I can’t take full credit for finding this date spot, it was actually my mum who found and took me and the family to it!
But if you’re on the hunt for a delicious and unique spot for brunch, dinner or a roast, Barge East should be at the top of your list to visit!
So the first thing to point out is this restaurant is on a boat, docked on a canal near Hackney, which immediately makes it really memorable and a quirky place to take a date! Now if you’re worried about motion sickness (like my mum was, haha!) there’s no need to fear. It’s secured and stationed really well so it doesn’t feel like you’re on water at all!
The boat itself, named “De Hoop” is a 114 year old Dutch barge which has been renovated and restored using reclaimed materials; the interior is gorgeous, lots of bare wood and pendant lighting whilst the outside is decorated with lots of greenery!
The star of the show here was the food – it was all incredible. They serve different menus at different points throughout the day; so far I’ve only experienced their brunch menu, but the 6 of us all had something different and all of us adored our meals.
For my brunch I had the Onglet, black pudding hash with a fried duck egg and pickled shallots – it was beautiful. I was pretty worried about it being quite heavy and meaty for a breakfast but the size was perfect and I ate every last bite with a grin on my face.
My parents had the Omelette with smoked haddock, hollandaise and chives which I also had a mouthful of and would definitely order in the future, whilst G had the Smashed Avocado with chilli jam, pea shoots, sourdough toast with added bacon and egg. The coffee was also superb – really delicious and fresh tasting with a good selection of dairy substitutes.
As I said, they also serve a separate roast menu for Sundays which I’m desperate to go back for and their evening menu sounds divine with dishes like Szechuan aubergine with ‘xo’ sauce and the N’duju scotch egg also sounds incredible.
I really recommend this if you’re around East London. It’s a 10 minute walk from Hackney Wick station and it’s also a 20 minute walk from the Stratford Olympic Park.
RATING: 9/10
COST: Breakfast for 2 with a coffee each came to £32.70 and we also had a Bloody Mary for an extra £9.5. It’s pricey but absolutely worth it for a really memorable breakfast. £££/£££££
LOCATION: River Lee, Sweetwater Mooring, White Post Ln, London E9 5EN
WEBSITE: https://www.bargeeast.com
