Towpath Cafe in Hackney

Cec recommended this place by the canal, we made it the last week before it closed for winter! It was a little chilly and rainy on the day but we were under the awnings. Delicious homely food, flavours are in good hands… the onglet was a personal favourite. A good place to sit and talk all afternoon.No bathroom however!

TLDR; Very interesting menu and good location right by the canal. It is a local favourite but can be a bit pricey and exposed to the elements on a windy/rainy day.Came here for lunch and had the duck rillette and the chorizo with sweet corn purée. The portion size was on the smaller side but what it lacked in volume was made up by intense flavour. A tad on the expensive side for the amount you get but the quality speaks for itselfThe seating is mostly outdoors and very exposed to the elements. On a nice sunny day today it was lovely but would recommend checking the weather forecast before dropping by.The atmosphere of this place must also be mentioned. This place has been around for 12 years and even published its own cook book. Waiting staff know many of their customers by name. It’s a local favourite for sure.

I really wanted to enjoy it here but it was some of the most unhelpful and unfriendly service I’ve had in a long time. The food was nice but not mind blowing for the price and after waiting half an hour for a table, then another 40 minutes for food is just a bit ridiculous. We had to ask for napkins, cutlery and water from waitress - is it not a given to bring that? And I really cannot get on board with no toilets, just bizarre. What if you’re pregnant? Such a shame for such a gorgeous setting.

Staff are friendly, service was slow. They were full but some customers were already eating so only about 16 to serve and food is all quick brunch type menu. Expensive too. 2 small glasses about 100ml of cappuccino with froth and 2 small slices of sourdough bread with a pate and parmesan £17.80

Frat breakfast. We waited for 20’ as we were informed at our arrival. Easy going with place, the service was chill and nice, albeit they were busy. Incredible toast with home made bread and fried mint! Next time I’ll try sausage sandwich!! I leave some legendary pics of this.

Best little no-frills cafe and restaurant along the canal! This place is a real hidden gem💎 and serves the most delicious food - I can't imagine how they do it in that tiny kitchen, but the food is fresh, refreshing, seasonal and so inventive. The flavours just work! They don't take reservations so you have to come early/get lucky but definitely worth the trek over.

Great location with views of the canal and people walking by. The food is excellent (the sage fried eggs are hands down the best breakfast item I've had in London). The coffee is amazing. I would definitely recommend Towpath ONLY if you are willing to wait an exceptionally long time for your food to arrive. I think it's due to the small capacity kitchen. It may be worth the wait on a nice warm day, but otherwise, I would not be willing to wait 25 minutes for eggs.

Pros: Great spot on the canal! And the food is delicious. Price for main dishes are fair. Cons: The "farinata" starter portion was so tiny I felt outraged I was paying that much for it! And, unfortunately, wine is expensive too.

Such positive energy that reflects in their food and service. Everyone here is kind and generous. One of the rare places in London where you feel at home :)

Extremely expensive for very very little. I paid £12.50 for a very plain and small cheese on toast and a latte that came in a glass the size of a thimble. We were told there were vegan options for my friend, this was just a complete lie. They instead modified 3 items on the menu by removing items from the plate so that only "vegan" beans were left. The photo is what they gave my vegan friend. Both myself and my friend walked away out of pocket and hungry. I recommend avoiding this place and instead walking two minutes further down the canal to Cafe Route Haggerston.