Bakerie is a new wine bar and deli on Lever Street. Located to the west of Piccadilly Gardens, itâs following those with vision (Eastern Bloc Records, Soup Kitchen, Port Street Beer House) by making a move away from the heart of the Northern Quarter towards itâs outer reaches.
Offering casual suppers and lunches as well as an extraordinary selection of wines by the glass, Bakerie is a new venture from the owner of Dough pizza restaurant and the Apotheca cocktail bar, Alyson Doocey. With around 80 covers, there was barely space to accommodate three girls when we dropped in. I brought Camille and Jo along for the ride, both of whom are into their wine, and we were squeezed onto a shared, country-kitchen-style table for what promised to be a night of relaxed fun.
One of the things I liked about Bakerie was getting to sit with people I didnât know. As used to be the case in Tampopo, and still is the case at Wagamama, group dining is a mixed blessing. Last Saturday night though, it was just peachy thanks to the gaggle of food-loving ladies who made up the rest of our table.
Our waiter was brilliant. His ability to keep an eye on the table, to come over and ask if everything was ok, just at the point before we were aware that weâd like another drink or load more food bordered on psychic. Talented staff like this make for a a seamless dining experience and theyâre a bonus for restaurant owners too, as customers are likely to spend more money than they intended, just because theyâre so darn comfy. This guy had the knack; one bottle of organic Argentinian Malbec down, he lifted the bottle and winked at me â and I grinned and nodded rather than thinking about whether or not we actually needed another bottle.
Bakerieâs forte is bread, baked in house. They make their own sourdough (the slightly bitter bread for âfoodiesâ, which, sorry, Iâm still not into) as well as aromatic takes on ciabatta, the bloomers and a rich yet fluffy Granary loaf. The breads complement the other house specials, which include hot pots, and sharing platters of meat, cheese, hummus, babaganoush and the like, served on wooden boards. Each comes with three choices; meats such as pastrami, prosciutto and Serrano ham, cheeses like stilton, Gruyere, cheddar and feta and a vegetarian smorgasbord that includes chickpea and sun blush tomato, Bakerie hummus and roast butternut squash.
We had the wild mushroom fricassee to start, which Iâd tried before; once again it was a delightful, creamy melange simmered in cooked in a white wine and cream reduction, lifted by softly aniseedy tarragon. We tried the Lancashire Lamb Hotpot too. The menu promised âprime cuts of lambâ, stewed for eight hours, with a party of root veg. Iâd hope they werenât using prime cuts for this â slow cooking suits tough, marbled meat far better than lean, âprimeâ cuts - either way, this was a flavour packed highlight.
We didnât have dessert or coffee but theyâve got desserts you canât not like; baked New York cheesecake, treacle tart and vegan chocolate brownie at £4.35 each. Drinks include thirteen Champagnes, starting at the £30 mark and rising to more than £100 a bottle, as well as tasteful wines such as the mineral-packed Gruner Veltliner (a more zesty Riesling, £19.95) and the fore mentioned juicy organic Malbec which was listed on the specials board at a very reasonable £21.
Pitching itself as a more mature Northern Quarter venue, the Bakerie is the perfect prelude to dancing at Soup Kitchen or the Roadhouse, as a place to catch up or have a romantic supper. Itâs my new âstart your night offâ bar of choice ⦠with enough of an atmosphere to allow you to slip off home after supper, still feeling like youâve had a proper night out. Nice one.
43-45 Lever Street, Northern Quarter, M60 7HP. Tel: 0161 236 9014