I personally think that if you’re the genius responsible for London’s cheese conveyor belt restaurant, you’ve well-and-truly done your bit for humanity. But clearly, the man in question – The Cheese Bar founder Mathew Carver – doesn’t agree. Because shortly after opening the acclaimed site, he then went ahead and opened another dairy good cheese-fuelled spot: a floating cheese restaurant in Paddington called The Cheese Barge. Not all heroes wear capes, folks.
A double-decker barge modelled on the marine-inspired Electa bookstore in Venice, The Cheese Barge was forged in the fires of a Somerset boatyard. It’s moored securely in the Paddington Basin, but that didn’t stop it making waves across London’s restaurant scene when it opened. With an emphasis on British produce and ingredients, the floating restaurant serves up seasonal dishes that champion the very best of British cheese.
Naturally, we had to go and check it out for ourselves…
The Cheese Barge menu
The menu changes fairly frequently with the seasons. Still, you’ll always find a variety of small plates, sharing plates, Grilled Cheese sandwiches, and sides. Oh, and a wealth of cheese – obviously!
Small plates include the likes of the Seasonal British Cured Meat Selection or the Cropwell Bishop Stilton & Walnut Croquettes. But be sure you don’t miss the Westcombe Curried Cheese Curds, which are served with chilli honey and are dangerously moreish.
If you’re extra hungry, the sharing menu includes Smoked Kirkhams Aligot & Braised Lamb (aka, ultra-cheesy potatoes and lamb) and a big ol’ Baked Baron Bigod Brie. There’s also (e)dam gouda selection of grilled cheese sandwiches. These come filled with the likes of Keen’s Cheddar, Montgomery’s Ogleshield & Mixed Onion or La Latteria Mozzarella, Smoked Bacon & Chilli Honey.
But if you’re just here to gorge yourself on ALL THE CHEESE they’ve got everything from Cropwell Bishop Stilton to Smoked Kirkham Lancashire, Cornish Gouda, and more.
The lower deck features a 40-seat dining room, but on a sunny day, you’ll want to make a beeline for the open-air upper deck. Just imagine the sun on your face as you tuck into plateful(s) of fromage and a chilled glass of wine. What (cheese-y) bliss!
All in all, The Cheese Barge is absolutely swell. Truly, it’s the Mayflower of manchego, the Cutty Sark of cheddar, the Titanic of taleggio – erm, maybe not that last one…