Bakesmiths - Review
Posted on: 2017-02-23
Our rating:
The promise from Bakesmiths is endeavoring, wherever possible, to source local produce and create all their products onsite from scratch – freshly every day. Trust me when I say they very much live up to this promise and so much more!
The warm aroma of freshly made bread and ground coffee immediately welcomes you into the quirkily lay out within Bakesmiths of Bristol, and it only got better throughout my lunch. Located on Whiteladies Road I can immediately understand why they have become a luncheon hotspot in the city. Fresh produce and a menu with combinations that you won’t be able to fathom made this the perfect place for an afternoon bite.
From the minute you enter you can immediately feel the homely environment, which appeared to be attracting all demographics of the area. Young, old, couples, children, you name it they were there enjoying the wide range of cakes, coffees, sandwiches and lunch delights a like.
We were immediately greeted by friendly, helpful staff, which explained the menu and exactly what they offered at Bakesmiths. They made the experience truly great and any decisions a lot easier. Having asked what they recommend / which dishes have been most popular I eventually settled on their Famous Dirty Beans and an Americano. My friend went for a peculiar lunch, which they have only just started to implement. We were informed their new chef from San Francisco brought a dish of sourdough bread, avocado, chilli and - caramel sauce with him! We knew this was a dish that we both had to try.
Having gone upstairs to take in some of the lovely views that stretch down Whiteladies Road, we both said that the atmosphere was relaxed and the it seemed liked a very clean and trendy café / bakery. This helped me feel right at home whilst drinking a delicious coffee and a fresh orange juice our food then quickly arrived.
The promise from Bakesmiths is endeavoring, wherever possible, to source local produce and create all their products onsite from scratch – freshly every day. Trust me when I say they very much live up to this promise and so much more! Their Famous Dirty Beans where a mixture of white beans with ham hock, spicy chorizo and smoked bacon lardons all in a red pesto sauce served in a skillet. The dish had a bit of kick to it, but was the perfect meat lover’s lunch. A perfect portion size and freshly made sourdough bread with cheddar on the side to mop up all the amazing flavors was my idea of a heavenly lunch.
Then we moved on to the avocado and caramel sauce dish. The dish was presented in a wonderfully delicate manor and looked immediately intriguing. I took several mouthfuls and could understand why San Fran loved this dish so much. Sweet, savory and a little bit of heat just to get your pallet working. A truly inspired dish that you won’t find anywhere else in the city, please do your taste buds a favor and go and try this!
After and incredible lunch we thought we would treat ourselves to a cake for desert. Having not been able to just choose one we had to go for a selection of their homemade delights. We for the espresso brownie, the rocky road and the lemon and raspberry swirl cake. Each handcrafted desert was better than the last. A real kick of coffee from the brownie made it a personal favourite, however the added extra of honeycomb pieces to the rocky road was a welcome change to a traditional tray-bake. The lemon and raspberry swirl cake was not over bearing either, with the perfect combination of both of the main ingredients.
Simply put, I cannot fault the food that we were offered in Bakesmiths, packed with flavour and presented with amazing attention to detail and class. Being the sister café/ bakery/cakery/ coffee roaster/coffee shop to Cakesmiths, in Bristol, has its benefits too as the staff informed us they offer a demo centre.
I can’t really pick any faults with the guys in Bakesmiths. They food and service were astonishing, coupled with the fact all of their prices are incredibly competitive to anywhere else in the city for a lunchtime bite, considering the quality and freshness you get I was happy to pay it and more! I know I’m going to be back time and time again.
For anymore info head on over to their website at bakesmiths.co.uk or visit their Facebook page for plenty of updates. Visit the guys at 65 Whiteladies Road, BS8 2LY.
Service: 4.5
Food: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Value: 4
Article by:
Matt, originally from Belfast, has only lived in Bristol for a year now and is studying Media & Journalism at UWE. He wants to concentrate his writing and media skills in Bristol's culinary culture, delving into what fine feasts the city has to offer and where the best places to go for food really are. Along with an aspiration to interview some of the influential people shaping Bristol and some who are simply passing through, Matt really is trying to make Bristol his new home! For any other info check out his Facebook or Twitter.
