Bread & Friends

Bread & Friends is a fantastic spot for brunch! The drinks were delicious, the sharable plates were full of amazing flavors, and everything we tried was outstanding. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. Highly recommend!

Very different type of brunch spot but worth a try. I was very impressed with their specialty drink menu and I never thought the combination of guava and coconut with coffee would taste so good. That was the star of the show. Also tried the rosemary latte, it was okay. Ordered the soft scrambled eggs and the toast it was served with was very good, I’m not sure how I felt about the onion jam served with the eggs. My bf got the salmon and red potato bliss entree and he said it was okay. Definitely give this place a try for its specialty drinks. Staff is super friendly and the place is very cute.

After a week of disappointing meals at Portland's best restaurants (both old and new), dinner at Bread & Friends was a breath of fresh air. From the moment we arrived, the excellent service and thoughtful decor set the tone. But it was the food that truly stole the show: every dish was inventive, bold, and bursting with flavor. The bread was some of the best sourdough I've eaten, on par with the top bakeries in San Francisco. While the atmosphere is casual, the food is fine dining at its best. Huge kudos to the entire team at Bread & Friends for one of my most memorable meals this year. I am looking forward to stopping in every time I'm in Portland!

My friends and I were looking for a breakfast spot and stumbled upon Bread and Friends. Between us we had most of the items on the menu and found everything to be delicious. The attention to detail in blending the flavors has to be mentioned. Just reading the menu pales in comparison to how it tasted. I had the Dutch baby. We shared the strawberry ricotta toast and the lobster omelette. Just thinking about the food now is making my mouth water. The toast looked like your average everyday thickly cut toast bread but clearly was special with its flaky, buttery attributes the melt in the mouth. The service was attentive. Lots of friendly and happy faces. We had a fantastic visit at this sweet little place in Portland and it has to be mentioned…it was actually quite affordable. We will go there again.

Chef Jeremy is a true magician. Every plate was extremely creative and even more delicious. B&F never disappoints. Peach Ricotta toast, crispy red potatoes with smoked salmon, and the Dutch baby absolutely blew us away. Beautiful presentation with equally as beautiful flavor. Lastly, the French toast is unlike any other. If a piece of French toast takes 48+ hours to curate, you know it’s going to blow your socks off. Thanks for the perfect anniversary breakfast!

Definitely worth a wait. Guava pastry, dutch baby with shrooms, fennel salad, and potatoes were fantastic. Superb mix of sweet and tangy, buttery, savory, and fresh. Fed three of us a light brunch. Need to go back to explore the rest of the menu. Loved!

As the kids say: brunch at Bread & Friends slaps. No cap. The Jonah crab omelette is a standout, served all The Bear style with potato chips on top. Why potato chips? Duh. Why not potato chips! Still, it's tasty. The chili crisp deviled egg is also great. Get one. Better yet, two. It's a deviled egg. You can eat two. Also get there early, because this place is popular. There can be a line. There can especially be a line for takeaway as everyone wants an almond or cannoli croissant. 'Cause they will sell out. No cap.

Such a cute breakfast spot. The food was amazing and high quality. We also loved the unique drink selection and baked goods! Highly recommend checking this place out. It does get crowded quickly so get there early. I will be thinking about the soft scramble I had there for years to come!

Best meal I have had in 20 years! The food is absolutely wonderful- every single bite was unbelievably flavorful. The staff is so friendly, the whole experience was really special- and will inspire me to come back up to Portland again soon.

10 out of 10 elevated food - a work of art the flavors are incredible and stay with you great service - we had breakfast and dinner here I'd fly back simply to eat here again

Came to Bread and Friends on a Saturday for brunch, where they only take walk-ins. I'd heard mixed reviews about this place and wanted to check it out for myself. For our party of four, the wait was about 45 minutes, which wasn't a problem. We were seated very close to other parties, though, and could easily hear their conversations, the space is definitely small. Our server was great, taking the time to explain each dish. Unfortunately, I didn't find much on the menu that appealed to me, aside from their (pricey) deviled eggs. We tried the red bliss potato salmon dish, but it wasn't for me--or anyone in my group. The atmosphere was nice, so maybe I'll stop by for a coffee or pastry next time, but I'll skip the entrées.

