Blue Moon Café on Broughton Street has a new sidekick, Hamburger Heaven. Donald Reid visited the celestial venture.

The latest twist in the varied career of the ‘back room’ of Barony Street’s Blue Moon Café – a space that happens to enjoy prime frontage onto Broughton Street – is as a New York City-themed diner. What was a juice bar last summer is now a simple dining area dominated by a wall-filling photo of a Manhattan street scene, with just 16 black chairs clustered around a handful of blood-red tables and an arty candleabra dripping wax in the only window. On first glimpse the menu is a fully signed-up all-American burger bar, with corn on the cob, coleslaw and cheesecake ticking boxes alongside burgers. The latter, however, is where to judge the venture, and it’s a very respectable range including a classic beef patty with smoked bacon and blue cheese, various chicken breast assemblies and veggie, Greek and Indian versions – the latter a spiced lamb burger served with mango chutney and a proper layer of wilted spinach. Burger bars rarely take you to gastronomic Cloud Nine, but the reliability and decent good taste of the Blue Moon kitchen should keep the angels smiling.

+ Interesting choice of burgers
- Place needs to be busy to develop much character

Hamburger Heaven
36 Broughton Street, 0131 556 2788
Mon–Sun 5pm–10pm
Ave. price two-course dinner £16