Towpath Café

Fantastic little place tucked away on the canal north of Shoreditch. Great changing menu with seating right on the canal. Had the fried egg with mojo Verde and the imam biyaldi, which were both superb. Beyond the setting, the best part of this place is the staff, who are kind and incredibly friendly. Highly recommend for a quick bite to eat after a morning walk along the canal.

Cute little canal side café. Great for the summer if you can grab a seat outside, but also nice inside watching the rain through the big open glass windows. Food is simple and not too expensive. Breakfast is my fave with eggs on toast, granola etc. They have a good selection of cakes as well for a tea or coffee break mid afternoon.

Towpath Café is right along Regents Canal near Haggerston. It used to be one of the only cafes in the area, but now it’s surrounded by other cafes with the regentrification in Hackney.
On a sunny day, especially on a weekend, expect super long queues to get a cup of coffee. For a seat, you’ll be waiting even longer.
It’s a nice café to people watch. There isn’t much seating so you’ll probably just get a take away coffee and walk along the canal. I’ve found the service isn’t good, with the wait staff never smiling. Prices aren’t even cheap here hence the 2 star review.

One of my favorite places while in London.
Located along the Regent’s Canal, this place is perfect for sunny, warm days. You’ll encounter people jogging, walking their dogs, or biking. It was a breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle found in the city.
Left fairly early to beat the lunch rush but when we got there, we took one of the last few tables in the uncovered area that lines the café next to the open view kitchen. Walked up to the counter and ordered two lattes, a cookie, granola, and over easy eggs served on toast. They only serve regular milk so be cautious if your lactose intolerant.
We went up to get our lattes while the food gets served directly to where you are sitting. Lattes were good and the cookie tasted freshly baked. Granola came with yogurt and starfruit… it was delicious. Perfectly toasted and a good pair with the tartness from the yogurt and the fruit. Did not get to try the eggs and toast but from what I was told, it was one of the best things he ever put into his mouth. Eggs and toast sound so simple but I guess it can be so delicious at the same time. From what I saw, the bread looked toasted in olive oil and the eggs looked like they were cooked perfectly while the yolk spilled all over the toast after breaking it. I regret not trying it.
As the space begins to get filled up, you may end up sharing your table which we did not mind at all because we got to have some good conversations with locals. There are also tables under a covered area in case it rains.
Service is great here. Being tourists, we felt very welcomed. I’m definitely a fan and am still left feeling impressed with this place. The ambiance Towpath carried was one that I was craving for during a busy stay in London. Check it out if you’re in the area!

Quaint cafè situated right on Regent’s canal. This joint is actually quite small with communal tables inside a covered unit and few extra seating along the path. Due to its popularity, finding a spot can be pretty difficult especially on weekends so be prepared to wait. Make sure to also plan ahead as weather can dictate your experience since majority of the establishment is exposed to the elements.
I definitely liked how friendly and helpful everyone was. Both staff and locals alike certainly made us feel welcomed.
Ended up getting a latte with an order of their fried eggs on toast. Coffee was good but food was out of this world! Who knew something so simple could be that delicious. Sure, it’s just plain fried eggs on toasted bread but it was certainly better than most breakfasts I’ve had.
Overall, Towpath Cafè is an ideal place to drink coffee and brunch with friends. Awesome ambiance, superb customer service and great drinks/​food. Check this joint out especially on a sunny London day.

Towpath is a fascinating place to check out when the weather is sunny-​ish in London.
Located right off the Regent’s Canal, Towpath Café is unassuming at the same time its impressive. Its very low key, with a food-​truck sized kitchen, and a handful of outdoor seating inside and on the sidewalk overlooking the canal.
From its location to its food, particularly the baked goods, Italian expresso and terrific fish dishes for lunch served head to tail, and skin on, which also happen to be moist and cooked perfectly, you’ll love the quirky originality of this spot. Frankly, its impressive that some of the dishes can even be made in this tiny kitchen.
This place has been written up (Time Out, etc.) and is well regarded and the kitchen does make some simple but lovely food from March to November. The view, the food, the unique location and the friendly factor, all make this a spot worth checking out when the sun is in the sky in London.

Granted, I’m reviewing this place without even having a bite to eat or drink to taste. However, they didn’t even give me a chance as I waited in the queue for almost 15 minutes with not even a hint that I was going to be served anytime soon. The lady working was busily writing on the chalkboard about what was next on the menu and didn’t seem to notice or care that there was a line forming behind her. I live nearby and was looking forward to trying this place out but I’m afraid I am going to give it a miss because, after all, first impressions are everything, right?

