From delightfully messy fast food treats to award-winning gourmet feasts, burgers can rise to any occasion. Chefs all over the world strive to put their own twists on this classic comfort food, taking the seemingly simple patty and bun combination to delicious new heights with aged cheeses, crispy-edged smash patties and all manner of creative toppings. Here we’ve ranked the world’s greatest burgers, counting down to the most delicious and highly rated of all.
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q ranked number one on Yelp’s 2023 Top 100 Burger Spots list for the whole of the USA, so you know it's pretty special. As you'd expect from a barbecue joint, Fox Bros. doesn't mess around when it comes to beef. The chefs use freshly ground Angus beef for their much-loved Smoked Brisket Cheeseburger, topping it with melted American cheese, caramelised onions and burger sauce inside a house-made beef fat roll. The patty is thick, pink and juicy – the kind of burger you'll think about for days afterwards.
In 2022, Tatler Asia announced that 8Cuts Burgers served the best burgers in Metro Manila, and that statement still holds true today. The restaurant first burst onto the scene in 2012, impressing with its 'all killer, no filler' approach to its house-blend beef patties. Regulars recommend diving in with the classic cheeseburger, which bolsters that perfect patty with melted Cheddar and secret-recipe burger sauce. Most people will say you have to order the signature onion rings, too.
For most of us, a cheeseburger is the go-to order at a burger joint, so it's important that the restaurant gets this simple item just right. Shed's version features all the classic ingredients – beef, Cheddar, onions, pickles, mustard and a secret sauce – but the result is so much more than the sum of its parts. The kitchen uses local Swiss produce for its flavour, freshness and sustainability to bring an authentic taste of the Alps to each mouthful.
Often touted as serving the best burger in Hong Kong, Exotica Gelatea started out as an Italian restaurant and gelateria. But when locals were thrilled at the taste of its burgers, it reinvented itself as a burger joint. The secret to the spot's success is using a 2,000-year-old recipe as inspiration for a unique garum sauce (an ancient condiment made from fermented fish) that infuses its premium beef patties with unbeatable umami flavour. The Exotica Wagyu Burger is the one to start with and comes adorned with all the classic cheeseburger toppings.
Fast casual Berlin restaurant All In may look a little like Five Guys, but its burgers are on another level. It serves only three burgers, with the highlight being the Twin Cheese, featuring two juicy beef patties, melted American cheese, pickles, fried onions and a healthy serving of the joint's secret sauce. The patties are smashed onto the hot plate to create a deep, intense crust while keeping them moist in the middle. Delivered in a potato bun and wrapped in paper, this simple burger is beyond delicious.
Time Out listed One Fattened Calf as one of the best burger joints in Singapore in 2024, and it's hard to argue with the choice. This joint makes its own potato buns, pickles and sauces, and grinds its own patties using grass-fed, additive-free beef. The result is a selection of uniformly delicious burgers, but the go-to has to be the OFC Butterburger. Not only do you get the delightful hit of smashed and torched beef, but you also get a hearty pat of butter melted on top, for an extra touch of decadence.
Sold Out Burger is so-called because the restaurant is making a stand against food waste and wants to, well, sell out every single day. That's why it only serves one burger in limited numbers, adjusting the quantities daily to satisfy both its customers and its sustainability mission. This attention to detail also means the quality is fantastic; the signature cheeseburger consists of a freshly ground beef patty, aged Cheddar, house-made pickles, red onions and secret sauce, all smashed inside a potato bun.
Frankie Fenner, owner of Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants (a chain of butcher shops around Cape Town), really wants people to enjoy ethical, organic beef. He showcases it in a line of burgers that Time Out named among the best in South Africa. Frankie brings a special burger to his Woodstock shop every Friday and serves a full menu at the Cape Town bar The House of Machine. The standout is Frankie’s Smash 2.0, with smash bacon patties, pickle sauce, lots of Cheddar and shredded lettuce on a brioche bun.
Former chef Alvin Cailan spent three years eating burgers for First We Feast's YouTube series The Burger Show, so he knows a thing or two about what makes a good patty. His idea for the burgers at Amboy Quality Meats and Delicious Burgers was to create the best possible menu item at the best possible price. The signature Amboy burger comes with burger sauce, American cheese, caramelised onions and pickles in a toasted sesame seed bun. The patty is a blend of ground rib-eye trim, short rib and brisket, and it's smashed for a crusty, juicy finish.
Chef Kentaro Nakahara went by the name Henry when he worked in California, so he decided to keep the moniker when he opened a burger joint in Tokyo. His grand plan was to combine the burger culture of the USA with the best beef in Japan, so the restaurant uses prime A5 wagyu for its mouth-watering patties. They're topped with an original sauce, cheese and a simple salad to allow the unbeatable flavour of the beef to shine.
