After my mishap at Byron on High Street Kensington, I thought I should give them another chance seeing as so many people hold them in such high regard. A new branch has recently opened on Westbourne Grove so we thought we’d have a mosey down on evening and see if our experience was any better.
The new Westbourne Grove restaurant is a lot smaller than the HSK branch and the decor is, surprisingly, a higher class which makes it look more expensive. The staff were extremely friendly, accommodating and efficient making us feel at ease as soon as we entered the restaurant.
This time, we both opted for burgers and ordered some courgette fries and onion rings as sides. The food arrived promptly, was hot and actually looked exciting. And it tasted pretty much as good as it looked too. The beef was a little too well done for me but that’s easily forgiven, the bacon was crispy but still moist, the bun wasn’t overpowering (I usually have to throw half away) and most importantly, it didn’t disintegrate while eating it. The sides we served hot and though the courgette fries were actually better in HSK, the fact that the were hot, brought to the table in a timely fashion and my previously worries about hygiene were not in question, I enjoyed them more this time.
I can’t eat onion rings as I’m allergic to onions but I have been assured that they were “crispy and yummy but a little bit bland and could have done with some ranch dressing.”
Though there are other burger joints down the street that I would say I enjoy more and personally think are higher quality, my experience and the food itself far exceeded my expectations after the HSK debacle. The staff were on the ball and full of smiles, the open kitchen was efficient, quiet and clean and it has made me rethink my previous evaluation of the chain.
The courgette fries look amazing!!!