Byron, New Change

Who are they?

Byron is a relative newcomer to the burger restaurant scene, having only started in 2007 but seemingly grown exponentially since. Their philosophy is based on having a short and sweet menu of burgers and related sides so that they can focus on the quality and service, accompanied by a nice selection of craft beers in a no-nonsense environment. It's not the first time I have had a Byron burger, but I am fairly certain that it won't be the last either.

 
Thoughts

We arrived as a party of seven to Byron in New Change, the shopping mall across the way from St. Paul's Cathedral. Given this was a busy Friday night and few large tables were available, we were seated relatively quickly (although slightly wedged into a booth) and the staff made a good effort to get us served quickly.

I opted for a Byron burger, their signature dish consisting of a 6oz scottish beef patty with dry cure bacon, Cheddar cheese and Byron hamburger sauce. Well, that's not strictly true; I actually ordered a double Byron with an additional burger, which, when added to the mix, makes for a very appettising sight. Byron are sparing with the lettuce and tomato, letting you get down to business with the burger meat, and the generously sliced gherkin on the side provides a nice contrasting flavour.

As for the taste, the burger is absolutely great. It's well cooked but not overdone and as such retains all the flavour you would expect from the beef mince they use. With two patties in this burger, this is certainly a solid offering and is definitely going to leave you very full. Occassionally you get hints of the cured bacon and cheese in a mouthful as well and this is complimentd nicely by a well toasted bun. As far as burgers go, it's a near-enough perfect effort.

It's a shame then that the standard chips at Byron are so bog standard and dull in comparison; imagine the slightly crispier thin fries that you get at a McDonalds. Given how well they did on the burger, I'm surprised that Byron haven't thought to improve their standard chips. Fortunately, the thicker cut chips on offer are a much better choice and I would recommend these as a better partner to such a fine burger.

Conclusion

A stunningly tasty burger together with delicious extras at a price that is quite affordable. I can quite safetly say that theirs is THE gourmet burger when it comes to restaurant chains and is a tough act to follow; you will not go home hungry after one of their burgers. If you haven't already tried them, I urge you to check them out.

If a double Byron doesn't suit your needs, then I am pleased to report that a triple Byron is also available (as ably modelled here by friend Dean, who was happy to order one). Dare I say that there is actually too much meat in the triple to avoid stomach pains afterwards but it does make for an impressive plate of food when served.

Score:

8/10

Where can I find them? http://www.byronhamburgers.com/

Lots of different outlets across the capital and they work at festivals.