Review: Bread Meats Bread, Edinburgh

POPULAR GLASGOW BURGER joint, Bread Meats Bread, has joined the Edinburgh burger scene, occupying the site on Lothian Road recently vacated by Yummi Tori. No doubt hoping to emulate the success of Burger Meats Bun, who opened their second restaurant in the capital last year, we popped in for a late afternoon bite to see what all the hype was about.

If first impressions are anything to go by, a full restaurant as early as 5pm on a Tuesday shows there is plenty of intrigue surrounding this opening.  The pristine new interior features a busy open kitchen, and I find the restaurant is more spacious than I initially thought after taking our seats to peruse the menu.  The menu speaks of the quality of ingredients proudly used and offers up a range of different sandwiches and hot dogs alongside the burger options. They also serve carafes of wine - I like that, and don’t know why more places don’t.

I was intrigued to try poutine for the first time having had a chat recently with a chap looking to start a new business called The Poutine Wagon. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a sort of comfort food consisting of chips, cheese curds and gravy that originates from Quebec, Canada.

BMB serves up a few different versions, but I stuck to the classic version, on offer for £4.  Now, it seems pretty standard with this sort of establishment that you require a side dish along with your burger, but it’s different here; these, along with Sarah’s side, which I’ll get to, were mammoth.portions.  A huge bowl of chips swimming in a sweet, yet beefy gravy topped with oozy, rich cheese was a stonking dish on its own, and I hadn’t even touched my burger yet! Having sized up the menu, 

I went for the Spartan burger, which included salami, tzatziki, crushed chillies, tomatoes and harissa mayo (£7.50). Brimming with meaty flavour and cooked pink, the peppery salami was met by a dash of soothing tzatziki and bite of fresh tomato, encased in a steamed bun, robust enough to manage the entire sitting without wilting away. My only criticism is that I didn't get any chilli heat, which would have scored an extra point, but a satisfying eat overall.

Opting for a simple cheeseburger (£6.50), this would be a decisive test for any burger establishment worth its salt, and Sarah was impressed with the well-seasoned patty, the freshness of the salad components and molten cheese.  Her side of sweet potato fries (£3) were crispy and, as with my side, a portion you could easily share.

I’m confident Bread Meats Bread will be a hit in this neck of the woods and certainly avoid the fate suffered by previous tenants.  The food is good quality, at a competitive price that's ideal for a casual evening bite before catching a movie at one of the various nearby cinemas. Another interesting addition to the capital’s burger scene.

Web: breadmeatsbread.com
Phone: (0131) 229 2206 (BMB do not reserve tables)

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11:00 - 22:00
                          Sun 11:00 - 20:00