Somewhat surprised that more money has been spent on decor than on imaginative chefs and well-trained staff. Yet still this place is packed for "business lunches". I combined the veggie pasta main with the meatballs starter, in order to get a dish that I actually wanted to eat. Needs to serve Pizzas, since it has that enormous (gas fired) stone oven. I think I'd prefer to go to Nandos, just around the corner, next time.
The food was fairly average combined with average service won't be the recipe for success.
Had the scallops to start with and the steak for the main. Both were superb. The restaurant itself was nicely laid out and the staff were very attentive.
The place looks good. The menu is ok. Service very poor. Having lashed out on expensive decor I can only assume Mr Ramsey doesn't have sufficient cash flow to maintain sufficient staff to assure good service and to maintain food stocks (as a number of dishes were 'sold out'). Overall poor. A visit from his Kitchen Nightmares TV crew would make great viewing.
The fact that Bread Street Kitchen is adjacent to Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa was not lost on its owner, the reality TV star Gordon Ramsay - the entire operation feels like penis-envy incarnate. You can't help but feel that Ramsay may have rushed the venture, and the impressive decor (exposed beam ceilings, floor to ceiling windows) can't make up for the unimaginative menu and notably poor service.
Nov. 2005