Bakerie Manchester Review
Bakerie
Manchester
Reviewed by Victoria Daubney
When I was given the opportunity to visit Bakerie in the Northern Quarter I was excited as it describes itself as a wine and bread bar, just my thing! Also the Northern Quarter is not an area of Manchester that I usually go to for food or drinks, but it has a good reputation for trendy, up and coming bars and eateries. I was worried I might struggle to find the venue, but the location was right in the centre of the Northern Quarter, just off Stevenson Square. With it being so central and close to the city centre there are plenty of ways to get there with buses, trains, trams and plenty of car parks around.
The venue itself was a good size, with a mixture of bench tables for larger groups, as well as smaller tables for a more intimate feel. It was busy when we arrived but the lay out meant that it wasn’t too cramped or looked over crowded. As soon as we walked through the door the smell of food hit us and my mouth was watering already! The décor in the restaurant was contemporary and welcoming, with low lights that created a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. We were greeted at the door by the manager Mark, a very friendly and inviting guy, who directed us to the bar area while our table was set up.
The bar itself is based at the back of the venue but there was a clear path there and we didn’t have to squeeze around those already seated. The place was busy with many of the larger tables took up with groups of people enjoying some of the vast selection of wine that was on offer. I’m very much a fan of a good glass of wine, and the choice that was available was extensive. The drinks menu gave a good description of each choice so if you weren’t that used to drinking wine you had plenty of information to help you make your choice. There were also drinks offers, and a selection of beers, ales and cocktails.
We were only at the bar for a few minutes when Mark came and got us and offered us a choice of two tables. We opted for one of the smaller tables in the middle of the bar. Mark handed us the menus and explained about the concept of Bakerie, which was set up in November 2011 and informing that the food is all based around the fresh bread baked on site each day. There was the standard menu which included a selection of stews and salads amongst other choices as well as soup and pate of the day. We were left for a few minutes to have a look through. For starters we opted for the pate of the day, which was chicken liver and pepperoni, and the rarebit tartlet. We also asked our server for a recommendation on a choice of wine and were told about one that was on offer at the minute which was a chilled red wine (Frappato Tere Siciliane). We went with the recommendation and weren’t disappointed!
We didn’t have to wait long before our starters arrived. The pate was served with toasted bread and the tartlet came with a dressed salad and chilli chutney. For our main courses we chose the chicken and chorizo stew, accompanied with chunks of fresh bread and I opted for one of the Bakerie boards. The options for Bakerie boards were meat, cheese, vegan or fish. I chose for the Cheese board and selected to have the warm goat’s cheese, grilled halloumi and smoked cheddar. This came with a side of pickles and grapes with a little salad and a basket full of bread. The portions were generous but not overfacing, and it was presented very well. Everything we had was absolutely delicious. We didn’t have a dessert but the choices looked good, including cheese cake and affogato, but it was the summer fruit jelly and cream that caught my eye.
The staff were attentive and very friendly, making sure we had everything we needed. The whole ambience of the bar was amazing. The music suited the casual atmosphere and the candles dotted around complimented the soft lighting. Everywhere was clean and tidy, even down to the little things like there being no smudges on the wine glasses when they were brought over. For me it was the little touches like having oil and vinegar brought out for dipping and serving tap water in an old wine bottle that made a difference and I will definitely be returning and recommending Bakerie to my friends. I’m also looking forward to trying the sister bar Pie and Ale, which is just next door.
I would give Bakerie 5 out of 5, and can’t say enough good things about this place. I’m looking forward to returning and working my way through both the wine and the food menu!
Rating: 5/5 
For more information or to view menus visit www.bakeriemcr.com.
Bakerie, 45 Lever Street NQ, Manchester, M1 1DN | 0161 236 9014
