At east London’s Barge House, find a breakfast to fall in loaf with.
The lovely Barge House bar-restaurant sits on Regents Canal near Haggerston. Floor-to-ceiling windows, which open on sunny days, let the light flood in – and passers-by on the towpath envy you and your mighty breakfast.
So far, so good. But the highlight of a Barge House weekend is their signature ‘breakfast in bread.’ In one substantial and satisfying dish, the kitchen hollows out an artisan sourdough loaf from their neighbours at the ‘Better Health Bakery.’ Then, immediately countermanding the ‘better health’ aspect, they fill the void with everything a Full English has to offer.
The omnivore will likely opt for the original version, loaded with smoked bacon, sausage, slow roasted tomato, leeks, oyster mushrooms, and spinach, topped with a fried egg and cheese. YES SON.
But there are other takes on the format, too. A vegan version with avocado, chargrilled shallot, butter beans, spinach, slow roasted tomato, oyster mushrooms and vegan cheese is also available; other variations include vegetarian and smoked-salmon.
The Barge House serves up this loaf-from-heaven all day every weekend, so even the desperately-hungover should be able to avail themselves at some point. Oh, and a recent development allows you to take your breakfast out on the water, as The Barge House Brunch Boat is now sailing down the canal. Once you’ve ordered your food and cocktails and had it delivered to the boat, you and up to five other dining pals will be whisked off for a private cruise, with enough time to tackle that breakfast in bread before docking up once more.
Location: 46a De Beauvoir Crescent, Haggerston, N1 5RY. Nearest station is Haggerston. Find it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: currently operating on reduced hours, from 10am-5pm on weekends.
Price: the dish in question is around £15, trips on the Brunch Boat cost £60, not including food.
More information: visit their website.
Also published on Medium.