Eat & Drink
Originally published on Wednesday, 28th April 2010
Towpath
Artfully unfussy canalside cafe
42 De Beauvoir Crescent, N1 5SB
Location
It might not be set in what you’d call the most glamorous surroundings but, in its own rough and ready way, this hidden Regents Canal-side cafe is quite the urban idyll.
Vibe
No-frills simplicity is the name of the game here, but don’t be fooled by first impressions. The cafe’s owners, food writer Lori di Mori and her photographer husband Jason Lowe, know their stuff; the food is super seasonal, the coffee (Caffe Piansa) is from Florence and the Brown Betty teapots are stylishly low-key. Dalston’s arty, fashiony and foodie types are flocking.
Flavours
The blackboard features a newly chalked-up menu every day, usually including a couple of breakfast options (granola or porridge with stewed quince) a soup or stew, bruschetta (Swiss chard and chili, for example), a salad, the ever popular toasted Montgomery cheddar sandwich and a freshly squeezed juice (rhubarb, perhaps). You’d be hard pushed to spend more than a tenner.
Décor
To say it’s not about the decor here is an understatement. Towpath is decidedly anti-design but the communal table and little touches like the flour sack covered chairs, Duralex tumblers and vintage china have not been added without thought.
Upshot
Appealingly honest and fuss-free, we love Towpath’s integrity (they don’t do take-away they don’t want to litter the canal) but also like the fact that they’re not against a little healthy indulgence; they recently held an oyster feast and, rumour has it, have just got their drinks license. So we say it’s all over to Lori and Jason’s for rosé!