Some of my best days have been ones centered around food; you know, the ones where you wake up and your first thought is pancakes, or french toast, or scrambled eggs. The list goes go on… Well Sunday, for me, was one of these days. It was a day I had been looking forward to for weeks with one sole reason for my greedy excitement… It was Byron burger day! Yeah ok, I know I make this sound like a national day of celebration or something but, trust me, this diary date had been one I’d eagerly awaited for what felt like forever. And, if I had my way, this would be a national holiday.
Myself and a friend had agreed to go for lunch at the Byron restaurant in lovely Greenwich but, as disorganised as ever, we completely forgot that it just happened to also be London Marathon day! Cue a frantic 1am online table booking the night before.
Anyway, we turned up pretty promptly on a sunny Sunday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised that the restaurant wasn’t packed out at all – the marathon had swiftly moved past the Cutty Sark point by this time so needn’t we have worried about not being able to grab a table for two in this delightfully bright Byron branch.
A simple menu with colour-popping details!
The decor in this particular restaurant is simple and colourful, but the pièce de résistance has to be the view – because who needs fancy, opulent furnishings when you’ve got the London skyscrapers as a backdrop? But, seriously, what other city restaurant is there where you can sit right on the river, overlooking a skyline view and NOT fork out a shed-load of money for the food? I’d be stumped if that wasn’t rhetoric.
From the get-go, the staff were beyond friendly and our server was chatty without being at all imposing. The friend I was with is actually diabetic, and the Byron team were more than accommodating in altering her meal slightly to suit her needs; FYI, bun-free equals diabetes-friendly! We both opted for good old beef burgers, mine the B-Rex and hers the Smokey. Although I did swap out my regular onions for crispy onions because they’re just so darn tasty and give an extra little crunch to the burger. Of course, we both also added an order of cheese fries on the side.
Diabetes-friendly skinny Smokey Burger
Now, if you’ve ever been to Byron, you’ll surely know that the Freddar cheese that tops the skinny fries is like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. It’s dairy at its very best and, when accompanied by a well-stacked, perfectly cooked burger and washed down with a refreshing Snapple peach iced tea, it’s a meal that comfortably raises the bar in the all-Americana dining world. Oh, and did I mention that, if you’re looking for an extra bit of indulgence, you can also add crispy bacon bits to your cheese fries for a few pennies more? I know, it’s like someone read our minds and converted it straight into a menu.
Freddar Cheese Fries like no other…
I also HAVE to mention the Byron shakes… So, on this particular visit, I decided not to indulge in one (my diet guilt would’ve hit the roof!) and instead opted for a refreshing iced tea instead, but I’ve sampled a couple of the flavours in the past and they are, quite simply, unbelievable: thick, creamy and flavoursome (the Oreo shake is a personal favourite of mine). Trust me, if you’re feeling particularly hungry then they’re absolutely worth the extra money.
Refreshing and sugar-free Snapple Peach Iced Tea
But do you know what was really great in this particular Byron restaurant? Being able to eat at our own pace. I’ve found this to be such a rarity when dining out in London (particularly at the weekend) as it’s now all-too-common to be given a time limit on your table and, as a result, feel rushed from start to finish. Thankfully, this just wasn’t the case here – not once did we feel hurried to finish our meal and give up our table; the whole experience was effortlessly chilled. I mean, when a meal for two only amounts to a cool £36, is there really anything worth stressing about?
A tasty meal for two under £40!
At this point, it kinda goes without saying that Byron is really helping us to wave a swift goodbye to Mcd’s and fast-food chains alike and, instead, open our arms to quality yet affordable beefy delights that can be enjoyed in a much-needed relaxing setting.
The showstopper: Byron’s B-Rex burger
In need of a touch more relaxation, you say? No sweat, Byron has you covered! You can now order their stomach-filling treats straight to your door through Deliveroo, so there’s not even any need to leave the comfort of your own sofa the next time you’ve got a hankering for a good chow-down. Genius, right?
Bon Appetit, FOF
Forks of Flavour 