Restaurant Review

Bread Street Kitchen & Bar

45-47 Paradise Street, L1 3EU

By Tom Beattie | Premium casual | £££ |

It’s impossible not to get excited about the arrival of a Gordon Ramsay-owned restaurant in the heart of Liverpool. One can imagine Chef Ramsay’s delight at setting up shop in the former Paradise Street unit which once played host to old rival Jamie Oliver’s Italian eatery. Famously a competitive soul, the Scotsman’s sights will now be fixed on establishing Bread Street Kitchen & Bar as a staple of the local food scene.

Arriving slightly early for our Saturday night reservation, my guest and I headed to the bar – experiencing our first taste of the affable service which we would become accustomed to by the end of the evening. The barman Jack, spoke of his excitement surrounding the arrival of Gordon Ramsay’s eatery on Merseyside and with a restaurant full to the rafters with expectant guests, it would be fair to say that Jack’s feeling was one shared by many.

Met at our table by the charismatic Paulin, we were immediately made to feel at home with a warm greeting. After taking our drinks order, Paulin briefly talked us through the dishes on Bread Street’s varied menu which includes favourites ranging from rare-breed ribeye steak (£40) to a butter chicken curry (£18.50), before suggesting we try Gordon Ramsay’s signature Beef Wellington Experience (£150).

We were informed that the meal for two, which consists of three courses, would be the perfect way to showcase the wide range of dishes available, as well as offering us the chance to try the restaurant’s celebrated centrepiece.

After a brief moment taking in the eatery’s buoyant atmosphere, our three-dish starter arrived – spicy tuna tartare with wonton crisps, creme fraiche and avocado alongside a potted Cumbrian beef brisket served with grain mustard, piccalilli and seeded cracker and, lastly, tamarind spiced chicken wings with spring onions and coriander.

My guest and I were simply blown away by the attention to detail and array of flavours on show, and left stirred for what was still to come. With anticipation reaching near fever pitch, the main course arrived soon after in the form of Bread Street Kitchen’s pièce de résistance, the Beef Wellington, accompanied by creamy mashed potato, honey roast carrots and a red wine jus.

The beef itself, served medium-rare, melted in the mouth, with the truffle and pastry that encased it elevating the dish to dizzying heights. After two courses which my guest and I will be reminiscing over long into the future, the Beef Wellington Experience was topped off with a delightful array of desserts.

The selection consisted of a chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice cream alongside a ‘Monkey Shoulder’ cranachan cheesecake with raspberry sorbet and our favourite, a pineapple and kiwi carpaccio served with passion fruit and coconut sorbet.

If we weren’t already in food heaven, these expertly-crafted sweet treats would have certainly taken us there. Flavoursome with clear attention to detail throughout, the final platter in our trio of courses rounded the meal off in spectacular style.

At £150, the experience doesn’t come at a snip, however, if an experience is what you are after, then look no further than Bread Street Kitchen. Chef Ramsay may be characterised for his flagrant use of the ‘f word’ but I can confirm that another word beginning with ‘f’ will spring to mind when I look back on this exquisite evening spent at Bread Street Kitchen… fabulous!

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