I love a good burger and absolutely loathe a bad one. Cardiff has its fair share of burger joints, with examples of the good (Ansh), the mediocre (Fat Hippo) and the downright ugly (Shake Shack and Five Guys – overpriced and underwhelming to say the least).

In the City centre, once you get past the big chains I suspect most people if asked where the place to go for a decent burger is will say Honest Burger.

Whilst I quite like Honest (chips included and the patty cooked pink if you so wish and I do, do, do!) it is always nice to have burger options and my search for a decent burger, in Cardiff city centre, brought me to the phenomenally popular Pasture (try getting a booking for 4 on a Friday or Saturday evening at that place).

Sadly this place has discontinued their lunchtime deal (assume they simply don’t need it to draw the punters in, which is a shame), which included the burger, with only the a la carte menu available at lunchtime (bar from the Sunday lunch menu and a morebinformal bar menu).

Not really any cheap options for lunch, but they do have their rather enticing burger offering as part of the classics element of the menu.

With the 45-day dry aged grass feed beef (sourced locally) used in the burger (from the esteemed Oriel Jones I believe – I so like this place’s sourcing ethos),

this is quite the alluring offering (albeit it far from being a cheap one at just shy of £15).

At this high-end price for a burger, I felt I had a legitimate expectation that it would be cooked how I like it (rather than H&S dictat). I, therefore, asked if I could have it pink.

Expecting the sky to instantly darken, the floor to be riven by fissures descending to the depths of hell and for demons, hell hounds and imps to pour forth from the pit, I was pleasantly surprised when our server (human rather than an electronic device) said “no problem“. Of course, she was then surrounded by a Cardiff City Council H&S swat team and taken away to the gulag for re-education.

What arrived was a fine looking beast,

with it pleasing to see chips and pickles  included in the price (should bloody well hope so at £15). Pickles were on the side so wierdos who don’t like pickles in their burgers don’t have to pick them out. Nice that they cater for the oddball non pickle loving community (however misguided they may be).

Under the bonnet,

it is equally impressive with loaded (but not too loaded so as to overwhelm the patty) toppings.

A pleasingly tangy (not excessive in quality) burger sauce, crispy shallots and a big blob of rich, slow cooked, short rib laced with thyme. My only slight reservation was the paucity of the ogleshield cheese. As against the rest of it just seemed a tad stingey

The all important patty (the rest is really just side show/window dressing stuff, something that a lot of places seem to forget) had a fatty glisten and lots of caramelised gnarly bits to its exterior

The whole shebang was gob sized so no dissembly or use of cutlery (both cardinal burger sins in my book) was required (otherwise why the bun – which did it job and held up until the the very end).

The patty was gratifyingly pink, as ordered, with a nice loose texture and that trademark dry-aged beef gaminess to it. Good burger this, ticking a lot of my burger boxes.

The chips were of the proper chunky variety (rather than weedy french fries) and had a satisfying crispiness to the exterior and fluffiness to the exterior.

Personally I would have preferred skin off (I think you get a crisper chip that way), but otherwise these were very good. Nice that they were seasoned by someone who doesn’t view salt as akin to arsenic.

On the booze front, Pasture does have a pretty good (very reasonable mark ups and a good selection) wine list, with some real bargains at the top end (if the online list is still up to date) if you are feeling flush.

The Chateau Batailly is a steal, at less than retail, and surely the Stag’s Leap Cask 23, Sassicia and Tignanello prices can’t be still those listed above can they? Bargains galore here, if these prices (on the website) remain right, for those with deep pockets!!

As it was a working day lunch, I rather wistfully passed on the wine list and went for a low (0.5°abv) alcoholic beer.

As they go, this Lucky Saint number (think it was a fiver) was perfectly acceptable. Easily better than most mainstream (utter pish for the most part) fully alcoholic lagers (in my limited experience).

The verdict

Whilst it might not be quite up there with Cardiff’s top tier burger (Ansh), I think Pasture’s burger is easily the best one in the City centre.

OK it is pricey, but there is an awful lot to like about the Pasture burger and it is my go to burger if I am in the centre (rare these days and likely to get rarer as now a full time home worker) rather than the burbs (where Ansh beats it, but not by as much as I was expecting).

Pasture commendably (like Ansh) focuses on the provenance of the all important beef and the 45-day dry aged stuff they use is top notch. The quality of meat really shines through.

When it comes to getting a City centre burger, in Cardiff, Pasture’s offering is pretty compelling and definitely leads the city centre field.

The detail

Address: 8 – 10 High Street, Cardiff, CF10 1BB.

Website: https://pasturerestaurant.com/locations/cardiff/