So you’ve never been to…Meat Liquor KX

Age: Oh, just a month or so.

Previous incarnation: Why, the tenacious 6 Chad’s Place, a Scandi-style brasserie that existed well over a decade, with a foodie menu pre-dating the emergence of Granary Square’s upmarket arrivals.

Where exactly is it? Down a winding atmospheric alleyway off King’s Cross Road, signed by a discreet post. Its location will still surprise anyone unfamiliar with the area.

So what goes on there? You’ll be aware of this fairly pioneering burger brand, which started in New Cross back in 2011. The latest branch here is its 13th (it’s even expanded beyond the capital to Brighton, Bristol and Leeds) and promises more of the same: in a nutshell, burgers and booze.

The interior? 6 Chad’s Place was a hard act to follow, with its airily stark dining room. Meat Liquor have reinvented the space as a postmodern dystopian diner, all bold cartoon strips and graphics on the walls, with the open kitchen a kind of warped, graffitied train carriage in a nod to the disused Thameslink station below.

And are the burgers still much cop? We ate at the first ever W1 branch behind Debenhams years ago and, after queueing for an eternity, were somewhat underwhelmed by the patties. But it seems the quality control is reassuringly high these days (there’s way more competition in 2017 of course). A ‘dirty’ chicken burger is juicy enough, but the winner is a simple cheeseburger (£8), perfectly pink and melt-in-the-mouth, with pickles, mustard and red onions all upping the dial to the max. Fries were thin and seasoned well; slaw was light on mayo and had real bite.

Is there a bar too? Yes, and it’s positioned by the leaded front windows, so you can definitely hang out with just a beer. And the candle-lit tables at the back provide a sexier space for incurable romantics.

And what do I drink? Cocktails (from £7.50), with names like Paralyser (Long Island Iced Tea) or Cock & Balls (gin and rhubarb). Or cans of craft beer. Or draft Meantime. And decent wine: our Italian house Sangiovese was a plummy little number.

What’s the service like? Friendly, smiley and accommodating.

Do say: “I know this little place hidden down an alleyway.”

Don’t say: “Where’s Honest Burger?”