Bread Furst

Bread Furst is a neighbourhood bakery on Connecticut Avenue in Van Ness, founded by the baker Mark Furstenberg, and it describes itself as a James Beard award-winning bakery. It is a little out of the centre, but for anyone who cares about bread and pastry it is one of the most rewarding food stops in the city.

The bakery makes artisan breads, pastries and savoury food every day, along with cakes and, at holiday times, pies, dinner rolls and festive meals. The menu changes often: over the course of a year the bakery says it makes hundreds of seasonal and experimental products, so it is worth asking what is new when you visit. It is a good place to buy a loaf for a picnic in Rock Creek Park or a box of pastries to take back to your hotel.

Bread Furst is open from 7am to 7pm from Monday to Friday and from 8am to 7pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. The long hours make it useful for an early breakfast on the way into town or a late afternoon stop when you want something for the evening. Go earlier in the day if you have something specific in mind, as choice may be narrower later on.

There are several ways to buy. Same-day pickup is available, with parking at the rear, and delivery runs through apps such as DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. Catering is also offered, including sandwiches for groups. Ahead of Thanksgiving the bakery takes pre-orders for holiday food, and it also has a stall at the Rose Park Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoons from 3pm to 7pm.

The bakery suits food lovers, families staying in north-west Washington and anyone combining a visit with the National Zoo, which is further down Connecticut Avenue. Allow 20 to 30 minutes, or longer if you sit down with a coffee and pastry. Treat it primarily as a bakery for buying to take away, and check the website if you want to sit down.

Van Ness is a residential area in north-west DC. If you are heading back towards the centre along Connecticut Avenue, Cleveland Park and Woodley Park are on the way.