Hart's Bakery — Restaurant in Bristol

Well well well....

Harts Bakery is it?

You know I used to be a bakery right? So I know a thing or two about the biz, so to speak...

I entered the establishment having walked right past at first thinking that a person at the end of the road was my date from Hinge. It wasn't but thankfully I hadn't waved or said hello or anything so I was able to play it off as if I was looking for something else.

It's crowded, I notice many people seem to have driven to this bakery. Opinions on the chronic overuse of cars in today's society aside, I figure this must mean they're popular.

I had originally intended to visit Forest Bakery because they are my favourite and they do the best damn almond croissants in the state, but they have funny opening hours on a Saturday that don't work that well for a date. Regardless, I still had almond croissants on the mind.

I look at the counter. NO PASTRIES.

Like, none.

"Maybe they don't do pastries" I say to my Hinge date who likes pizza and dogs, didn't like school and knows far more about coffee than me. Obviously this is wrong as she has not only been here before and got pastries but also I've seen pictures of the pastries myself. Dumb observation on my part but thankfully it appears the stupidity of that statement was overlooked.

"We sold out an hour ago, they go fast on a Saturday" the lady behind the counter says.

I order a coffee and some "Saturday bread".

In retrospect, I'm grateful for the hordes that bought all the pastries that morning because it was Saturday, and Saturday bread is only made on a Saturday, and only made at Harts Bakery, so if anything, it was more special.

The Saturday bread is like buttery bread (maybe with egg in too?), with a sort of layer at the bottom of a really old school sugary substance at the bottom like treacle or molasses or turpentine or one of those things they had in the olden days. This is none of that salted caramel nonsense, or simultaneously "guilt free" but also "indulgent" dessert bars, this is what Victorian school children had atop some sort of steamed pudding way back when and I'm all for it. Bring back treacle I say. We've progressed too far and food is getting weird. Back to basics, back to boiled barley and treacle.

Anyway, the Saturday bread is really good. I actually woke up this morning ready for round two, but it's Sunday, and Sunday bread isn't a thing. One caveat however, if you're going to do this on an empty stomach, I hope that you've got a good insulin response. I would recommend eating something proteinous relatively soon afterwards just to give your liver a bit of a break. One of the sausage rolls at Harts would do the trick but if you're veggie, some eggs or vegan, a load of nuts I guess?

My Hinge date also got the Saturday bread and an oat milk flat white and her opinion of it was:

"Coffee is a solid 5 stars

The bread was delicious though I wouldn’t recommend on an empty stomach - not a very well balanced breakfast but we can accept that on a Saturday and it is Saturday bread

Wonderful airy texture which was a good balance for the mass of sugar

Overall, once the sugar rush had worn off I could fully appreciate the deliciousness of it

Recommend anyone who hasn’t to try the only Saturday bread in Bristol"

Also, gotta say, I had a black coffee and I'm not sure how much of it was the beautiful little cup it came in but honestly that coffee was outstanding.

Anyway, good pub, beer was good. Get the...

Yesterday we decided to check out the glowing reports regarding this establishment firstly we braved the traffic around the area which is horrendous my partner and myself are well over 80 and I had parked in the station approach and the next challenge was to find the place. So we walked to the pavement and looked down and found there was a metal staircase to take us to the lower level under the arches. As I said we are well over 80 and they stuck some negotiating however we manage this but on the final step my partner lost her balance and went down on her back hitting her head on the concrete very traumatic. You might say what has this got to do with Harts bakery but a young lady appeared from there offering help and came back a second and third time. The paramedics arrived and treated my partner who buy now had a lump at the back of my head the size of half a golf ball after treatment we've managed to get her back into my car and we stopped off at Harts bakery and I confirm it is absolutely true the sausage rolls are out of this world and the fruit crumble we had also in the same league I can't praise them enough they were absolutely marvelous and the top this we were given two coffees on the house and we will certainly go again but not down that staircase we will come in from the street level as there are...

Stranded at Bristol TM due to train cancellations and we stumbled upon a true gem of a bakery/cafe. An open-plan hipster joint with all and sundry on display. Authentic - it is indeed and 'Artisan' it is too.The A word is thrown around with reckless abandon these days but this place is the epitomy of it. There's no point detailing the fine cakes, pastries and 'real' bread on offer because I can sum it up in one word - HEAVENLY! Ingredients are clearly of the highest order too. The butter which is imported from France tells you how good the patisserie is. They even make their own chrissy dec's recycling butter wrappers - phew! The sourdough concept is in fashion these days, well here, it's celebrated and executed perfectly. The healthy en vogue seed craze is here too so current it is with currants everywhere. Price will always be an issue for some but when treats like this are on offer, please regard it as an experience worthy of an extra few quid.....imagine a fine cognac and what it costs - a visit to this place is a lot cheaper and infinitely better. Oh, the coffee is fab too. My thanks go to GWR Train Network for cancelling the 10.38am to...