Gail's Artisan Bakery to open first restaurant
Featuring an open kitchen and a bread oven, the restaurant will serve food at breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, while a bar will be open for drinks and sharing plates throughout the afternoon and evening.
Artisan breads have always been at the heart of Gail's bakeries - which now number 12 across the capital - and Gail's Kitchen will be no different. The restaurant's menu, primarily made up of sharing plates, is inspired by the baker and features dishes from around the world, prepared by head chef James Adams and his brigade. Since graduating from Westminster College, Adams has worked at Kensington Place for Rowley Leigh, in France (where he fell in love with the country's bread and patisserie), and then back in London at Canteen, Jamie Oliver's Fifteen and the River Cafe.
A typical breakfast menu will include French toast with caramelized apples and maple butter; cornbread with fried eggs and tomato salsa, and minute steak with poached egg, potato cakes and hollandaise (£5-£10).
The lunch and dinner menu will feature snacks such as baked Puglia olives and quail's eggs with aioli and anchovy (£2.50-£8), while sharing plates will include: pizza bianca with burrata, char-grilled violet artichokes and Parma ham; seafood chowder with herb cobbler; and young leeks vinaigrette with maple and mustard croutons (£5-£12).
Amongst the sharing dishes for two or more people will be braised shin of beef in Nero d'Avola with garlic, rosemary and polenta; whole sea trout baked in salt with braised spinach and lentils; and slow-roast pork loin on sourdough trivet with potatoes, carrots and greens (from £15 per head).
Desserts will include an ice-cream sandwich; croissant-wrapped pear with brown sugar custard, and savouries such as raclette on toast with pickled onions (£6-£12).
The drinks menu will be wine and beer-led with cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks and smoothies made from fresh fruit and vegetables also be available.
Tom Molnar, co-founder of the business, said: "We're thrilled to be taking all of the things people love about GAIL's, and making it slightly more grown up."
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By Janet Harmer
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