Bread Yard Review

Bread Yard Review

The Walking Critic | Seminyak, Bali | July 2025

Obviously, I was not the only person that wanted to eat at the Bread Yard, judging by the line of human mish-mash circling like vultures on the outside. A large family of Malaysians were waiting patiently in the shade of the vines and creepers, that dangled over a recess at the front of the café. I surmised a long wait was in the offing, though I was mildly confident that our paltry group of three, had an evens chance of being seated quite soon.

Bread Yard is one of those typical cafes and restaurants that you could stumble past without a second glimpse. It’s not exactly like a Sloane Street, London fashion beat. Dereliction dominates building sites that are cranking out future retail hubs and the whole area, is generically Bali, clogged with traffic and motorbikes leaping over kerbs and down pavements. Yet true to form, one should never read a Bali street by its cover. Like a Lindt chocolate, the best bit is on the inside. The coating is just a façade.

But as adage goes, where there are plenty of bees, there must be honey!

A Sunday crowd floated outside and I was kicking myself for sleeping in, partially annoyed that my Malaysian “friends” had bred so prolifically. This was a multi-gen family breakfast where the young and (I’m not joking!) the near-dead were wheeled out en masse. There must have been well over 15 mouths to feed! Yet the good news is that the Bread Yard wisely mans a separate take-away coffee booth, directly opposite the front door and across the side alleyway. If you’re forced to wait for seating, no big deal. So long as you keep an eye open for motorbikes zipping to and from the rear parking, you can self-caffeinate!

As “Sod’s Law” would have it, the call to arms was quick. “Table of three ready!”

We were ushered through the door and to the right, where a front window bar ran full breadth, crowned with benches and bar stools: the perfect people-watching perch. Since we had been granted seating so quickly, we asked for our coffee to be collected and dropped at our table. It was already 15 minutes in-the-making and I would venture a further 15 minutes before turning up tepid. I kind of expected that outcome with the hustle and bustle going on everywhere.       

When you step into the Bread Yard, you get this cavernous vibe from the low and undulating ceiling, as well as a faux stalactite. You feel like you are stepping into a labyrinth of caves and nooks, where the whole space is dominated by neutral colours, textured walls of sprayed concrete and smooth polished floors of the same.

Natural light floods in from hidden sky lights and in one instance, over an internal feature tree. Pot plants add life and colour to the interior, along with the wooden tables and chairs and of course, smiling patrons filling them.

True to form, I ventured out of my Western comfort zone for something new on the menu. The Turkish Bagel (V) caught my eye: 2 poached eggs atop a large mixed seed bagel, surrounded by a moat of hummus and tabbouleh and a sprinkling of fried chickpeas. The bagel was huge and drier than I hoped, but the flavours were outstanding.

I was given a free replacement for my lukewarm takeaway cappuccino, which this time came very quickly in a baking hot coffee mug. To top this off, I went for one of the house Fresh Pressed Juices - a Mad Beets (apple, beetroot, carrot and lemon) juice…possibly one of the best I have had in Bali these last 12 days! I can also recommend the equally refreshing Watermelon in Easter Hay (watermelon, mint leak, pineapple and lemon).

Nothing was too hard for the super friendly staff, from the front door manager, to the baristas and waiters. At at times I felt at ease and blessed by the smiles and overt kindness from almost every Balinese person on this amazing island. At the Bread Yard, the employees make you feel like a king and queen and this is why I would never hesitate to return here again.