As a local, I love to support new places popping up and I think I did my happy dance when there were whispers that a new bakery was opening up on Bell Street off Lisson Grove in Marylebone. I remember hoping that they have good coffee too. And I was not disappointed. Newly opened Irene is about pastries, bread, coffee and wine. In my view, it is the perfect mixture of these four things. Finding all these qualities in the same place, can be difficult at times, but they have nailed it! So let’s start with the coffee first, they use Gentlemen’s Barista coffee which impressed me from the start and what I later learnt was that the company not only provide the beans and the machine, but they also provide the training! I’ve always say the same thing over and over again (to anyone that will listen) that there is no point having good coffee and a fancy machine, if you don’t know how to make it! The fact that they invest in ensuring high quality is paramount, is impressive.
Now to the pastries and bread. Irene is an artisan bakery and use traditional baking techniques to produce everything with the finest ingredients. Their loaves are 100% sourdough and their pastries are made from scratch at their other branch in Camberwell and brought to Bell Street daily. Whether it is just a croissant or a pain de chocolat in the morning, this is the place to grab it with your coffee. If you are looking to be tempted with a sweet pastry, then I would suggest the strawberry tart or the almond croissant. I recommend the French stick, as well as, their wholemeal sourdough-delicious! It’s the perfect choice with some cheese or spreads from a market.
The unique thing about Irene is that they also have a selection of wines. Andrea (one of the owners) is quite passionate in this field and all their wines are produced through sustainable, organic, biodynamic and natural methods. They can provide you with advice on the perfect wine to accompany your meal- and will probably check in next time with you to see if it was up to the standard. I’m looking forward to their wine tasting evenings…so watch their Instagram!
Being a local and especially post covid, I feel it’s about connections and taking time out for yourself and for me there’s nothing more I like than sitting in a local café and chatting to the people. There are so many interesting people out there with stories to tell. Next time you are at Irene’s- ask a customer, ‘Do you live around here?’ or ‘Great that Irene’s opened up here hey?’ or even ‘Have you tried their almond croissant?’ and see what happens…
Insta: @irene.bread
Address: 82 Bell Street, NW1 6SP