PNY has 15 locations around Paris, but each outlet is a sight to behold. And, while the interiors are incredibly chic, this is not a case of style over substance. Its best-selling burger is The Return of the Cowboy, a hefty handful featuring a mature beef patty, melted Cheddar, a crispy onion fritter, smoked pork belly, onion confit and a tangy barbecue sauce. It's called The Return of the Cowboy because the original burger, the Cowboy, was only meant to be on menus for a month. Customers were so disappointed when it left that they demanded its return.
When Burgerdudes – a burger review site considered by some to be the Michelin guide of burgers – first ranked the world's greatest burgers in 2020, it listed Flippin' Burgers in the number nine spot, calling it the best burger place in Sweden. Fans say it's still the greatest, and the signature order here is the Flippin', a cheeseburger topped with silver onions, mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup.
A Juicy Lucy in the US usually means a burger that has cheese inside the patty, but in Argentina's Fat Broder, it's more like a double cheeseburger with a twist. The double patty comes topped with double Cheddar, onions, pickles and Thousand Island dressing to form this fan-favourite burger. Time Out magazine once called Fat Broder one of the country's 'best-kept secrets' – but after trying one of its burgers, you'll want to tell everyone about it.
"When you are seeking greatness, turn to The Apple Pan," wrote legendary LA Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold in 2013, when he included the joint's Hickoryburger on a list of his favourite burgers in Los Angeles. The Hickoryburger has been on the menu since 1945, delighting generations of customers with its crispy patty, secret sauce, mayonnaise, pickles and lettuce. Sometimes in life, simple is better.
In 2023, the Food Network announced that Olympus Burger served one of the best burgers in Canada. This was the third time the popular TV channel had named the joint in its list, and it's hardly alone in its praise. Other accolades include being named one of the top burgers by Canadian Living and even Heinz Ketchup. The best burger of the bunch is the Zeus, including a 6oz (180g) beef patty, peameal bacon, caramelised onions, sautéed mushrooms, aged white Cheddar, Olympus BBQ sauce and salad.
In 2023, the News Corp Australia Network tallied 50,000 reader votes in search of the best burgers in Australia – the winner in New South Wales was Paul’s Famous Hamburgers in Sylvania. The joint has been an institution since it opened in 1957, with its signature burger being the Famous Works. A stunning combination of lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, bacon, egg, cheese, pineapple and beef, it couldn't be more Australian if it tried. The joint recommends ordering it with a glass of its signature pineapple crush, made with fresh Queensland pineapples.
The website Canada's 100 Best doesn't spend a great deal of time on burgers, instead focusing on upscale and fine dining restaurants. But it makes a rare exception to single out OddBird's 'excellent' burger – and with good reason. The Oklahoma burger is a perfectly juicy and crispy-edged smash burger with grilled onions and American cheese, and it's a thing of simple beauty. OddBird has a sister pizza restaurant, too.
Peter Luger Steak House has been on the New York culinary scene since 1887, so its food has obviously stood the test of time. One look at its famous Luger Burger will tell you why it's such a well-loved choice at Peter Luger. The super-thick patty is a signature blend of house-aged T-bone, rib and chuck, and it's uniquely slow cooked in a purpose-built oven. This gives it a crisp exterior and a juicy centre, allowing that beefy goodness to penetrate every bite. Get it at lunch in the main dining room or all day in the bar.
In 2024, World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants named The Gidley Burger as the best burger in all of Australia. The star of the show is the beef patty, which is said to be made from some of the best beef in the world. Diners get a double helping of patties along with Cheddar and pickles, plus optional egg and bacon, all inside a hearty milk bun. It's so good that the burger has also made the leap to the menu at sister restaurant The Rover in Surry Hills.
Goldies proudly boasts that it dishes up 'the best bad food in town' – the mission the mini-chain set itself when it opened in 2017. The founders wanted to bring the smash burger to Germany, but in a way that focused on authenticity and local produce. The ethos has clearly connected with customers, with multiple outlets opening in Berlin and Frankfurt, and it's highly rated by global review website Burgerdudes, too. The Super Smash Brother features that incredible smashed patty with sauce, American cheese, salad, pickles and onions.
Encarnado Burger won the Best Burger prize at the 2022/23 Eat & Drink Veja Rio awards, and international review site Burgerdudes also considers it one of the best burger joints in Rio de Janeiro. The patties here are thick and moist, best enjoyed in the Palhaço Reencarnado ('reincarnated clown') burger. The sesame seed bun is filled with a fat patty, American cheese, Cheddar, onions, ketchup, mustard and pickles. It's a massive, perfectly balanced meal.