Bread & Friends - A Huge Disappointment My wife decided to grab a quick breakfast here before our road trip after seeing so many glowing reviews -- but our experience was the complete opposite. While I waited outside, she ordered an iced coffee, a green tea latte, and a pop tart. The first barista spilled half the coffee on my wife and didn't even bother to apologize. The green tea latte took nearly 20 minutes to make for reasons we still can't understand. To make matters worse, after we left and were already on the road, we discovered they had given us the wrong flavor pop tart. This place was chaotic, unprofessional, and far from the hype. If you're looking for good service and attention to detail, this is definitely not the place. Order at your own risk!

We made a Saturday night dinner res at Bread & Friends after discovering some good reviews online. Only reservation left was for outdoor seating so I snagged it. We were seated right away and placed our drink order with the friendly waitress. Do note that the alcohol is beer & wine only, no full bar. The outside seating is exactly that, tables outside of the restaurant and not really on a true patio. If I went back for dinner, which I likely won't (but only because we live out of state), then I would book a table inside. The good. We really enjoyed the Strawberry & Ricotta, Charred Broccolini, Tortellini, Gnocchi and the Duck Breast. I am not a huge fan of duck and this dish was phenomenal. Loved the green curry and the crispy cabbage. The bad. We reaaaaally did not like the haramasa crudo which we unfortunately ordered two of. We were also pretty meh on the oysters but had friends dining there the same night that loved them. Overall a good experience and would love to come back and try their breakfast at some point.

Favorite meal in Portland. Every bite felt clean, intentional, and ridiculously fresh. We walked in mid-afternoon for brunch and appreciated the thoughtful waiting setup--grab a coffee or pastry and sit outside while you wait. Great spot to linger, snack, and savor. We had the chawanmushi (pork belly, steamed eggs, bok choy, beech mushrooms!), the roasted mushroom dutch baby, and the sesame country toast with jamon iberico, honey, ricotta and english. Everything was super fresh and delicious. We even got to sit and watch some croissants getting made! Pro Tips: Try the coffee and any baked good available Don't be afraid of the wait--it's part of the experience

At the top of my list when I was visiting Portland. Everyone raved about the everything pull on social media so I knew I had to try it! Not only did I order one but had to try their new item Thai tea kougin amann. Oh and I also tried their iced chai tea latte. Explosion of flavors in every bite from each. The drink had a hint of ginger I wasn't expecting but it made the drink that much better. The everything pull was everything HAHA and more. BUT the shining star of the 3 had to be the Thai tea dessert. It had the right amount of sweetness and every bite made you want to dance. My bf had never had Thai tea and he loved it! We went back the next day before closing to travel home with some but sadly they were sold out, rightfully so.

Seasoned patrons of Bread & Friends will know the best times to go are during the week and when it's off-season. Wednesday AM drop-in in April? No problem snagging a seat. Mid-July on a Thursday, hello wait! But the B+F team have their workflow down. Folks move around quickly and you'll be seated in a reasonable time. Just grabbing to go? There's a separate line for takeaways (expect a wait for coffee). It's creatively styled, with a splash of subdued colors with a stylish coffee counter and pastries on display you'll probably want Instagram pictures of. The soft scrambled egg is my staple (though it looks small, it's filling with the hefty piece of sourdough bread), but I've dabbled in a few of their 'shareables' (I don't share) and highly honorable mentions go to the pastrami biscuits and the avocado toast. I know what you're thinking. Avocado toast?? In this economy?? But it's good. The maple glazed bacon is worth adding on as a side to fill out your meal. I'm looking forward to checking out their dinner service!

Breakfast but elevated. What stood out the most was the great service & how unique, foodie like the menu was. The use of high quality ingredients can be tasted with every bite. The drink ware is also some of the best I've seen. The place its self is rather small with two rooms, one near the coffee bar & one off to the side so it wasn't too loud while dining in. It was also enjoyable watching the bakers bake the bread while eating the (delicious) bread. Not the kind of place if you are looking for greasy breakfast food while hung over but looking to try some new artisanal breakfast foods.

this place came highly recommended and rightfully so! Their menu although not huge has unique things to chose from that don't disappoint. Place isn't very big but does offer outdoor seating and super cute and aesthetic. When we went it was busy we waited about 40-50 mins. Our waiter was very friendly and offered recommendations of what we could do in the area. Their sourdough was amazing, as well as the bacon which we order 3 of cause it was that good!! Would definitely stop by again if I'm ever in the area.