Big fan of this spot. I went here for brunch on a sunny Saturday, and couldn’t have been happier. Towpath is along Regent’s canal and all the tables are outside, so Towpath is prime real estate for soaking up some London sun.
Towpath’s menu changes daily and is written on a chalkboard. My friend and I both had a dish with courgette, cannelloni beans, and saffron and it was delicious. The dish wasn’t exactly what I imagined — it was hot and somewhat soup-​y, but definitely tasty. We also shared a scrumptious oat, chocolate chip, and walnut cookie. Decent selection of wines and beers to supplement the food.
Lastly, the folks who work at Towpath are super friendly.
Definitely check this place out if you have a chance. Would recommend going on a warm Saturday for breakfast and then heading to Broadway Market for lunch — another foodie haven!

What a fab place this is to spend a lazy morning on a Summer’s day sitting at one of its many communal tables and benches. The café stretches along Regent’s Canal (think Dalston rather than Angel) and is south facing which makes it a perfect sun trap — sometimes it is almost too hot. Although it is often very busy (particularly on those sunny days which make it so nice) I always seem to be able to find a spot.
Depending on when you come you will either find Breakfast or Lunch items coming forth from the kitchen — the cheese toasties are particularly good — along with well made coffee, cakes and ice cream. Today we also enjoyed home made ginger beer which has a good level of ginger kick without becoming over powering and affogato which, made with home made ice cream tasted divine. However everything we have had here has been great so it feels a little unfair to play favourites! Enjoy!

Lovely little café on Regents canal — between Kingsland and Angel.
Serve all types of snacks, coffees, cakes etc.
Due to the fab location, it gets really busy, especially at the weekends! So expect a bit of a queue for your latte and muffin!
The good thing is that it is outside, so you can sit on the grassy areas and watch the swans glide by!
Lovely spot!

Canalside café just off the kingsland road, a wonderful location with water ducks and music. Run by a lady who originally hails from LA it has a distinctly east london feel and serves sone amazing fresh food.
We had whole artichokes, rice stuffed peerless and mussels all while being entertained by a wonderful folk band who sat in a floating platform. Only one complaint make better bloody marys! It tasted like red water!

I had a fantastic sausage sandwich here last Saturday. The space is lovely and I often walk past on my way to Islington from Broadway market.
The cakes look good too but I am yet to indulge in them. There are a few seats outside and a picnic-​style area nearer the bridge that you can sit at. It was pretty busy at brunch time but it didn’t take long to place my order and I was munching away on sausage+onions+ketchup+bread before too long.

I found this place after meeting friends in Angel, who decided not to get a bite to eat in that area, so we went for a walk on the regents canal. I told them I saw a review of this really cool café place on the canal on Unilocal.They didn’t believe at first! as it was quite a long walk from Angel. It is actually better to walk from the Dalston to Angel route, than the other way round!
We finally found it just off Dalston, its a very small café with a few communal tables and chairs dotted on the canal. Sandwhich dishes are about £6. I got the ham and my friend brought the salmon terrine, which was very tasty with cucumber salad. I think they only have a number of set dishes because after we left about 4pm, the salmon sold out. I also brought the homemade ginger beer which was rather fiery, just how i like my ginger beer!
I agree with Ben M. who said it reminded him of those teepee tent/​cafes at Glastonbury.
I cannot fault the place so I have decided to give 5 stars. A ideal place to have a drink, brunch or cake on a sunny day. Is dog friendly as well.
Keep it a secret though!

Lovely place just by the canal, not far from Kingsland Road. It’s a perfect spot to stop and sit down and watch life slowly float past, or roll by on a bike as it might be.
I can’t speak for the coffee or the food here, though they both looked good. My review is based on the cold coffee. Being a gloriously sunny and hot day I wanted something to cool me down. If the review was purely based on that coffee I’d give it three stars. It was pre-​made stuff poured out of a jar and not particularly good. I am giving Towpath the benefit of the doubt thought and also giving it an extra star for the friendly staff and the excellent location.

I completely agree with all of the other Unilocalers here…
Excellent food, basic but well prepared using seasonal ingredients. The location is fantastic, overlooking the canal with walkers and cyclists passing by. I had a kedgeree when I visited — it was nearly perfect. Nice coffee.
During my visit, the best aspect was the friendliness of the staff. The owner really makes the effort to speak to the clients and to build relationships.
The only downside is that its popularity makes it difficult to get a place on one of the tables…
An essential stop on your way to or from Broadway or as you walk along the canal. Fantastic addition to the area.

