Review: Byron Restaurant, Harrogate

When I told a friend I was going to dine at the new Byron's restaurant in Harrogate his eyes lit up, "they are one of the best upmarket hamburger restaurants and their burgers are the best" he enthused. He had eaten many times at their London branches, in fact, the manager at the new Harrogate restaurant has retuned back up north after managing one of the London restaurants.

Visiting on a wet Thursday night it was pleasing to be met by a smiling face, I was expecting the restaurant to be not busy but was surprised to find it filling up and by 8pm it was full.

The atmosphere is quite casual and my fellow diners all seem to be in their mid twenties and upwards. What sets this chain apart from the others is the table service and the friendly staff who make sure that you are well looked after.

The menu calls the hamburgers 'Proper Hamburgers' which are cooked to your personal preference. I like mine well done and chose the Double Bacon Cheese which consists of two 6oz British beef hamburgers, Freddar cheese, dry cure bacon, pickles and American mustard. The hamburger is served on a plate, none of your fast food business here. A tasty and filling hamburger where you can actually taste the beef. It was good to see the bun not falling apart either.

The accompaniment of Bacon Cheese Fries were served in a small bucket as seems to be the fashion these days. The chips were hot and very 'moreish'.

If you are vegetarian there are two Veggie options on the menu. They also offer a delivery service too.

Surprisingly they have a good wine list with a varied selection of whites and especially reds that compliment the hamburgers. You would not get a cocktail list either at your normal hamburger restaurant.

The dessert menu has a new addition: the Oreo Freakshake, they say it is made for sharing between 2 diners, but I must admit I ate it all by myself. It is served in a sundae glass and consists of thick Oreo shake, vanilla ice cream, homemade chocolate brownie, whipped cream, Oreo cookies, chocolate and caramel sauce and chocolate honeycomb. It was in a word, delicious.

The vibe in the restaurant was upbeat and besides the excellent quality of the food, the friendly and attentive staff are what makes the restaurant so good. The style of the place might seem a little sterile for some but they are aiming at a youngish audience here and they seem to have got it right for their target audience.

It felt like you had been to a restaurant rather than a fast food joint.

Give it a go, you might be very surprised.

Byron Hamburgers, 5 Albert Street, Harrogate HG1 1JU
Telephone: 01423 506688
www.byronhamburgers.com