Finally made it to Bread & Friends for lunch on a sunny spring day, and sat at a table outside. Once seated by the super friendly host, I cast a glance over to my nearest neighbors and had to ask what the delectable-looking orange drink was they had on the table: it was in fact Bread & Friends's orange creamsicle soda, and it comes in an adult version too, like a mimosa. I promptly ordered this and this made me very happy--the foam on top is flavored with vanilla, thought not overpowering, just the perfect amount. And it paired perfectly with the roasted mushroom Dutch baby that I ordered from the super friendly server (do you sense a theme here?). OMG. I've only had sweet Dutch babies before, which are delicious, but this is . . . just wow. The dough was both soft and a bit crispy here and there along the edges; there's melted Brie drizzled over it with greens and mushrooms that are roasted and still also juicy. My table neighbors may have shared theirs, but I ate all of mine, thank you very much! Practicalities: it was Wednesday lunch not in high season, so I easily snagged a parking spot right across the street (you do have to pay for parking in this part of town, FYI). I imagine during peak season and times it will be a lot busier, but there's a range of both street and lot parking close by. I've driven by many times and Bread & Friends has always looked busy--now I see why, and I plan to put this on my regular rotation.

Soft scrambled eggs, corn muffin, fried potatoes, seeded sourdough- Great food and excellent service- stop by when you are in Portland - thanks Julia!

The food was amazing. Simply the best scrambled eggs I've ever had in my life. Seriously. Awesome staff, friendly vibe, excellent cappuccino! I sat outside and it just like Portland is very charming. I'll be back whenever I'm in town.

We didn't wait long to be seated on a busy holiday weekend. Ordered the French toast, soft scramble eggs and fried potato's to split. We also got the chocolate chip cookie and morning bun to go. The food was very different but in a good way and each item had its own special flavors all brought to life from the unique ingredients. The brown butter latte was really delicious and again, having unique ingredients really set it apart from other coffees I've had! The decor of the place was really cute. Server was nice and attentive. The seating was a bit tight but don't let that dissuade you from trying this unique gem!

Honestly, too many good things to say about this place. The food. The drinks. The service. The vibes. All immaculate. Get there early because it's very popular with not a lot of seating, but the food will knock your socks off. And the mimosas? Chefs kiss.

Best tasting brunch I have had in a very long time. I asked our waiter for recommendations, everything he recommended I got. The flavors popped, every bite was perfection. Atmosphere wasn't the best, very cramped. When our waiter was at the table next to us, his back side was on our table next to our food. Organization was definitely off especially for $100 meal. We both ordered at the same time, hers came out first. She didn't want to start before me, mine came out 10 min later. When I arrived, I waited 25 min outside for a seat. I came early at 10 am. My friend & I were meeting at 10:30 am. Once my name was called she said has your other party arrived? I said she will be here in a few min, she said she wasn't allowed to seat me until my friend got there. For a party of 2 that makes no sense. I told her I came early to wait and I would order. She brought me in, just not a friendly hostess at all. I would have given this place 5 stars, only the staff aren't friendly at all. At the end of my meal after I paid & tipped the waiter 20% I went to the ladies room. As I was walking to the door someone who worked there glared at me as I was walking out, not welcoming not a friendly place. For a place with food as good as theirs they need to match it with friendly staff. Definitely wont be going back.

