At these standout restaurants, bread isn’t just served – it’s celebrated.
From a theatrical bread trolley in Vienna to fire-kissed fermented loaves in Sydney, chefs around the globe are treating bread with the reverence it deserves. It’s a return to one of the oldest crafts in the kitchen – but dialled up with innovation, precision, and a side of storytelling. Here’s how seven restaurants are elevating the humble loaf to high art.
Steirereck, Vienna – The Bread Cart of Dreams
@steirereck
In a dining room where every detail whispers refinement, Steirereck’s bread service still manages to steal the spotlight. Instead of a breadbasket, diners are treated to a full trolley wheeled by the now-famous “captain of the bread cart,” Andreas Djordjevic. With up to 27 handcrafted options on offer, it’s a hard choice between honey-lavender rye or the twice-baked sourdough. If you’re feeling bold, go for the blunzenbrot, laced with house-made black pudding.
Chef’s note: Each slice is carved to order and paired with raw milk butter and powdered Carpathian salt, known as “salt snow.” And yes—he’ll only return with seconds once your first round is polished off.
Ester, Sydney – Ferments and Fire
@ester_au
Chef Mat Lindsay’s approach to bread at Ester is as fearless as his flame-kissed plates. The fermented potato bread, baked in a wood-fired oven and born out of post-service cravings, is now a signature. Served with kefir cream, dashi jelly, and salmon roe, it’s an umami-rich bite that’s as comforting as it is cutting-edge.
Kitchen insight: The potatoes are fermented for nearly a week before being transformed into dough—a process that unlocks deep, nutty flavours and chewy complexity. Manager Honor McGrath encourages hands-on eating: “Break it up, get messy. That’s the joy.”
Oma, London – Wild-Farmed and Wonderfully Salty
@oma.london
Over in Borough Market, Oma is bringing Greek flavours and pillowy flatbreads into sharp focus. The wild-farmed laffa is slathered in premium olive oil and sea salt, making it irresistible straight from the grill. Add the wild garlic açma verde and a hit of smoky baba ghanoush or salt cod dip, and you’ve got a course that easily holds its own.
Cura, Lisbon – Bread as a Tasting Menu Centrepiece
@curalisboa
Forget filler bread—at Cura, a duo of loaves is served mid-menu with full ceremony. Think 26-hour, barbela wheat country bread, and a Japanese-style milk roll made using the yudane method. On the side? Umami-charged butter from Ilha do Pico aged at room temp, and cold-pressed olive oil so vivid it’s almost electric.
Indian Accent, New Delhi – The Wild World of Naan
@indianaccent
Chef Shantanu Mehrotra’s modern Indian menu pulls no punches. His bread game includes parmesan chur chur paratha, bacon-stuffed kulcha, and a now-iconic blue cheese naan. His personal pick? The black garlic naan, layered with French butter—simple, surprising, sublime.
Nura, New York – Bread Baskets, Upgraded
@nurabrooklyn
At Nura, bread is the main event. Tables groan under tandoor-charred naan, cornbread, and Parker House rolls with green peppercorn and sage. Dips are essential: green chilli hummus and yoghurt with date-swirled carrot, all made in-house. The bakery down the street? Run by the same team—and yes, they do sandwiches.
Cloudstreet, Singapore – Where Bread Meets Dessert
@cloudstreet.sg
Chef Rishi Naleendra’s stout-and-liquorice loaf hits a sweet-savoury note, glazed with molasses and perfumed with star anise. Served warm and sticky, it’s somewhere between a soda bread and a cake, and a cult hit on his tasting menu. Just bring a towel—and no shame in licking your fingers.
Bread is back, and it’s leading the menu—not lagging behind it. For chefs, it’s a chance to reconnect with ancient techniques, regional flours, and wild ferments—then bring those age-old methods roaring into the now.
Which begs the question: what’s in your bread service?
Source: 50 Best
