Our site is about the Best you can find to eat, but it’s definitely not all Burgers and Ramen. We love finding those special dishes and categories where people really know their stuff. So we had to talk to @GarlicBreadGuide to get the lowdown on one of those must have starters, Garlic Bread, and where in the world to find the best.
We love the idea of being deeply obsessed with finding the Best in just one dish, how did the Garlic Bread Guide come about?
So as you can probably guess, I eat a lot of Garlic Bread. It’s been my go-to starter for most of my life, as I’m actually quite a fussy eater. I was posting photos of my food on my personal Instagram and a large amount of these were Garlic Bread. After one particularly Garlic Bread heavy week, a couple of friends made a joke that I should set up a dedicated page. I set up @GarlicBreadGuide the next day, and the rest is history!
What are the Best local contenders for you on your ‘home turf’?
My home turf is Manchester, or more specifically Bolton. Coincidentally this is where Peter Kay comes from and he is famous for his ‘Garlic?! Bread?!’ joke, so you could say Bolton is actually the home of Garlic Bread! These are the best in Greater Manchester:
Check out this list on BestPlaceFor The Best Garlic Bread in Greater Manchester.
You also have got Garlic Breads from all over the world, where are the 5 best Garlic Breads from elsewhere?
At Pizza, Edinburgh 5 / 5
Pizza Express, UK wide 5 / 5
Pizza Pilgrim, London. I gave this 3.5 as it needed more garlic but it’s a really unique, innovative dish! 3.5 / 5
Rocco’s, Seattle. Another really unique dish! 5 / 5
Halcyon Kitchen, Leicester 4 / 5
And the island of Madeira has an amazing garlic bread as its national dish 5 / 5
Check out this list on Best Place For: Best Garlic Bread – Rest of the World!.
Garlic Breads come in different formats. What are your top contenders for Cheese and Tomato versions?
Tomato
Piccolino, Clitheroe 4.5 / 5
Don Giovanni, Manchester 5 / 5
Gino D’Acampo My Restaurant, Manchester 4.5 / 5
The Cherry Tree, Bolton
Albert’s, Manchester
Check out this list on Best Place For: Best Tomato Garlic Bread
Cheese
Halcyon Kitchen, Leicester 4.5 / 5
Ciaooo, Manchester 5 / 5
Franco’s, Wigan 4.5 / 5
Bella Italia, UK wide 4.5 / 5
A Tavola Non S’Invecchia, Krakow 4.5 / 5 https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ij6zVg94N/
Check out this list on Best Place For.
Where was the most unexpected place you found an amazing Garlic Bread?
Flight Club: a bar where you can play group darts. Surprisingly I found an amazing five-star garlic bread here!
Costco: they do a huge 18 inch garlic bread from the takeaway cafe and it’s incredible! It’s only available as part of a family meal deal so a bit of a secret menu item.
I stumbled across this tasty garlic bread at the Manchester Christmas markets: 4 / 5 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq4dNORlsPP/
Finally, my wedding! I chose garlic bread as a bespoke Canapé for the drinks reception at my wedding. I may be biaised, but it went down a treat! The wedding was at Bashall Barn in Clitheroe. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzGBP7nheYR/
You eat a lot of Garlic Breads, have there been other dishes or drinks along your culinary path that were incredible and come to mind for a shout out?
The Round in Keswick – some of the best burgers we’ve ever eaten!
Yeni Mezi Bar in Edinburgh – the best Greek Tapas!
You’ll find the best salt and pepper chicken wings in the world in Jasper in the Canadian Rockies (no pic or link on this one, just trust me!).
The best Doughnuts in the world are Cartems Donuts in Vancouver
Halcyon Kitchen in Leicester – Best Pizzas!
Hot Chocolate from Slattery’s in Bury
Check out by garlicbreadguide My Best non-Garlic Bread dishes! 5Items (bestplacefor.com).
What are some tips on how to take a good Garlic Bread pic?
Garlic Bread is a very beige food, especially when it’s lacking in the herb department. If your dish lacks colour it’s important to try and bring some background into it, whether it’s another bright dish on the table, a drink or some decor in the restaurant.
Lighting is also key; outdoor photos always turn out the best and it’s hard to get a decent shot in a dark, romantic style restaurant. Utilise the flash or use someone else’s phone as a torch to light up the plate.
Do you cook Garlic Bread at home?
I used the lockdown as an opportunity to experiment with some homemade Garlic Bread. Unfortunately my doughs didn’t quite work out, so I resorted to using bake-at-home Baguetttes or ready-made Pizza bases. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-9qblgF4h1/
These are an amazing option for customising your garlic flavourings but not having to worry about the dough (the tricky bit!)
I even tried the old garlic Kiev on Toast hack!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-mNiPGlbvP/
I actually judged a Garlic Bread making competition on my hen do! We used Paul Hollywood flatbreads which made a delicious base.
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/303629559
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx-GevOhpnu/
I would say the Best Herb to add to Garlic Bread is parsley, however Rosemary is also a delicious option, especially when paired with some Sea Salt!
Having had a few homemade Garlic Bread disasters along the way, I 100% stand by some of the fantastic supermarket garlic breads that can be cooked from your own home. The Marks & Spencer Stonebaked Flatbreads are a five-star option!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BouGcHTnh1j/
https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-4-stone-baked-garlic-breads-515124011
Is there anything else you want to shout out or let people know about?
I’d love to do a shout out to a local business. @pizzeriafratellis usually bring their pizza van to events, but during lockdown this year they have adapted and are serving pizzas from their garden. The garlic bread is absolutely delicious! 4.5 / 5 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAirwErFQh6/
I’d also like to share M&S’s new food waste incentive. They are turning loaves of bread into frozen garlic bread to avoid them being wasted. A genius idea! https://www.instagram.com/p/CGSzikOFxtA/
The Garlic Bread Guide 💛 The ULTIMATE guide for garlic bread lovers 🧡 🧄 Finding the best & worst in…
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