theLab - Unconventional Burger Experience®

I've been to Milan many times and had many burgers from different places, this place is my favorite so far. This place has the best burgers in Milan. Also, the waiter was one of the nicest people I've met in Milan, he made my day.

The danger with upmarket burger places is that they overdo it, they add the unnecessary and we lose touch with the essential core of burger. TheLab is not one of these places. The minimalist menu only offers three burger choices, begone decision fatigue quality trumps quantity. Whilst Ford was figuring out how to make the same car thousands of times, Ferrari was turning tractors into race cars. Let’s be honest, you’re thinking of coming here because of Trip Advisor. Number one in Milan? A burger? In Italy? Yes my fellow foodie they take a simple meal, meat between bread and make it with top class Italian ingredients. The bun, the freaking bun was so soft, with just the right chew, yet enough structure to hold everything as I lifted it off the plate. Yeah I used my hands, the fork and knife are just for decoration. To their credit they only cook their burgers one way. Medium rare, as in you can see the red blood cells, the way it was inscribed by Hammurabi. The menu says no well done burgers, I dared not try request, even if the customer is always right one does not commit sacrilege and if you want a McDonald’s go there instead they serve cow here not cardboard. I’m not sure I can name the rest of the ingredients but a piece of something that looked like bacon escaped my grip as I blissfully chomped away. On closer inspection it was guanciale. Have you heard of this? Guanciale is why you come to Italy. Guanciale is pork from the jowl (the jaw, but we’re learning new words so why stop?) that is cured until it's perfect. It's what happens when Italians feel pancetta is not the peak, guanciale is both more tender and more flavourful. It’s heavenly and why your carbonara in Italy tastes an international return flight ticket's worth better than your pasta with bacon back home. TheLab, these guys put guanciale as a topping. I expected no less. Nothing is overlooked, they even used red onions because we eat with our eyes and so red onions always tickle the palate more sweetly. The cheese was interestingly placed beneath the patty. Being a cheese on top man I was curious to the inversion but I suspect they read the paper by a group of expert Japanese engineers who concluded the best way to eat a burger is to put thumb and pinky from both hands beneath the burger then place the remain fingers on top before inverting the burger and eating it for maximum structural integrity. But you burger connoisseur reading this far into the review already knew that and clearly so do the maestros at theLab. Cheese at the bottom when it arrives and on top when it matters as you eat, like the Apple logo on laptops. Genius. The sides were potatoes wedges, salted and peppered with the skins on, top marks again that’s where the nutrients are. Sides are normally sidekicks, there you know for the hero to talk aloud to, but this accessory my dear friends was armed with real tomato sauce. No not ketchup from the supermarket, sSauce Tomat baby as in one of the French mother sauces. It was thick, flavourful and delighted me so much I thought they’d accidentally thought I was a reviewer for Michelin guide and were trying to impress me. Even vegans would eat here. I didn’t have a drink but the selection looked plentiful. Service was warm and welcoming. I had a tiramisu which was no good. I was confused ok ordering dessert at a burger place but man I thought maybe. Still five stars because they could've served ice cubes with snow and it wouldn't have mattered. Grazie mille theLab!

We ordered two different burgers and both were just ok. The meat tasted like nothing and so the cheese didn’t. The potato wedges were ok. The sauce were ok too. The presentation of burgers were great. The waiter was really nice. The prices for the burgers were 13€ and 14,50€. If you want to go there you definitely need to reserve. It is a small and cute restaurant.

Have been here two times. The first time was the best burger I ever had! Small restaurant so you have to make a reservation. But great service and amazing food. You should definitely try the onion rings as well!

Best burger I had in Milan, if you like a more gourmet burger try MI or go for the Classic, both were absolutely delicious. They also offer a good list of crafted beers

I am giving them 2 stars because I loved my burger made of veal and had risotto on it which was delicious. But my guest had a burger made from fassona piemontese beef which is VERY good beef, but did not understand that the burger would be served raw. When we kindly asked if they could cook the patty a little more to our liking, we were told “no, impossible”. As I ate my delicious burger my guest almost vomited while eating their raw beef burger. It was an expensive burger to throw in the garbage. Note: if you like your burger medium or well-done this is not the place for you. If you love tartar it may be the best burger of your life.

The place is small but cozy and stylish. The service was amazing. The presentation of the burger is great. However there is a small issue with the level of cooking the beef. It’s raw and not cooked well. I didn’t know this until I saw one of the reviews. May be some people like it this way but normally the burgers should be cooked at least medium-well. I think they can avoid this issue by informing the customers before they order.

Absolutely delicious! The service was amazing, the waiters were very polite and extremely professional. Small but cozy environment, clean bathroom, the kitchen is in full display so you actually see what’s going on (even if there’s no need to doubt, the quality of the dish is all the confirmation you need that these people know their thing and are actual professionals) I was caught by surprise by the level at which the burgers are cooked, didn’t expect them to be that much on the rare side , but that is clearly expressed on top of the menu, plus it tasted amazing! I chose the classic burger with the “al cartoccio” potato, which was perfectly cooked and tasted very well. Even the crafted “PUNKS” beer we drank was a pleasant surprise. The prices are ridiculously low for the quality of the products you’re being served (€15 for the burger + potato) Extremely satisfied, would visit again