“Had the best burgers at this restaurant in South London – I’ll be back”

New restaurants often cause mystery because you have no idea what to expect before you see the menu.

One thing Richmond doesn’t lack for is restaurants, and on July 15th, my cousin and I tried one of Richmond’s newest additions: Cocotte on Hill Street.

In short: I went in skeptical and left 110% satisfied.

We sought relief from the heavy rain inside and received a warm welcome from the staff before being shown inside the inviting interior.

We were taken to our circular booth, handed menus and given a few minutes to make our choices for starters.

The extensive menu offers plenty of delicious options and for starters we enjoyed the crispy pesto halloumi and crispy chicken tenders.

(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

Because sharing is caring and starters are for sharing, both went incredibly well together and came with the special Cocotte tomato sauce.

Manager Amani told us their ketchup was “like ketchup, but better”—and she wasn’t lying.

The tomato sauce was sweet, fresh, homemade and to die for.

Not just the tomato sauce, though.

As a huge sauce lover, I was eager to try the Cocotte sauces and I was far from disappointed, from the Cocotte mustard to the garlic mayo.

We go for our mains, where the menu includes rotisserie chicken and salads, but we both felt we had burgers.

When you read the menu, you almost feel full just imagining how you will feel after serving the burger.

I ordered the Crispy Chicken Burger: panko chicken thigh, Monterey Jack cheese, pickled red cabbage, gherkins and Alabama sauce (don’t know what that is).

One word: delicious.

(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

It really was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had, from the soft bun to the juicy fillings.

My parents ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger which had beef, bacon, cheese, onions and house sauce.

He assured me it was delicious and you could easily tell from his facial reaction after the first bite.

And of course, there’s always room for dessert.

These desserts were some of the best I’ve ever tried; I had a chocolate tart with hazelnuts and Mont Blanc, which is chestnut cream with vanilla ice cream, almonds and Chantilly cream.

(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

(Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

I went to Cocotte on a Monday and it was an amazing start to the week.

Overall, Cocotte provided a fantastic experience and I can definitely predict that this restaurant will become a community favorite.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try this restaurant, the latest addition to its great dining scene.

Special thanks to our manager and waitress Amani for being kind, knowledgeable, welcoming and making us laugh with her infectious personality.