Not too bad of a line on a Saturday morning. Brown butter latte was good but nothing mind blowing. Got the thai tea kouign amann and chocolate chip cookie. I just don't think it was a kouign amann by definition, just kind of shaped like one. Very bready and not flakey, but super unique flavor, and tasty at that, just not the best pastry ive ever had. Chocolate chip cookie was also solid but again, nothing mind blowing. Overall a solid bakery with fun options and good service. Also a sit down area to eat-in their full breakfast menu which I feel is rare for a coffee spot/bakery around

Dawn of the Bread Bakery and restaurant located in Portland's Old Port neighborhood that started out as a Farmer's market stand back in 2021 and quickly turned into this brick-and-mortar location in 2023. Their bakery focus is strictly towards sourdough dough bread and artsan pastries using house-milled flour. While the restaurant side of the business focuses on American fare with Mediterranean and Japanese influences using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients. The Good: *Their coffee creations were fantastic and crafted with great care to balance the coffee flavor and the sweetness. *Great service *Outdoor dog-friendly seating *Whoever is cooking their eggs is a maestro of the ovum. The soft scrambled eggs were that perfect creamy texture eggs *should* be, and the Jonah Crab Omelette was custardy and loaded with Crab and a meyer lemon cream sauce that was odd at first but definitely became moreish by the end. The crispy tater chips and trout roe were nice touches of salt and texture. The Morning Bun and strawberry-filled Kouign-Amann were both extraordinary versions of their respective pastry type. Flaky, buttery, and baked to crispy perfection. Be sure to get one--or both! Oink oink! :8) The Meh: *Location isn't very big and they're very popular, so do the math. Get here early or be prepared to wait. The Ugly: *Paid street parking only Conclusion: Fantastic brunch location that pretty much does everything right.

Excellent new bakery and brunch spot. The chawanmushi was incredible, and the grilled corn muffin was great. We got a loaf of the seeded sourdough to go and it's awesome. Service was knowledgeable and friendly and the vibe was fun. We will be coming back!

amazing spot friendly A+ coffee and baked goods clean and central location definitely check out

I'm a sucker for a great bakery and this place is excellent. I've had brunch and just pastries from here - both were great. I wish they had a classic Kouign Amann on the menu as it's my favorite but I've tried both a cherry dark chocolate one and a fluffernutter one, both were dreamy and high quality. I've had the savory wild mushroom Dutch baby for brunch which was great too. I hope they continue to mix up the menu! This place can get really busy so it's good to try and go at an odd time or expect a wait. I need to return just to get some pastries to go. In my experience the shop is well setup and staff has always been great. Will gladly keep returning as things stand! Pricy - but to be expected with a high end bakery.

this place is very sweet! definitely not a lot of space so be prepared to get cozy with the people next to you if that's not your thing. i honestly prefer to just do the bakery counter and take things from here to go. all of the bakery items are to die for and it typically is crazy busy with tourist season. the menu is not extensive it's moreso appetizers and drinks but the service was very friendly.

I'm a big fan of this spot for brunch. The interior is airy, cozy, and bright -- a perfect way to start your weekend. I've been here twice now for brunch, and each time, there was about a 30-minute wait (not terrible for peak brunch time). The service is also warm and efficient, and they really keep things moving. Across our two visits, we tried the blueberry matcha (I think this is summer-only, but it was absolutely delicious), scrambled eggs (not a fan; too onion-y and gloopy), crispy red bliss potatoes (excellent; the potatoes are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside); crab omelette (good, but a bit one-dimensional), and okonomiyaki (good and big portioned). We also split some bread items for the table: I think these were the real winners of the show. The B&F english muffins were incredible, and probably the best english muffins I've ever tried. The petite pastrami biscuits were delicious, and we also had some bread & butter (can't remember what type now) that was stunning. Bread and butter is their, well, bread and butter, so definitely don't miss out on these. I've heard they have a fantastic dinner service, too, so I'm hoping to return for that one of these evenings.

Came here because we could get dinner reservations for 6 2 days before and good Yelp reviews. Wow! Are we glad we went! It seems like this place is probably most known for breakfast and lunch but dinner was amazing. We were celebrating my bro-in-law's marriage and the menu came with a special congratulations! We ended up trying everything on the menu and thought all of it was very good and some things: oysters, savoy cabbage, swordfish, endive, bread with caramelized onion sauce, really stood out. It's a cute, simple place, service was friendly and helpful. But go for the food!

This is a great brunch spot loaded with lots of energy. I really enjoyed the soft scrambled eggs with the nice mega slice of toasted seeded sour dough . Have it with the smoked maple rosemary latter with sea-salt. Just a heads up, there is a long line to get in so try to get there early, but once you are seated, the service is pretty quick.

