Chris' Reviews

It's been a while now since Ed's Diner unfortunately shut it's doors on the Kings road. My wife and I enjoyed their 50's Americana styled restaurant with it's juke bokes, open kitchen and friendly service, the ‘big bubba’ was our favourite from their menu and was held in reverence by myself as the best burger in town.

For a quick pre-cinema dinner we decided to visit Byron on the Kings Road, having heard positive comments from friends. Inside it's like any big chain restaurant, the tables so close together you feel intimately entwined with your neighboring diner, and a few signature interior design lights. There's plenty of space though and there was a pleasant hubbub of activity. We were welcomed and swiftly shown to our table. The young lady who served us was friendly and attentive.

We ordered their signature ‘Byron burger’, french fries, courgette fries and onion rings and a couple of glasses of Pinot Grigio. Service was swift and efficient. We had to ask for ice cubes as the wine was room temperature – a deep insult to Pinot Grigio.

The Byron burger was good, plenty of flavour and cooked to my request. They use only the finest beef from Scotland and this was reflected in it's superior taste. The accompaniments were, however, a let-down; the fries were particularly poor, more like a value range from Lidl than restaurant quality, whilst the onion rings were so greasy as to be inedible. The courgette fries were ok but again, greasy to the point where you felt unable to proceed without a doctors note.

Overall, stick to the burger alone and you'll be fine. Is it better than Ed's? Not in my opinion. The best burger in town is still the Big Bubba!

The British Psyche is a strange beast, what other country would offer fine dining in a garden centre, with hunter clad waitresses and dirt underfoot as a unique dining experience? If it were America we would no doubt have snow stapled to the ceiling and waitresses dressed as dwarves.

The wife and I, accompanied by our two small children, have had a few very enjoyable feasts under the glass ceilings of the hothouse. Usually, we go with friends as a pre-christmas treat, having had a stomping walk in Richmond Park. The restaurant is fairly close packed but it is remarkable in that you can take your dog with you (as we do). If your kids are the restless type there's plenty to keep them amused; whether it is digging beneath the table or running amuck amongst the pricey nick-nacks in the shop.

The food is very good, usually accompanied by a fair selection of wines. The atmosphere is convivial, though do try to get there early as they tend to run out of the popular dishes before too long. The restaurant really comes into it's own around Christmas, and the atmosphere is never commercial.

I understand the nurseries are under threat of closure, they should, in my opinion be retained as a uniquely British experience, far away from the high street. Go visit.

Update – July 27th 2009 – I read at the Weekend that the restaurant now has full permission so it is officially ‘saved’, that's good news!

Having a Christmas Party feels somewhat like a fatted calf being taken for slaughter. The drums and yelps of the waiting staff can be heard as you trot up the stairs to await the inevitable.

This year we held our party in the private room at Tom's Kitchen. Like Golding's flies, the staff are pulled between an impulse to serve beautiful food and maximising returns for their masters whilst under dark thunder clouds of possible abandonment.

The dining room itself is glorious, supplemented with a travel inspired ante room. The food is great, though somewhat limited due probably to the numbers involved. As the evening wound down we remaining guests retired to the ante room for a game of Charades.

As we left the staff stood by, hats and coats buttoned tightly to keep out the forthcoming cold, the banker drums could still be heard, beating into the winter's night.