STK Strand will challenge our expectations by turning the humble burger into a theatrical, curated dining experience thanks to Secret Slider Club and Ricky Evans.
From 28 September, STK Strand joins Secret Slider Club: the innovative London concept behind the world’s first luxury slider omakase experience, to introduce a limited-edition menu running for six weeks until 8 November. The two distinct forces in modern British hospitality: STK’s high-octane atmosphere and chef Ricky Evans’ boundary-pushing, ingredient-led approach have created an exclusive five-slider flight that will make you question why you ever settled for that pub burger.
A Collision of Culinary Identities
At first sight, STK Steakhouse and Secret Slider Club occupy different corners of London’s food scene. STK has established a worldwide reputation for its refined steakhouse cuisine, with an ambience as impressive as the food itself. The restaurant is characterised by modern luxury, the use of premium cuts of meat, and a vibrant, nocturnal atmosphere.
Secret Slider Club, on the other hand, was born out of chef Ricky Evans’ drive to push familiar foods into unexpected territory. Before founding the brand, Ricky honed his creative storytelling by developing culinary programs for well-known clients through The Ingredientist and by hosting popular pop-up events in association with Delirium Dining Club. With Secret Slider Club, he brought the standards of fine dining to the simple slider, securing a Gold award at the International Salon Culinaire in 2026 and generating waiting lists for his special nine-course, chef-led tasting menu. Ricky is a busy man, having just completed an exclusive two-night pop-up at newly opened Tryst Bar.
Despite their disparate backgrounds, they share a dedication to culinary theatre and strong flavours. By taking a common dish and pushing it in an unusual direction, these two can remain playful while keeping the highest quality ingredients and bold regional characteristics at the heart of each dish.
The Menu: Five High-Concept Bites
Looking at the menu, it’s clear there is no hesitation in altering the traditional slider. Here, Ricky has prepared five special dishes that unite and highlight the different characters of both kitchens, exploring global acidity, umami richness, and unusual textures.
The Dark Arts Wagyu
Our favourite is Dark Arts Wagyu: a highly savoury burger based on Santa Rosalía Spanish Wagyu. It consists of a rich beef patty, acting as a base for a strong umami layering of shallots softened in black garlic, a black truffle aioli, and the sharp, nutty flavour of 24-month-aged Comté. It’s finished with a light dusting of Japanese furikake seasoning to contribute a delicate oceanic crispness, and the whole dish is placed inside a golden brioche bun glazed with rich Wagyu butter. It is simply a luxurious mouthful that expertly matches rich fats and savoury seasoning.
The Thai-wanese Chicken Royale
The Thai-wanese Chicken Royale is a dish combining the aromatics of Southeast Asia with the technique of East Asian street food. It consists of Taiwanese-style fried chicken, which balances its crisp exterior with its juicy interior. Its glaze then counteracts the crunch with sweet caramel flavoured with smoked soy and fish sauce. A fragrant Thai herb remoulade acts as a fresh contrast to both the coating and glaze.
The Espresso Confit Duck Doughnut
The most inventive crossover on the menu has to be the Espresso Confit Duck Doughnut. From the title alone, it’s hard to imagine this creation, as it blurs the line between savoury richness and sweet pastry traditions. In execution, it includes slow-cooked espresso duck confit with a dark, tart blackberry hoisin, balanced by the sharpness of Shaoxing-pickled cucumber, fresh spring onion, and the crunch of duck crackling. Abandoning the standard burger bun entirely, the filling is encased in a soft, pillowy doughnut dusted with five-spice smoked sugar, creating a mix of savoury, aromatic smoke and sweet spice. Even those “eat half of the bun on the burger people” devoured this entire bun!
The Maitake Melt
The Maitake Melt proves that meat-free dishes need make no sacrifice in intensity or complexity, placing earthy vegetables at its heart. The patty is a golden maitake mushroom croquette with a crisp outer layer that gives way to a rich, woody interior. It is covered with melted Raclette cheese, giving each mouthful the molten creaminess we all want in a slider. A smooth emulsion made from confit garlic and chives provides a background note of roasted sweetness. At the same time, the bright Champagne-pickled shallots offset the richness of the Alpine cheese, while everything is enveloped in a toasted brioche.
STK’s Signature Lil BRG
Completing the lineup is STK’s staple bite. Typically presented on the restaurant’s main menu as a duo, the Lil BRG goes solo for this collaboration. Similar to the classic American burger, the toppings include sweet caramelised onions, melted cheese, crisp gherkins, and juicy fresh tomato. Its refinement lies in the sweet brioche bun, toasted in fragrant truffle oil, which houses this elevated bite of nostalgia.
You may also choose to browse the creations individually. Select your favourites, or order the full five-course flight (for £50).
Drinks to Match the Bite
To complement the five-slider meal, you can make use of STK Strand’s wide range of bar drinks, which include signature cocktails designed to match all the strong flavours found on the plate. For example, the Wagyu Old Fashioned—made with Wagyu fat-washed Maker’s Mark bourbon, salted maple syrup, and cocoa bitters—naturally corresponds to the rich Spanish Wagyu slider, whereas brighter, citrus-based drinks such as the Spiced Watermelon (which uses Patrón Silver, St~Germain, and jalapeño) or the Smoked Pineapple Mule counterbalance the sharp, aromatic Thai spices of the chicken slider. If you’re a wine lover, STK’s poured-by-the-glass selection spans robust Mendoza Malbecs to fresh Côtes de Provence rosés, offering plenty of depth to match everything from rich duck confit to earthy maitake mushroom.
Reimagining the Familiar
What makes this six-week pop-up compelling isn’t merely the novelty of luxury ingredients, but the deliberate subversion of expectations. The slider is simply a canvas for inventive combinations of complex pickling, long confit techniques, and high-grade Wagyu fats.
Together, Ricky and the STK team have transformed a casual-dining staple into a multi-course narrative. For Ricky, bringing the Secret Slider Club to STK Strand provided an expanded platform to demonstrate how much depth, drama, and sense of occasion can be crafted from simple comfort food.
Ultimately, this joint venture is based on the common belief that eating out should feel like an event, combining visual spectacle with delicious flavours all prepared with technical precision. Available daily for lunch and dinner, this fleeting collaboration proves just how far London’s culinary imagination can take a humble comfort food.
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All images courtesy of STK Strand.