Had an amazing brunch here! The server had great recommendations which changed our approach but no regrets. The soft scrambled eggs were unexpectedly delightful. Highly recommend.

Completely PHENOMINAL food, specialty coffees and dining experience. The waitresses were kind and happy to be there and described the dishes perfectly. We can't wait to go back again. Drooling over the thought of it!

Everything pull apart was really unique and delicious. Line for take out moves relatively quickly. Worth checking out.

Such a cute little place with such friendly staff. Always super crowded for breakfast and once you try something off that menu, you will understand why. Grab a sourdough bread for the ride home!

Upon first seeing Bread & Friends in the morning, it was packed. Not too worry, we were headed for our morning espresso first. When we came back it was far less crowded and fortunately were not sold out of the pastries we'd read about on Yelp. We were greeted kindly and asked to be seated outside. We had intended to just get pastry but when we saw the unique savory offerings we couldn't pass on a fuller breakfast. We had a dish which included red potatoes, smoked salmon, egg, and schug yogurt- the marriage of flavors was superb. We also had an everything pull apart which had just the right amount of blended seasonings and cheese and the perfect consistency. I also had a maple rosemary latte which was yummy, interestingly the last sip tasted salty in a good way. Everything was outstanding and I'm guessing you couldn't go wrong with whatever you ordered. As for the ambience, 2 smallish rooms and outside dining, everything looked neat and clean. Not that this is terribly important but I have to say, the bathroom was kinda cute (there are 3 non-gender specific bathrooms)

Gourmet breakfast. Super rich so snacking with friends is what this place is meant for. Bright open window lighting. Coffee was delicious, the deviled eggs had shaved cheese over it that melted in your mouth.

What an amazing place. Zoe was our experience guide this morning, and literally blew us away. Food is top notch. Service is amazing. Can't wait to come back to Portland and spend another day here. Make yourself happy and give this gem a try. And ask for Zoe. She's amazing.

This was far from the experience I was expecting. Short wait for a table, the host didn't really talk that much and we were a little confused. We ordered coffees while we waited. We were seated pretty quickly which was great. We had to wait awhile for menus and water, as the waiter handed us our menus he asked us what food we wanted. We asked for a couple of minutes to look at the menus and chopped it up to an awkward slip. The food took awhile to arrive and was extremely underwhelming. $16 for a single slice of french toast that was mediocre at best. Our table was finally cleared and we had to wait an additional 10 minutes for anyone to bring a check. when they did, they charged my friend's card with the wrong (almost 2x) bill. They left the card machine at the table and we had to wait an additional ten minutes for someone to come back so we could inform them about the wrong charge. They then charged the correct amount, so my friend is still waiting for the original transaction to be voided and is out $100+ for breakfast for two until she gets refunded. She didn't get a receipt for the refund/voided and had to ask for one, she then got the original receipt with the waiter writing "void". The food was just ok, the staff was awkward and ranging from unfriendly to somewhat friendly. As someone who works in the service industry I was really perplexed by how uncomfortable every interaction was - almost like it was everyone's first day working there. I will never go back here. Overpriced and overhyped.

This was by far THE best breakfast dish I've ever had!! It was very busy but it was worth the wait and once we were sat down, service was quick and efficient. A very busy and quaint spot, I wish I lived in town so I could pick up their bread and baked goods for a Sunday afternoon!

Every single bite was scrumptious and special. Exceptionally lovely and helpful staff as well!

What an amazing meal and little shop! All of the food from the eggs to the French toast was delicious and uniquely done. Service was kind. Be prepared to wait since the space is small, but oh so cozy. The homemade breads are to die for

Their kitchen was closed today so I just got an iced coffee and pizza focaccia to go. Both were good and I could see how crowded it can get due to the size of the restaurant. Employees were friendly

I was mostly excited for the scrambled eggs, but the French toast turned to be the most amazing part of my experience here. Was so good. They did it for 48 hours and their cream before they serve it. You can totally taste how moist it is and the flavors are in their entire French toast. The scrambled eggs were good, but I felt like the toast was a little too thick. I couldn't tell if I needed to be a little bit baked more. Latte was also super Duper. I think it could've been a little bit hotter. The place was super well decorated and super cute and had an open kitchen concept. I will definitely try to come back here more to try more of their pastries. I definitely recommend anyone visiting Portland to put it on the top of there list to come.

