The queue snaking out of a graffitied Victorian terraced house at 119 Bethnal Green Road is the clearest sign you’ve arrived at London’s newest and most talked-about burger joint. ‘This is the place where people queue two hours for a burger,’ I hear passersby mutter, eyeing the crowd with a mix of disbelief and envy (we all know they’ll be back tomorrow). The real question isn’t who has time to queue for so long, but rather: how has Dumbo managed to win over first an audience of hungry Parisians and, now, Londoners already spoiled for choice when it comes to sating their fast-food cravings?
First look at Dumbo Shoreditch
‘We started working on Dumbo in 2019 in Paris,’ explain founders Charles Ganem and Samuel Nataf to Wallpaper*. ‘The idea came naturally: we wanted to get back to what a burger really is. Something you eat with your hands, on the go, sitting on a windowsill or leaning against a car. No need for cutlery or ceremony. We spent a few months fine-tuning everything before opening: the recipes, the meat sear, the bun, the overall balance. The goal was to create something pared down but satisfying. Nothing excessive, just well put together.’
Dumbo is known for its stripped-back aesthetic, blobby (at times retro) branding, and a crowd-pleasing menu of just four items: the all-time cheeseburger, a plant-based version, fries, and chicken nuggets – voilà. This ‘tight’ selection allows the team to stay focused, maintain high standards, and deliver consistency. Smashed burgers that smash every time. ‘There’s also something aesthetic about that simplicity. It’s part of our identity. Rather than offer endless variations, we go deep on one product and make it the best version it can be,’ add Ganem and Nataf.
London marks the team’s first venture outside Paris, and they describe it as an ‘obvious move’. ‘It’s a city that values both quality and spontaneity,’ says Ganem. In a neat twist, he tells me that just a few metres away from where Dumbo’s London outpost now stands is where Nataf got his very first hospitality job. ‘The food culture here is exciting – a mix of institutions we’ve always looked up to, like St John, Rochelle Canteen and Beigel Bake, and newer spots that shape the scene today, like Mountain or Café Cecilia.’ While the buns follow the recipe from Dumbo’s artisan baker in Paris, the team partnered with HG Walter in London to develop a bespoke British dry-aged beef blend.
Precise, confident, and refreshingly unfussy – that’s Dumbo. For the London site, Ganem and Nataf collaborated with local architecture firm Red Deer to design the compact interiors. There’s no seating here, just a sleek service window and an open door that spills natural light into a tightly choreographed space as minimal as the menu. A soft colour palette is accented by warmer touches – reclaimed cabinetry, hardwood joinery, a vintage clock.
‘We scraped through imagery of traditional east London “cafs” and enjoyed their simple palettes and unapologetic use of utilitarian materials, prioritising ease of cleaning while still imbuing the space with the casual warmth so typical of that vernacular. Brushed stainless steel and Formica define the joinery and counters, in homage to the working-class haunts of the area. The colour choices were deliberately inspired by a working scullery, using National Trust-certified heritage paints,’ explain Red Deer’s founders Lionel Real de Azúa, Ciarán O’Brien, and Lucas Che Tizard.
A few weeks ago, I accidentally came across Dumbo’s Marais location and spotted one of the founders quietly observing from outside – a fitting image of their philosophy: ‘Stay close to the team and get every detail right.’ When asked what’s next for the burgeoning brand, Ganem and Nataf assuredly comment: ‘We’re already thinking about the next locations, but nothing rushed. Each one has to make sense culturally, operationally, and in terms of who’s running it. We’re growing carefully, with intention.’
Dumbo Shoreditch is located at 119 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E2 7DG, UK
