Last week I arranged a convenient 4pm meeting in town, and when it finished I hotfooted my way over to Charlotte Street to get in the queue for
Bubbledogs, a newish hot dog and champagne bar causing a bit of a stir in London. I got there at 5.15pm and was about 14th in the queue…for a 35 cover restaurant I was relieved that I would be one of the first batches through the doors. This ‘no reservations’ trend winds me up.
Bubbledogs is cosy and surprisingly small inside, barebrick walls, soft lighting and cute illustrations on the walls.
Seating is stools around high tables making it less of a place to linger and more of a place to knock back a glass of champers before going on your merry way.
The hot dogs are priced between £6 and £8 which is reasonable, but be warned, you’ll see the menu and want to order a few. They have been cleverly created at an ‘inbetween’ size…one hot dog won’t be enough so you’ll end up ordering a few to share. I went for the New Yorker (sauerkraut and onion), the Jose (salsa, avocado, sour cream and jalapenos) and the 4th of July (bacon, bbq sauce and coleslaw). The hot dogs were all tasty, really soft hot dog bun, long thin sausage and generous toppings.
But did they knock my socks off?
Well… it was more a case of my socks slipping down my foot a little, making me take my shoes off to sort the situation out. Don’t get me wrong, I love hot dogs, but for all the hype Bubbledogs received when it first opened, I felt a little deflated by them. Like socks slipping off your feet, the whole thing was just a bit annoying.
What I absolutely loved were the tater tots and the sweet potato fries, which were some of the best I’ve tried in London. So crispy, and it was good to get something a little different to your bog standard chip.
As many people know, the hot dogs at Bubbledogs are only half the story, here it’s also very much about the champagne, which starts at £6 a glass. I went for a drink which I personally think is better than champagne.
I left feeling pretty content, but felt a little bad on exit seeing people queuing down the street in the wind tunnel that is Charlotte Street. When I left, a shivering group near the back asked me ‘is it worth the queue’, and I’m not entirely sure I was convincing when I said ‘I guess so’.
So will I be back? I did enjoy it but I’m not entirely convinced I will be. I’m sure there’ll soon be other hot dogs in London to try. Or, just go for a burger.
Bubbledogs, 70 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QG
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