This wasn't the usual kind of breakfast diner I'd normally visit. It was more upscale, but I'm glad I gave it a try and really enjoyed the food. I had the Dutch baby with truffles, and it was delicious. I also got a caramel pumpkin spice latte, which was excellent. My boyfriend ordered the soft scrambled eggs, which he liked, though the portion was on the smaller side. It's definitely a pricier breakfast spot, but I'm happy I tried it

Good food but you made my tea so scorching hot that it burnt through me leather shoes and now my feet are burnt and blistering. The tea was so hot that the lid melted so when I picked it up it spilled. Make your tea colder.

We have gotten brunch take out several times and today we ate brunch at the restaurant. Service has always been good. They were a little slower at busier times-which is to be expected. Every time we have gotten the pastrami biscuits. Think 2 mini Reubens (like sliders) but on little house made biscuits. We love Reubens and these definitely do not disappoint and although they are small there is a lot of pastrami packed on. We also always get the side of smoked B & F bacon-it is SO good. Salty and sweet. I usually get a side of the fried potatoes & it comes with a roasted garlic aioli but I like to get a side of their house made chili crisp and mix part of the aioli with the chili crisp for another dipping sauce. Today I had their spiced pumpkin and caramel latte (which was a special) and it was so good I had another. I will note (& it says this on their website also) their bakery opens at 8am, but brunch does not start until 8:30. So, you can be seated and order coffee and bakery items but actual brunch cannot be ordered until 8:30. I still recommend coming at 8 (at least on weekends) since they get pretty crowded quickly. My husband is mildly obsessed with their morning bun from their bakery-he says it's like a croissant cinnamon roll. There is street parking. I really want to try their dinner menu.

I loved the everything pull apart bread! It was my favorite and I'm still thinking about it months later. I also thought that their pizza looking focaccia was really flavorful and had the perfect texture. The latte was also great!

This place is sooo good, just gets really crampy. The entrance is somewhat smooshed with some tables, people waiting for tables, orders at the counter and waiting for to-go coffee. The inside is a bright wood which makes the space airy. I've only come on the weekdays to sit down and eat, on the weekends I order to-go since it's pretty busy. The weekend specials are a must - I love the cannoli croissant and the olive sourdough. Their specialty lattes are made to perfection, you never have to add anything to them! I'll have to make an effort to come for brunch one weekend, as I've heard the burgundy truffle dutch baby is not to be missed.

I would love to have spent more time here and try their food options! I popped in for a to go coffee and tried a smoked latte they were offering which was a first for me! It was smooth and had a really nice hint of smokiness. Service was great and friendly. While I did not stay, it definitely is a cool place to hang out if you have time!

My boyfriend and I came here for breakfast after seeing pictures of the French toast on Yelp haha. We were seated quickly. It's cute inside. We had to sit across from each other (we prefer side-by-side) and it's a little cramped. So if someone next to you is speaking loudly, it interrupts your conversation. Jess served us. She is awesome! Great service. 10/10 We started with the everything pull apart ($6/ea). They were delicious! Love the everything seasoning. They don't arrive warm, but they don't need to. There's cream cheese and green onion at the bottom. So good!! We both loved it. Would order again. 10/10 I ordered the peekytoe crab omelette ($22). Includes Meyer lemon, chips, trout roe, and their toasted brioche bread with butter. The bread is so fresh! It was warm and flavorful. Omelette was full of flavor too, real crab, and creamy. Crab flavor is light. The trout roe added the perfect amount of salt and a pop. Loved the trout roe! The chips were a nice crunch. Eggs cooked perfect. I did not taste lemon lol. It's very good. Just a little too pricey. Wouldn't order again only due to cost. It's a 9/10 My boyfriend ordered the French toast ($14). Comes with crème fraîche and Maine maple syrup. It's so delicious and made perfect. Perfect texture. Warm and soaked. So fresh. Would definitely order again. Thick brioche bread made right behind where you eat. So cool! Can't get more fresh than that! 10/10 I ordered a latte with oak milk and he ordered an americano. They use locally made pottery and sell it too! So cool. It's called Campfire Pottery. Would have bought a mug, but not for $58. The latte was good. Americano good. We ordered coffees to go too. I tried one of their specialty lattes, the smoked maple rosemary with oat milk. The maple flavor is delicious. But I didn't taste rosemary haha. Still good! It was $6.50. We would love to visit again! Delicious.

