The Fat Hippo Durham

Back in March, I reviewed The Fat Hippo Jesmond and it was no secret that I absolutely loved it (macaroni cheese burger. Need I say more?) so you can imagine my delight when I heard that a Fat Hippo was opening in my little hometown of Durham. In case you don't know, the Fat Hippo is a favourite in the north east, serving the best kind of burgers. You know the kind - the messy, finger licking, juicy kind, both veggie and meaty. I was lucky enough to be invited along to the Durham branch's VIP sneaky peek before the restaurant officially opened last week and I couldn't believe the transformation of the former cafe. 

The decor embodies the Fat Hippo brand perfectly with a modern rustic feel, open bulbs and hanging lights, LED words, wooden seats...It's the perfect laid back vibe that you want for when you're stuffing your face with burgers. Personally I couldn't get over the transformation of the place - the Fat Hippo has outdone themselves. Just a few weeks ago, this was a cafe that I used to go in quite a lot and now the inside is unrecognisable. You wouldn't even know it was the same building so it really is impressive. It's the kind of restaurant that will fit in just right at Durham with the laid-back, casual atmosphere. It's really welcoming and I can see the whole place doing very well among the student community especially!

After swooning over the new decor we got onto the part we'd all been waiting for - the burger tasting. I was with Tasha from Hello Freckles who tried the meat burgers and I sunk my teeth into the veggie burgers and my oh my they were amazing. The meat burgers, including the Stinky Pete and the PB&J, looked literally amazing with toppings oozing from the bun. Some of the combos were so unique too - peanut butter on a burger?! It's something I'd never have thought would go well but Tasha said that they were al delishhhh. I tried the Veggie Gastro burger which was amazing. I love a good veggie bean burger and this one didn't disappoint with creamy mozzarella and a little bit of a spicy kick. I even tried the Cajun Tofu burger even though I really dislike tofu! I still don't like tofu but the toppings were amazing - they're what I live for at the Fat Hippo!

I'm so pleased that the Fat Hippo Durham has finally opened - I know I'll definitely be going back with Karl to give it a real try as soon as possible!

Amy x