RESTAURANT REVIEW: This is no gourmet burger joint but it's good value for money

The market around the '˜posh' burger has massively expanded in recent years, as diners look for something a little more sophisticated than a typical Big Mac, but not a meal that's going to empty their wallet.

Think Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Byron, or Five Guys, and you will know what I mean.

7 Bone Burger Co. moved into Portsmouth's Guildhall Walk earlier this year and is the latest in a line of chain restaurants ditching junk food burgers in favour of high quality restaurant cuisine.

On a cold winter evening the Dish Detective decided to pay the restaurant a visit and see what all the fuss was about.

It might only have been about 6.30pm on a weekday evening but the place was already busy. We were quickly shown to a table by the friendly staff and offered a menu.

The choice of burgers available is not the biggest I've come across before '“ although you could see this one of two ways.

Either you are someone who prefers not having to deal with too many burgers to choose from.

Or you could be like Dish Detective's partner '“ who doesn't eat mayonnaise or cheese (two very obvious staples of burger dining, I'm sure most of you would agree).

If you're in the second camp, it can leave you feeling slightly restricted.

In the end she opted for the Robert Johnston (£8.95) without the truffle mayo or cheese, although she did ask for lettuce in the burger which was missing when our meal arrived.

The Dish Detective (who is definitely a fan of cheese) went for the Triple B (£9.25), a beef patty with blue cheese, bacon, and bacon jam.

Luckily the food came relatively quickly, bearing in mind we '“ like many others who visit the restaurant '“ had a show at the theatre next door we were planning to catch.

There is definitely value-for-money in the quantity of food you get, and especially the number of seasoned chips. Think McDonalds fries but slightly more upmarket.

They might have been a bit on the salty side but still a tasty accompaniment to the main attraction.

But, overall, the first word that springs to mind is '˜standard'.

As tasty as both burgers looked, the meat was lacking in flavour and was drier than you'd expect.

On the plus side, both kept their structure well as it can be annoying when your meal starts to fall apart before your eyes.

Although the meal satisfied our hunger and made for a nice meal out at the same time, there was a feeling that we should have had more enjoyment from our dinner.

A meal at 7 Bone is not going to break the wallet, and like many of its rival chain restaurants that is one of its main appeals. In the end we paid just under £25 for two burger meals, two sets of seasoned chips (£2.75 each) and a soft drink for each of us.

The restaurant itself had a rustic and old-fashioned diner feel to it. It's a nice place to eat, but it doesn't really set it too far apart from its competitors.

It does cater well for youngsters, and offers a children's menu with options including beef and chicken burgers, cheese sandwiches and hot dogs.

7 Bone Burger Co. is a welcome addition to Portsmouth's restaurant landscape, and offers another cost-effective option for a meal out, even if it falls slightly short of the standards set by its competitors.

Ratings (out of five)

Food: 3

Value: 3

Ambience: 3

Child-friendly: 4