Nice little spot just out-of-the-way enough to minimize the same kind of heavy tourist traffic seen at places like Eventide, Central Provisions, and Bissell Brothers. Easy for both take away and full service dining. The pastry case is just diverse enough and includes some rotating selections. Assorted bread loaves line the shelves. One of the two dining rooms has a large window, allowing you to view the action in the kitchen. So how good are they? Definitely somewhere between good and elite, but the exact position along the spectrum depends on what you order. French Toast: Elite. Perfectly cooked to yield a blackened mahogany surface, a custardy interior, and great contrast between the two. Creme fraiche and cinnamon were nice accents that made sure to accent and not overwhelm the flavors in the egg and brioche. Drizzles of maple syrup around the perimeter looked skimpy at first glance, but I'm glad they didn't just hand over a dispenser; I would have used too much and destroyed the perfect balance. This is a must-order. Croissants: Good. We tried almond and chocolate croissants on separate visits and liked the buttery flavor, but one had crackle and not much moistness; the other had moistness but not much crackle. Nice dark chocolate was a plus. Chocolate Chip Cookie: Good. On the thin side, but very large diameter, good buttery flavor, nice bend. The chocolate aspect wasn't as impressive as in the croissant. Pop Tarts: Good and Elite, and both thick. Oddly enough, the spectacular chocolate coconut one was impressively fresh and moist, even though we arrived later in the morning; the blood orange one we ordered right when they opened and it was a little dry. Superb complexity of flavor in both, and the Chocolate Coconut also boasted very dark chocolate and a pleasant surprise in the custard that costarred in the filling. Guava Kouign Amann: Very Good. Fresh, crisp, bendy, and loaded with guava cream. "Everything" Pull-Apart: Elite. Imagine the strictly savory love child of an everything bagel and monkey bread, and even stronger of the everything (because it's distributed throughout) and even more moist than the most decadent version of monkey bread. I wish they served it with cream cheese to dip into, but really stunning as is. Bread: We've tried a couple and both were surprisingly dense. Perhaps a little too dense for sandwiches, but delicious as toast. Every staff member we encountered was knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly.

The dinner is just as amazing as their brunch. Limited menu but I'm sure each dish was perfection. My husband couldn't stop raving about the short rib dish and sopped all the leftover juices with the accompanying flatbread. My Maine cod was perfectly prepared with a lovely sauce. The wait staff here is always wonderful. The restaurant ambiance is welcoming and about the food which we like.

HOLY MOLY. This place is fantastic. Everything about it. The coffee - seriously good and brilliantly pulled, the food - really great real food put together in unusual and exciting ways, the staff - happy, friendly, funny, patient characters, vibe - modern, warm, cozy, clean, upbeat. My new favorite breakfast spot in Maine. Went three days in a row so I could try more things. The pastries are ridiculously good. Lines out the door both (week) days. Parking all round. (Meters way cheaper than the lots. Got a meter easily all 3 times I went. Cannot say enough good things about Bread & Friends!

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Fresh and original menu items, a gorgeous aesthetic, and if you're lucky, a view of the waterfront await you at Bread & Friends. I was so happy with my fig & ricotta toast - it brought texture (the mint leaves, the ricotta, the fig jam, and the acidic fennel), balance (see previous parentheses), and flavor, and on top of all that it was something I've never had before. The morning bun latte was alright. It was very pretty, sure, but I could've done with a longer finish, and I'm not sure why it didn't taste of the baking spices the name implied. My waitress attentively noticed my Asian heritage and confirmed that I don't have a dairy intolerance before serving up the latte. She also prompted every table for allergies after the orders were placed, which was a nice touch. I would put this place in rotation if it were by my house.