The Bread Room
Bakery · Washington Square West ·
Artisanal bakery, pastries, bread, classes, and events
Artisanal bakery, pastries, bread, classes, and events
"Run by prolific Philly restaurateur Ellen Yin’s High Street Hospitality Group in a small counter-service space in Center City, this bakery balances a daytime pastry counter with nighttime baking workshops. Inside, more than 20 pan-Asian–influenced pastries (with flavors like yuzu, candied ginger, cardamom, matcha, miso, and black sesame) share space with creative breads such as caraway rye, epi sesame baguettes, cherry buckwheat loaves, and luscious loaves sold by weight. Standout items include the tuna nicoise hoagie on an excellent soft-but-sturdy seeded roll loaded with tuna, white anchovies, black olive spread, diced jammy egg, roasted peppers, and greens; a thick, squiggly matcha croissant loaf with a crispy exterior and soft, matcha-cream-filled interior; and a chewy, not-too-sweet miso tahini cookie topped with sesame seeds for a bit of crunch. The drink menu plays off the pastries with options like a croissant milk cortado that’s short and sweet and a black sesame latte whose subtle sweetness pairs well with the cookie. The walk-up counter is flanked by flowers, but seating is limited to a few counter window spots and a couple of tables, so it’s smart to plan ahead, order online, or take everything to go. After hours, the space transforms into a bakery workshop for pizza-making classes for children, lamination lessons, sourdough introductions, and private group sessions." - Nadia Chaudhury
"The Bread Room is a bakery from the team behind neighboringHigh Street. Stop by for whole grain sourdough loaves, handmade pastries like miso tahini cookies or a matcha croissant, and sandwiches and salads. In the evenings, the Center City spot transforms into a workshop offering pizza and baking classes." - Candis R. McLean
"Backed by Ellen Yin’s High Street Hospitality, this airy, rustic‑chic bakery channels the community spirit of Fork Etc., operating as a daytime destination for a vast pastry and bread lineup and an evening hub for baking classes, visiting bakers, and private events. The walk‑up case holds 20 pastries daily from pastry chef Kate Hughes—think smoked vanilla–bay leaf kouign amann, almond–yuzu bostock, a rotating “daily pop tart” (currently blueberry preserve with blue basil), and a daily cruller launching with tahini–honeycomb with fennel pollen and a coconut version—though the team’s repertoire goes well beyond 20. Head baker Kyle Wood turns out daily loaves like seeded pullman and cheddar–black pepper, plus rotating specialties such as an olive–rosemary loaf and a Keystone loaf made exclusively with local flour (primarily from Lost Bread and Small Valley Milling) and sold by weight like large French loaves. Bread anchors the savory side, too, with a hoagie muffuletta on sesame focaccia, black lime chicken salad on ciabatta, and a simple seeded roll with Pennsylvania cheddar and house‑made cultured butter inspired by head chef Christina McKeough’s Copenhagen meal. A partially open kitchen, shelves stocked with flours from Castle Valley Mill and favorite jams, and an eight‑seat communal table that once sat in Albert Barnes’s laboratory invite guests to linger during weekday hours (7 a.m.–4 p.m.) and weekends (9 a.m.–3 p.m.), while a slate of classes—sourdough 101, lamination, baking for kids, and ongoing pizza workshops—with a visiting bakers series in the works rounds out the experience; a few High Street Bakery favorites, like the chocolate hazelnut croissant, have migrated here." - Devra Ferst
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