The aim of the Gourmet Burger Kitchen is to turn the bog standard burger into a sophisticated scoff by using fresh ingredients and a healthy dollop of creativity. Do they? Read on...

The Venue
The Gourmet Burger Kitchen is situated on George Street where you'll find Oxford's main strip of pubs, clubs and restaurants. Three minutes walk away is the Odeon Cinema and the New Theatre so this a great restaurant for a post theatre meal. There are lots of places to eat on George street but none with quite such an enticing aroma drifting from their door.

The restaurant itself is fairly no frills. It's a big rectangular room with plastic topped tables dotted with oldskool tomato shaped ketchup bottles. The initial sense of an upmarket McDonalds is quickly dispelled by clever lighting and interesting pictures on the walls and the glass front makes it a great place to watch the world go by.

The People
The staff, who are invariably Kiwis, deliver good service and are happy to engage in a bit of banter. The diners are usually young especially on a Friday night when they're lining their stomachs in readiness for a big night out.

The Food
The biggest selling point of the Gourmet Burger Kitchen is the food which more than makes up for the less than perfect surroundings. If you eat meat you can pick from 18 different burgers ranging from the conservative cheeseburger to more adventurous offerings like the Jamaican Burger, which is topped with mango and ginger sauce, and the Kiwiburger covered with beetroot, egg, pineapple and cheese.

Vegetarians are well catered for with options such as falafel, puy lentil burgers and even a whole portabella mushroom topped with sweet peppers, rocket and pesto. If you're feeling adventurous there are a selection of specials that include wild boar, buffalo and chorizo burgers.

The burgers are huge and satisfying and, unlike many posh burger restaurants, they’re cooked the way you want. The beef is juicy and bursting with flavour, and the other ingredients are fresh and obviously well sourced. The chips are chunky and fluffy inside with a crispy coating and the salads are crunchy and fresh and smothered with some interesting dressings.

It's worth noting that the burgers are served without extras so if you want chips and salad you need to order them separately. It's also worth noting that the portions of chips are very large and the perfect size for sharing.

The Drink
A fairly standard range of beers is complemented by a wine list that draws heavily on the Gourmet Burger Kitchen’s land of origin, New Zealand, and it has clearly been chosen by someone who enjoys wine. Drinks are competitively priced with a very reasonable Sauvignon Blanc costing £14. And it's served nice and cold.

The Last Word
If you want a tasty, high quality burger that's a cut above the competition and served by cheery Kiwis at quite reasonable prices then get within 100 yards of the Gourmet Burger Kitchen and your nose will guide you the rest of the way.

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