Bakers and Co, Bristol: Restaurant Review

Who's cooking?

Fresh from heading up the development kitchen at Bath’s famous Bertinet Bakery comes Brett St Clair. Master baker and pro chef, Brett’s CV also features the likes of The Fat Duck and Le Gavroche.

Discover our guide to some of the best bakeries across the UK here.

What's the vibe?

This café whispers of San Francisco with its low-key coolness and sharp but laid-back service. All rustic wood, white walls and pops of sunshine yellow inside, it hums with atmosphere on the weekend as diners from across the city meet up for drawn-out breakfasts and catch-ups over single-origin coffee topped up with creamy, organic Ivy House milk from Somerset.

What's the food like?

Aside from a daily sarnie (how does coffee-spiced, slow-roast pork with espresso barbecue pork sound?) and salad (cucumber and mango with a bold chilli kick) special, it’s all about brunch here. Imaginatively topped toast, breakfast bowls and hot plates like crispy bacon belly tacos share the menu with patisserie staples and add-ons you didn’t know you wanted – think slow-cooked pinto beans and fried potato with garlic mayo.

Given the San Fran influence, it’s unsurprising to see homemade sourdough featuring heavily. Toasted, it comes thickly slathered with whipped feta, topped with basil and a peppering of sumac and seeds. Elsewhere, it has a hunk of Spanish tetilla cheese, grilled until oozing, draped over, and finished with wildflower honey and chunky hazelnut dukkah.

Granola comes with honey-roasted figs and cardamom-infused yogurt, while the standout ‘Morning Toast’ is all orange, cinnamon and contentment – plums stewed with zest and bark top sugar-and-spice-coated sourdough, along with crème fraîche, flaked almonds and a drizzling of the rosy stewing liquor.

And the drinks?

Seasonal coffee comes from local roaster Extract, and fresh juices and sodas are all homemade. Brunch cocktails are very much a thing here, too, and include the likes of a chorizo and Old Bay Bloody Mary.