Wonderland

WHY ALL THE COOL KIDS HAVE GONE DUMBO FOR SMASH BURGERS

Since this cult hole-in-the-wall’s opening in June, East London’s buzziest queue hasn’t been for a gig or a sample sale – it’s for a smash-burger and fries.

Word of warning: the line at Dumbo is long. Really long. It’s a line with the stamina of fans gunning for the front spot at their favourite band’s concert. Only here, the headliner is a smash burger. Those already-fed sprawl across the pavement, wine rocking in hand, still riding the greasy high.

With the intimacy of a supper club and the grit of an East London caf’, Dumbo feels like a secret society everyone’s already in. “That’s what we love about Dumbo, it brings everyone together,” say founders Samuel Nataf and Charles Ganem. “Workers on their break, locals from the neighbourhood, chefs on their day off, cool kids who know what’s good. We’ve tried to build a place that speaks to all of them, and it’s really the product that makes it happen. Quality and indulgence, that’s what connects people.”

The Shoreditch outpost – 119 Bethnal Green Road, if you’re mapping your lunch break – is as streamlined as the menu: just four things. Cheeseburger. Vegan “Earth Burger.” Fries. Chicken nuggets. Inside: retro minimalism, a slim service window, an open door, and sunlight cutting into a space arranged with the same precision as a perfectly seared patty. “We always try to build around where we are. Shoreditch has its own energy, creative, fast-moving, a bit raw, and we wanted the space to reflect that. We also looked at some of the things that make London special to us, visually and culturally. But at the core it’s still Dumbo, simple, focused, a bit stripped back. The goal was to stay true to our identity while letting the local vibe shape the experience.”

Born in Paris in 2019, Dumbo quickly earned a rep for the city’s best burger – so a London debut was only a matter of time. “We’ve been thinking about it for a while. London has an amazing food culture and a real appetite for quality. We felt ready. The team, the momentum, the product came together naturally.”

So what makes a burger worth standing around for, in a city where people won’t wait ten minutes for a late Tube without tutting?” It’s all in the details,” they say. “It starts with great sourcing, meat you trust, a bun that holds up, ingredients that earn their place. Then comes the balance, soft and crispy, hot and cold, rich and sharp. When every bite has contrast and clarity, it becomes more than just food. It hits something deeper. That’s when it gets truly craveable.”

Getting people to queue around the block once is already a feat. Getting them to come back is another. But Dumbo’s not an Instagram one-hit-wonder, despite the trendy London it-crowd it seems to draw in. “It’s maybe because it feels like a place they can actually enjoy. No pressure, no scene, just good energy, a team that cares, and food that speaks for itself. It’s casual but done with intention.” They shrug. “That mix works.”

Naturally, we couldn’t just leave it there. Wonderland sat down with the founders to play a quick round of Smash or Pass because, let’s be real, no one in East London smashes quite like they do.