If you know Bread by Bike on Brecknock Road, you probably enjoy its pastries, for example, or its revered sourdough, which is used in the doorstop sandwiches at neighbouring Salvino’s Deli.
Or perhaps you know it for its brunch menu, which niftily balances dishes like toasted miso banana bread with nostalgic favourites such as eggs and soldiers, and attracts hordes of locals every weekend.
What you are less likely to know Bread by Bike for is its evening sessions, Bread By Night. At £75 for two people (there are also single portions available) for at least five courses, it might sound pricey but it’s probably one of the most affordable tasting menus in the capital. And don’t forget to pick up a bottle of natural wine from nearby indie offie Half Cut on York Way.
The menu is planned and executed by Ethan Pack, the same chef responsible for the daily brunch and lunch menus, but you can tell these monthly evening sittings allow him to let his mind roam free. The menu changes every month, but there are a few signatures to look out for.
Firstly, an affinity for home-made fermented ingredients, such as the chickpea miso that features in a seaweed and miso butter (accompanied, thankfully, by the bakery’s sourdough), or the lacto-fermented basil vinaigrette that adorns a winter tomato salad.
The second is a skill hinted at in the brunch menu; the ability to oscillating flawlessly between courses that feel like they come from fine dining establishments and plates that place you firmly back into a beloved neighbourhood bakery.
For example, a refined artichoke broth, dotted with lilypads of leek oil, is followed by a hearty truffle-led burrata tortellini (pictured above); then comes a guinea fowl with potato terrine, served with the best gravy you’ve ever had. (It’s actually tonkatsu-based, with anchovies included for depth).
This ability is also illustrated in the pair of desserts that round off the meal: a yuzu and yoghurt pannacotta with a bergamot crumb (main pic, top), which is beautifully citrusy, creamy and floral, but feels a bit pastry-less to be served in a bakery. However, that’s remedied by a prune and brown sugar custard tart, which is easily one of the best desserts I’ve eaten in the last few months, but feels like it could come from your own kitchen — if you were an extremely good baker, that is.
With laid-back atmosphere, friendly staff, great wine and a chef that evidently loves what he does, this is a must: it’s well worth the race to book a spot at these once-a-month events.
Follow @BreadByBike for details on the next evening Bread By Night pop-up, which takes place on Saturday 18th February.
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