Bread Street Kitchen

A trip to Ramsay's new opening resulted in a few dishes from the bar menu. The place was buzzing at 19:30 on a Tuesday, and there was no table for two without a reservation. The request for just a bit of bar food seemed to spark confusion among the front of house. The result was a long trip up the dominating staircase, to be told there was no room at the inn, and sent back down to the stable. No matter, the exercise was welcomed and a good look at the multimillion pound development was taken. The place screams young professional, and was packed out accordingly. The background music stirs up an atmosphere, although, this might not be some older diners cup of tea. The interior has a boho warehouse vibe to it, a mix of industrial and kitsch fixtures and fittings. There is a suggestion of style over substance, but perhaps this is an unfair accusation without actually eating in the main dining room.

The food arrived soon after the two warm mini-baguettes, one white, one brown, along with a portion of vivid yellow butter. An octopus carpaccio was an attractive looking mosaic of very tender mollusc. A sprinkling of young capers provided some texture and a welcome saltiness, and the saffron vinegrette gave a burst of colour. The single croute topped with the tiniest smear of tapenade seemed rather lonely and pointless in the corner of the plate.

A salmon cerviché worked well. The pink grapefruit provided a lovely acidity, along with minute pieces of jalapeño creating little explosions of heat when they appeared. A common theme started to emerge, the quality of the produce, the salmon was truly excellent.

Finally the Bread Street mixed cured meats was given a whirl. This was the most expensive dish by over double, but again the calibre of the produce could not be questioned. However, the menu read a mixture of meats, therefore when only two varieties of charcuterie turned up there was obvious disappointment. Yet it must be said, the Parma ham was exquisite, rich in flavour, and melted in the mouth. On the other hand the little pot of pickles perched on the end of the wooden board were hugely underwhelming. Even a cleverly folded chilli that unfurled when lifted by the stalk could not save the insipid few slices of carrot, floret of cauliflower and pair of olives.

Bread Street Kitchen seemed popular, the bar food had many plus points, and the design certainly impressed. However, there wasn't anything on show to force a revisit, which is perhaps a shame.