Byron - Islington

Amazeballs milkshake

Last Wednesday we went to the cinema and then out for dinner at Byron, which is an American style burger bar. The menu is concise and simple, serving classic burgers rather than the weird and wonderful creations available at other restaurants.

American cheese burger

I had a classic burger with American cheese. I know cheese squares are a bit gross but I absolutely love them on burgers, there's something about the gooey, sticky cheese with juicy beef that tastes incredible. Chris went for a blue cheese and portobello mushroom burger, which was huge! They were both delicious, the beef was pink and juicy in the middle and the salad was crisp and fresh, just what you want from a burger. They also get top marks for the crispy gherkins, even if they are served on the side rather than in the burger.

Giant mushroom & blue cheese burger

On the side we had some some crispy, giant onion rings with rosemary batter and earthy skin on chips. The sides all sound amazing, but the burgers are pretty big so you really only need one to share (most of our onion rings went to waste). I'd really like to try the courgette fries, but I think having macaroni cheese on the side of your burger is a bit much. We also had a vanilla milkshake which was like a dessert in a cup, thick and creamy and calorific beyond belief.

Skin on chips

The food was fantastic, the service was speedy and the bill only came to £25 so all in all it was a great meal. The only criticism I have is with the decor. It's taking distressed to a whole new level, as Chris described it the first time we went 'it's like dining in Chernobyl'. Maybe I'm just not enough of a hipster to understand the appeal, but to me it just looks awful. I can't work out if they just striped the building and ran out of money before they could decorate it or whether the 'look' was a conscious decision. I hope it was the former, as paying an interior designer to ruin such a lovely building is absurd. The chairs are rickety and uncomfortable and it just isn't a very nice environment to eat in. However, there are plenty of other branches around town done up in a more conventional way; I'll definitely eat at Byron again, but probably not at the Islington branch. 

Uber onion rings