The Brooklyn burger from Madrid's Briochef is a true feast. The 60-day aged Galician beef patty is a substantial 6oz (180g), cooked to your liking, inside a buttery brioche bun. That alone would be more than enough, but Briochef also adds cured Gouda, caramelised onions, crispy bacon and its signature fiery Brooklyn sauce. It's a take on the iconic Emmy Burger from New York City's Emily, but given a stunning Spanish twist.
Respected burger review site Burgerdudes names Copenhagen's Gasoline Grill as the best burger in Denmark, while World's Best 101 Steak Restaurants ranked it as the second-best burger joint on the planet. The spot has nine locations around the Danish capital, but it still has a firm handle on quality and sustainability. For example, the chefs grind their organic beef fresh daily, ensuring they make just enough so that the restaurant doesn't waste any food. Any burger on the menu is great, but the Butterburger, with a pat of butter melted on top, is the main attraction.
All the burgers at Soul Coffee Beer are named after rappers, and the pick of the bunch is the Notorious. Toppings include queso Cheddar, pickles and secret sauce, but it's really the meaty punch of the beef and bacon that shines through. Aged for 45 days, the patties have an impossibly deep flavour that delivers amazing umami flavour with every bite, while the bacon is so crisp that the difference in texture is astounding. Customers hoping to taste it for themselves are advised to book a table.
There aren't many accolades Bleeker hasn't already won for its astonishing burgers. The big one, though, was the UK's 2024 National Burger Award for Burger of the Year – the second time its famous Bacon Double has won the top prize. It has everything you'd expect – perfect patty, fluffy bun, American cheese, bacon, onion and sauce – made with the finest ingredients and cooked to perfection with love and attention to detail. The owners went from working out of a food truck in 2012 to opening a restaurant in 2015 and swiftly taking the burger world by storm.
Pastis serves traditional French cuisine in the centre of New York City, and the Cheeseburger à l’Américaine is the perfect marriage of American and French food. The fries are the perfect side, of course, but it's the burger that most people are talking about. It features two tasty beef patties, melted cheese, red onions, pickles and a special sauce – all that combines for the ultimate gourmet burger experience. The only downfall is that the restaurant is so busy that reservations are a must.
Put those three magic ingredients together – bacon, butter and burger – and it's highly unlikely that you'll end up with a bad burger. But the geniuses behind Britain's award-winning Burger & Beyond have crafted the ultimate version of this combo with the classic Bacon Butter Burger. It's a dry-aged beef patty, a double helping of American cheese, pancetta bacon, burnt butter mayo and onion. This is the stuff fast food dreams are made of.
The Burgerdudes review site ranked Holy Burger as the best burger in Brazil, and websites such as O Hambúrguer Perfeito and Veja São Paulo have lavished it with similar praise. The special Pony Line was Burgerdudes' pick as the best burger on the extensive menu. This burger has the joint's signature dry-aged beef patty topped with Cheddar and sugarcane molasses for a lip-smacking combo of sweet and savoury. But let's face it, any of Holy Burger's offerings are just as good.
Every burger fan has undoubtedly heard of the Emmy Burger from Emily by now. It's been loaded with praise for years, often touted as one of – if not the – best burgers in New York City. That's a lot of hype to live up to, especially considering the restaurant charges more than $30 (£23/€28) for a chance to indulge in this once-in-a-lifetime burger. Yet the Emmy, made with Pat LaFrieda dry-aged beef, secret sauce, caramelised onions and Cheddar on a pretzel bun, still has the power to blow your mind.
The double cheeseburger at Au Cheval is talked about with bated breath. The ingredient list – two prime beef patties, Cheddar, pickles, onions and Dijonnaise – is pretty classic, but the burger itself has been elevated to a new standard. Even if you don't order it 'Au Cheval style' (with optional egg and bacon), the intense, tender flavour of the patty is something that stays with you for a long time. The restaurant has locations in New York City and Chicago as well as a string of diners called Small Cheval throughout the Windy City.
A permanent pop-up housed within Peckham’s Montpelier pub, Whole Beast serves Britain's best burger of the past decade – that’s according to the judges at the National Burger Awards. Famed for its nose-to-tail approach, Whole Beast won the 2024 Champion of Champions contest, which saw 30 previous finalists competing for the ultimate title. The pop-up triumphed thanks to its sensational Aged Cheeseburger, featuring an aged beef patty, American cheese, bread and butter pickles, smoked bone marrow and house-made burger sauce, all piled inside a squishy milk bun.
The US has long been considered the home of the burger, but according to the experts at Burgerdudes – a website that specialises in burger reviews – the best place to eat one is in Spain. Hundred Burgers, in Madrid and Valencia, started making its globe-conquering burgers in 2020. The two friends behind the brand travelled the world eating the best burgers from 22 countries before settling on their own recipe. The Singular features 60-day dry-aged Galician beef, melted Cheddar, barbecue sauce, bacon, caramelised onions and Camembert cream in a demi-brioche bun. Sensational.