Bakerie Review

It's all about the bread, but it's really not all about the bread at the Northern Quarter's Bakerie.

By Matthew Tyas | Last updated 24 September 2012

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On a rainy Wednesday the Bakerie’s cosy charm and comforting menu of fine wine, cheese, meats and plenty more was just the ticket.

Positioned on Lever St (just past Faraday St) in the Northern Quarter is Bakerie. We arrived to a busy, vibrant atmosphere and a friendly welcome. I already thought this was a good idea. Fresh bread, meat, cheese, wine… beer! That sounds pretty good. No, proper good. And it is.

We stuck our collective finger right in the centre of the wine list and went for the Wine Rioja Ljalba Genoli at £17.95 (also happened to be the one recommended by the waitress so as far as the omens of choice go that was pretty good). We started with a few Olives which were a cut above the usual and I’d highly recommend on any visit, even just to snack on. there was a great buzz about the place a much more than expected on a Wednesday evening, chatty, well designed and not a hint of pretention.

I already thought this was a good idea. Fresh bread, meat, cheese, wine… beer! That sounds pretty good. No, proper good. And it is.

Into the menu, which incidentally resembled a full blown magazine, that style of printed matter wouldn’t last 5 minutes in a lesser establishment, anyway into the menu and you notice the boards. Boards are the main focus of Bakerie and they are good. I can liken it to a form of tapas, thy encourage sharing and conversation over food that I;m a big fan of, on top of that they were a smorgasbord of good stuff. It felt like although we were there for our main meal I could just as easily been having a few drinks and sharing some bits and pieces on a Sunday afternoon, that was what made it for me. I can see myself doing that, a lot.

We had a Meat board (£7.45) and chose Chorizo, Serrano and English Ham accompanied by Caramelised Onion and Tomato & Apple Chutney along side a Veggie board also £7.45 with Artichoke, Chickpea with Sun Blushed Tomato, Roasted Butternut and Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables accompanied by Hummus , Olive Tapanard and Salad. I will go back and have these again and again in a way I don’t with much food anywhere, they’re reasonably priced and you can pick and choose different combinations each time, what’s not to go back for? These all come with a rather large bread basket which you can choose specifics or have a selection. We had a large selection and included one of the bread of the day options, an apricot and walnut, which again the bread was great in itself, but the specials and variety keep the experience fresh if you return.

To finish we went for the two specials that day the Cheesecake and the Panna Cotta.The Panna Cotta was perfect, texture, flavour and weight, an absolute treat, the only thing of the evening for me that didn’t live up to the rest was the Chef Special White & Dark Chocolate Cheesecake, had a bit too much biscuit, this was probably because it was served in a glass (it was basically a 3 inch thick digestive biscuit with mousey chocolate on top). That said the white and dark chocolate did taste great and was very light.

I like Bakerie. It is my kind of place and I am willing to bet it might be yours too, there is much more to it than bread, boards, wine and beer. Wine tasting events, bread making classes and other, ‘secret stuff too’, make it a more than just a bar or restaurant, it makes it an experience.

I am going back for the Sunday Roast Board.

Visit them at bakerie.co.uk


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Northern Quarter