Towpath – Introduction

Sometimes we stumble across a place that we come to love, on other occasions we are taken to a place someone else loves and we instantly love it. The latter is the case with Towpath in London.

We were taken there by our friend Will Gleave who we got to know during his long stint at one of Tasmania’s best restaurants ever, Garagistes in Hobart.

Will and Luke Burgess made a formidable team at the stoves turning local products into stunning dishes that atrracted customers from far and wide. It was also the first restaurant in Australia to serve only organic foods and natural wines.

So it was wonderful to catch up with Will and discuss the London restaurant scene and some of the innovative people he has been working with since he returned to his home town.

Will chose an interesting venue on the banks of the Regent’s Canal in Shoreditch. It is called the Towpath Café after the path along the edge of the canal that it sits beside.

It was a lovely summmer’s morning in June and our table was bathed in sunshine. We sat looking out over the frenetic work going on in turning every inch of the canal’s border into apartments.

The converation twisted and turned from reminicences of Will’s time in Hobart to the current London restaurant scene and his family and professional life.

We sipped decent espresso coffees while waiting for the food to arrive which we had chosen from the blackboard hanging near the open kitchen.

All of the food was amazing. Each dish was of the type that many call simple, yet so much work goes into growing the produce, selecting the produce and presenting it that nothing about these dishes could be called simple.

The menu displays the dishes that were available on the morning we dined at Towpath.

The first dish was fresh melon, yoghurt and hazelnuts which was a pleasant start to our breakfast especially considering that the melon was very fresh and perfectly ripe.

Next came the granola providing crunch and the strawberries which had been selected with care and which provided a beautiful contrast to the granola.

Next came two savoury dishes the first of which was a selection of sliced, fresh tomatoes which had been enhanced with a judicious application of paprika and garlic.

And the final dish was a trip to India with a beautiful dish of masala dal with various accompaniments including yoghurt, tomato, red onion and chilli relish.

It was very pleasant sitting watching the activity in the adjacent canal and the activity in the pathway beside it.

You can check opening hours and more information about Towpath here.

We have also included this venue in our summary of where to eat in London here.

The address details are shown below but always check their Web site in case there has been a change in opening hours.