Lunch / ££ / 10/10

I have a secret. It is on the next street from my house and I have decided to be a bit more open as it is becoming common knowledge. Bread and Lard Island is my favourite cafe. Yes, it is practically spitting distance from my doorstep. Yes, they play mostly 70’s/80’s and 90’s electronic and pop music. Yes, the owners and staff make it feel so relaxed and welcoming. All these things see me visit almost daily but the consistant quality of the food and coffee are what means I feel confident enough to fight anyone that disagrees with me.

Bread and Lard Island mainly run through the day but have started opening on Friday nights and offer a roast dinner on a Sunday. Focusing on the main reason I love them though – the daytime menu. It is an eclectic mix of brunch and lunch items all done really well. On this Friday lunchtime I ordered the soup and The Northerner ordered the Cheese and Kimchi Toastie. The soup has pumpkin/squash as the main flavour delivering a earthy sweetness but coconut milk and thai herbs make it really interesting. The warmth of the chilli lingers far longer than the soup, arming you for the cold outside. Served with fresh bread and cold salted butter, it is a mellow bowl of heaven.

The Cheese and Kimchi toastie is massive. Piled high and served with homemade coleslaw, salad and pickles to cut through a cheese explosion. The mellow cheese on the inside and fermented kimchi are a flavour combo that patiently waits for you to realise how great they are together. The burnt cheese on the outside lacily adds a crunch of fruity chedder that doesn’t overpower the filling but elevates this toastie. Homemade coleslaw is such a treat – barely recogniseable to the stuff you get in supermarkets it should be called something different, something better.

I finished with a coffee and a Cinnamon bun. Made in house, the cinnamon bun was warm, doughy and had a firm exterior against the very soft dough inside. The cream cheese frosting and raisin and apple filling adding sweetness and kept everything sticky. I shared most of it with The Northerner and he reminisced about the day they made a cheese and ham version which he hasn’t seen since.

I realise I am now gushing and probably losing my audience. No where is without fault, but Bread and Lard Island is good in all the ways that I think is important. If you’re in Lady Bay and get a chance to visit I hope you find the same.