Location, location, location. (And of course deliciously cheesy toasted cheese sandos.)
By now everyone knows that Towpath is *the* must-​stop café along the canal between Angel and Victoria Park. (I never make it past Broadway Market, let’s be honest.) As they don’t do take-​away cups, plan your adventure to include a short people watching stay at their long communal tables, order something fabulous off their rotating daily menu, and if you’re lucky enough to get there in time, have a bowl of their daily homemade soup as well. Why not make an afternoon out of it?
Unfortunately Towpath isn’t as hidden as you would like on Saturday mornings right ’round brunch time, so unless you come early, plan on cosying up with your queue-​mates and waiting a bit. It’s worth it.

Working near Soho, I have access to a fantastic array of coffee houses all the time, so when someone who frequents the likes of Lantana, Milkbar, Flat White, Wild & Woods and Monmouth says this is the best coffee he has had for a while, it’s worth a visit.
This is the best coffee I’ve had for a while. It’s definitely worth a visit.
The staff are lovely too, and so are the cakes, not to mention the location on the canal towpath :)

Now, a place doesn’t get more secret than this. Hidden away on the towpath of the canal, this is a perfect place to sit and spend the afternoon watching the water.
I came here to try out their bownie but after hearing about the specialty coffee they did here, I just had to try it. It’s from a little place just outside Milan and it’s called Piansa. Smooth and mellow, if you take sugar in your coffee, you won’t need it here.
There is a small selection of mismatched tables and chairs for you to perch on, you can even watch the ducklings swim by! They even do a full cooked brunch and breakfast on the weekends — ideal!
Now I have a few things to moan about, not enough for me to remove a star but stuff that should be said. It’s a little pricey, £4.80 for a coffee and brownie. The brownie was a little too fudgy for my liking. And finally, they don’t have a loo. You all know how I feel about that now!
Just for the record, all the food they sell they make themselves, apart from the bread. Now that is impressive!

This is one of my favorite places to eat in the neighborhood, especially while we have this amazing summer weather. Situated right on Regent’s Canal, a few 100 yards west of the Kingsland road entrance, the Towpath Café is unlike any eating establishment in my E8/​N1 postcode. If you come on the weekend, you can thrift shop on the Northeast corner of Kingsland and the Canal at street level, and afterwards walk down the ramp, grab a table on the path or a seat in the tiny platformed alcove with a roof to shield you from the rays. If you have bicycle, you can get it tuned up next door while you sip on a glass of rose or their homemade ginger beer.
Designed by the food critic, Lori de Mori, the food is prepared from gorgeous locally sourced ingredients — fresh tomatoes, red cabbage, green onions, rocket and some lovely sourdough bread. I usually get the grilled cheese, one of the best I’ve had in the city, even inspiring me to attempt recreating it at home. Their coffee is yummy, their watermelon juice is fresh, their desserts are divine, and next time I go, I plan on ordering the paella, which I’ve yet to sample.
Kid-​friendly, pet friendly and yes, hipster friendly too, but laid back enough to not have an air of snobbiness about. Just be sure to not let your kids or hipster friends fall into the canal.

Dang, wish I had taken photos. I was so sure that there would be so many reviews of this place. This place is on the towpath not too far from Kingsland road. It is a counter service with outdoor tables (note there is only only one big table for indoor seating). They have a lovely grilled cheese, tortilla, cakes, coffee, wine, etc. A great place to sit and soak up the sun, people watch and chill along the canal.

I loved this place so much that I thought that if I keep my mouth shut may be it wouldn’t get rather packed. But then I realised being selfish isn’t worth and what makes this café so nice is also the constant coming and going of customers (as long as I can find an available seat).
Located in Regent’s Canal off Kingsland Road and not so far away from Broadway Market this is an outside café, with just a counter, a few tables, chairs and benches in a fabulous location. It’s a wonderful spot not only to grab a coffe, but even to have a breakfast (definitely try the granola) or a very simple brunch (they got quiches and wonderful toasted sandwiches) while taking sun and reading your newspaper, or just knitting while watching kids and dogs play. I can’t think in a better way to spend a sunny Saturday morning while drinking my latte.
And if you’re not that morning person you still can enjoy it as they are open for happy hours as well, and you can have a glass of wine during the sunset
Like an enchanted place surrounded by little dwarfs and magical ducks this is definitely my spring/​summer spot.