Byron is one of those restaurants that everyone seems to rave about – a true American style joint that produces a quick and hearty meal that you’ll be dreaming about for days to come. So, when an email popped into my inbox inviting me to grab a friend and head over to their newest location on Edinburgh’s North Bridge, I couldn’t wait!
Ducking out of Storm Henry’s wind and rain, we were greeted by the loveliest of hostesses who, even though we were rather early for our reservation, sat us down and explained all about Byron, their hamburgers and the new location.
Situated in what used to be a bank, and before that a school stationers, the North Bridge Byron is an absolute stunner of a restaurant. Bare bricks, leather banquet seating and filament bulbs all work together to give the restaurant a feel of cozy comfort.
The dining areas are split over two levels, encompassing a bar and exposed kitchen, meaning that even when the restaurant is packed, which will, most likely, be every night, it will never feel too cramped or crowded.
As we pondered over which of Byron’s ‘proper’ hamburgers to try, we ordered some drinks and enjoyed our surroundings. Since I wasn’t driving home, I opted for one of the rather tempting sounding ‘Hard Shakes.’ It’s a genius idea – you choose your ice-cream flavour from a choice of oreo, vanilla, chocolate or strawberry then add a shot of bourbon, spiced rum or Bailey’s.
Served in a frosty shaker, I opted for chocolate with a shot of spiced rum. The liquor comes on the side, so you can control how boozy you want the shake to be.
Since it had been a rather blustery Monday, I popped the whole shot in. Then, we got on with ordering our meals. To be honest, every single one of the options sounded delicious, but since there were two of us, we thought we should go half and half.
We opted to split the signature Byron Burger as well as the Smoky. Both burgers come with a generous wedge of pickle, and for sides we pulped for our mutual favourites – onion rings and french fries.
After ordering, we were served surprisingly quickly. With all food coming out of the open kitchen, the food is the definition of fast and fresh. Every morning the restaurant receives all their burgers freshly made, and the beef is responsibly sourced and British. to make the most of the quality ingredients, the burgers come cooked to pink and juicy perfection.
With a wide choice of cheeses, extra toppings and side dishes, I’m pretty much sure you can’t go wrong with Byron. Both of our burgers were sheer perfection – from the soft, sweet bun, to the fresh vegetables and juicy patties, we couldn’t get enough of them. They tasted like the best American burger you could imagine. The Byron was a perfect classic choice, with a hit of the restaurant’s signature sauce, whilst the Smoky was a heavenly mix of salty bacon, melted cheese and BBQ sauce.
The sides were as heavenly as the burgers – the onion rings were seasoned to perfection, crisp and flavourful. They were also huge. The french fries were hot and crisp and incredibly moreish. We just about finished everything, as the portions were huge. We absolutely loved everything though, and we’re already planning a return trip!
Thank you so much Byron North Bridge Edinburgh for inviting us for such a delicious supper!