For many of us, a flavorful, juicy burger oozing with cheese is the very definition of beauty. After all, it's hard to go wrong with a patty wrapped between layers of bread and topped with cheese and crunchy veggies. But, for all the simple, delicious burgers out there, plenty of chefs seem determined to play with flavours and develop new variants of this iconic fast food. So, here is a look at five of the world's best burger joints.
Agadir Burger Tel Aviv, Israel
Over 20 years ago, this well-known national brand opened its first stand in Tel Aviv. Today, Israel is home to many of its restaurants. Only four burger varieties are offered at Agadir. You have a choice of the Diana (a beef-and-lamb combo dressed up with aioli, tomato, spring onion and pickled lemon), chichi entrecôte, simple (available in four sizes), and the vegetable with mushrooms burger.
Fergburger Queenstown, New Zealand
This New Zealand restaurant opened its doors in February 2001 in a hidden lane called Cow Lane. However, after becoming popular with locals, it was forced to relocate to a more prominent location in Queenstown. The lamb burger with tomato relish and mint jelly is one of Fergburger's most popular offerings, as is the falafel-based vegetarian burger.
Flippin' Burgers Stockholm, Sweden
Except for the 'Cricket', which is topped with cream cheese, pickled onion, caramelised onion, and pickled jalapeno, the six burgers on the menu&mdashincluding one for vegetarians&mdashare as basic as they come. In-house pickling is done, and the restaurant grinds its own meat, which it purchases from small-scale local farmers. Also, the bread they use is made in a local Stockholm bakery.
Hamborgarafabrikkan Reykjavík, Iceland
This Reykjavik burger establishment is renowned for both the creative names of its sandwiches and the quality of its food. For instance, 'Miss Reykjavik' is a chicken burger covered in mango-yoghurt salsa. On the other hand, from pepperoni to mesquite sauce to green and red chillies, the 'Rescue' has them all.
Hamburgueria do Bairro Lisbon, Portugal
This restaurant's 15 burgers, four of which are vegetarian, draw local devotion. The toasted buns are frequently cut into three layers, with the centre layer of bread separating the patties from the lettuce and tomato to minimise sogginess and maintain the sandwiches' dome shape. Unconventional condiments (watercress, sweet cucumber, Flamengo cheese) provide a tasty punch.