If there is one thing I know how to do very well, it’s eat, and last week I went along to Edinburgh’s newest restaurant to sacrifice my talents for the good of this review. Byron Burger is already a favourite around the country with a grand total of 57 establishments and three new restaurants in the pipeline. Edinburgh’s branch is their most recent addition and with its central position, shouldering both the Royal Mile and North Bridge, it is sure to attract a lot of attention.
At a basic level, this restaurant is not going to cater for your everyday quick bite to each at lunchtime and, admittedly, it is just another burger restaurant among many. What it is there for is the big birthdays, other celebrations, and when you can afford to treat yourself to a solid evening of quality service and ‘proper hamburgers’ (as the founder Tom Byng refers to them) because you deserve it.
The food is really good. The nachos we had to start were generously heaped with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and cheese. Before we had even got through that, the burgers were brought out. They offer everything from your basic cheese burger (though there is a diverse array of cheeses to choose from) to the bacon and BBQ sauce lathered ‘Smoky’ which I chose. The bun was soft and the meat was cooked medium, ensuring a pink and juicy centre; as someone who automatically reverts to ‘well done’ when ordering a burger, this was a refreshing alternative.
You do not have to go for your normal skinny fries either if you are worried about the health aspect of this meal (which I definitely was not) because they offer alternative options. You could go for the trendy sweet potato fries, but they are a bit ‘last year’ and so I would recommend the up and coming courgette fries. There was enough batter to make them feel like a chip and enough courgette to trick my body into thinking it was salad – a win-win situation.
The service was excellent – just as I was despairing that I could not get the tomato sauce out of the glass bottle, the waiter swept in to assist. The restaurant décor was chic and trendy, the lights in the window illuminating bright, bold and distinctively Byron advertisements for their milkshakes (yes, they do oreo milkshakes) and hard shakes (upgrades include bourbon, spiced rum and Baileys). This restaurant is neither a traditional Edinburgh eatery nor is it student budget-friendly for regular visits, but the next time your parents come to stay and you fancy a feast… this is impeccable scran.
Image: [Ellie Parker]