Located at Sweetwater Mooring on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it boasts a fine dining floating restaurant, a riverside terrace, a garden, a sister ship that sells drinks and gelato and plenty of space to stretch out alongside the River Lee Navigation canal.
It even offers paddleboard, kayak and canoe hire and that’s before you even mention the connections to DJs, live music and entertainers.
Fine dining is available on board – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
flexible options for all kinds of function
“We’ve got space at Barge East for almost any type of function, from weddings to corporate away-days and festival-style summer parties,” said Stuart ‘Tommo’ Thomson, one of the three founders of the business.
“We’ve got restaurants, with outdoor menus and terrace menus, with Parisian bistro-style, and our street food menus with amazing burgers.
We’ve got food across different price points, and all of it is sustainably sourced, using responsible suppliers.
“There’s our 125-year-old Dutch barge and the Milk Float, a more modern wide beam vessel with a beautiful sun deck that overlooks the London Stadium.”
Executive chef Kayla Dimmick and her team hard at work in the venue’s kitchen – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
In addition to adding this new ship to the fleet, Barge East is also now operating the Moo Canoes hire business, allowing people to explore east London’s waterways via stand up paddleboard, canoe or kayak.
“We can offer all sorts of activities and events at Barge East for groups of any size.
“We can organise garden games, entertainers and live music outside and we’re happy to signpost Bola Beach Tennis next to us and work alongside them in collaboration.
“Companies are welcome to use Barge East for a whole day or use us as a base to explore the area.
“There’s so much going on around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Hackney Wick.
“We’ve even introduced a litter-picking day every month where groups go out on the boats, help clear the waterways and then swap the bag of rubbish they’ve collected for a beer.”
Barge East offers bistro style dining on the canalside – image by Barge East
space for summer parties
Barge East is located a short walk from Hackney Wick station and can also be easily accessed from Stratford.
The boat itself can handle standing receptions for up to 80, while its Terrace and Gardens can take up to 150 and 300 respectively.
The Milk Float is suitable for standing parties of up to 80 and all of the venue’s spaces can be booked in combination.
Barge East offers a wide range of party packages starting at £15 per head.
Executive chef Kayla Dimmick oversees all the food on-site including dishes created with ingredients from the venue’s edible garden.
Those seeking a deal can visit Barge East’s Terrace on weekdays from noon-4pm to indulge in its £10 lunch offer and enjoy a Chicken Burger or Mushroom Burger with a drink for a tenner.
The Milk Float has joined the Barge East fleet – image by Barge East
Kayla Dimmick has officially taken the tiller in the kitchen as Barge East’s newly appointed executive chef, setting the course of all food on board and by the towpath.
Originally from California, she trained at Le Cordon Bleu and cut her teeth at the Water Grill in Los Angeles before embarking on a career in high-end catering, cooking for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell, Maroon Five and Reese Witherspoon.
She said: “I think my grandma has a huge impact on me because we were always in the kitchen.
“I’m half Japanese and she taught me how to bake dishes from Japan. The other influence was watching the food networks.
“Going to do my diploma at 19 was great because it gave me a really good grounding in the science of cooking.
“When you’re baking, for example, you need that knowledge, because everything has to be so precise and there are so many variables.
“It’s not just following the recipes, it’s about knowing how to adjust them to the humidity of the kitchen, for example.
“I really wanted to work in London – a move to a different country was getting me out of my comfort zone – and I was sponsored to do that by Barge East’s former executive chef, Stefano Camplone.
“I started off as sous-chef three years ago and I really liked the ethos of the restaurant – the food has always been very seasonal and sustainable.”
Stracciatella (the creamy bit in a burrata) served with a lush garnish of peas, broad beans, cucumber, thai basil and broccoli flowers (£11.50) – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
a taste of spring
Promoted to head chef and now executive chef, Kayla recently unveiled her first menu in her new role, ably assisted by fellow cook Solomon Aveyard.
“Our dishes always start with the ingredients – that’s where the inspiration comes from,” said Kayla.
“We bring in our suppliers, look at their sample boxes, taste them and then base our plans on what we will be growing in our waterside garden.
“It’s amazing to have that just next to the boat and it means we have fresh ingredients we can use every day.”
Kayla’s spring menu features snacks, small plates, large plates and sides as well as a choice of three desserts.
Highlights include Wildfarmed Foccacia with foraged wild garlic butter that boasts a substantial, meaty texture (£2.50), Lamb Belly Skewers with gooseberries from the garden (£9.90) and Stracciatella (the creamy bit in a burrata) served with a lush garnish of peas, broad beans, cucumber, thai basil and broccoli flowers (£11.50).
A top large plate choice is Beef Rump, rich red and juicy with a turnip cake, a chunky halved courgette and a bordelaise sauce (£32).
There’s a relentless focus on quality, spare, elegant presentation and freshness.
Kayla started at Barge East as sous chef and is now in charge of all of the venue’s food – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
sweet flavours at Barge East
“My favourite dish is actually one of the desserts,” said Kayla.
“When I was training, people used to call me Betty Crocker because of how well my baking turned out.
“I like measuring everything, there’s an exactness about it.
“Instead of a traditional rum baba, we’re serving a version with fermented Japanese plum wine – it’s potent, very citrussy and flavourful, which fits perfectly with forced rhubarb and a diplomat – a combination of crème anglaise and whipped cream.
“It’s rich and then you have that sharpness – it’s delicious.”
Barge East has been awarded two AA rosettes for the past three years running and will continue its fine dining offering aboard the Dutch vessel.
However, its presence on land is growing and changing.
Barge East will continue to serve up fine dining on board with an expanded canalside offering this summer – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
expanding Barge East outside
“Outside we have huge plans for the spring and summer,” said Kayla.
“We’ll soon be launching an area called The Terrace, which ties in with the food on the boat but in a bistro style.
“It will be outdoor table service with a Parisian vibe, serving snacks, steak frites and a plat du jour.
“Then we’ll be moving our street food offering to the garden.”
That shift comes as Barge East has added to its fleet, taking over neighbouring vessel the Milk Float, which will serve a selection of drinks as well as chilled treats from east London’s La Gelatiera.
This will also provide a base for canoe, kayak and paddleboard hire on the canal.
It’s a significant expansion for a business that started with three friends – Ryan, Blandy and Tommo – sailing Dutch Barge De Hoop over from Holland with the aim of turning it into a restaurant.
Beef Rump, rich red and juicy with a turnip cake, a chunky halved courgette and a bordelaise sauce (£32) – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
on the water for the summer
“We’re planning to open the Milk Float from April 30, 2026, with the aim of turning it into more of a cafe, floating bar and an events space,” said Stuart ‘Tommo’ Thomson, who also runs Skuna Boats in Canary Wharf.
“It’s going to have the best gelato I’ve ever tasted – selecting them from a choice of 60 was one of the best things I’ve done since we started the restaurant.
“We’re really excited about the summer – Hackney Wick always feels like a festival when the weather is warmer because there’s so much going on.
“We’re also looking at the mooring on the other side of us to see what we might be able to do on the water with that – we’re always looking to make things more vibrant on the water.”
In the more immediate future, Barge East also has plans in the works for a brunch offering, aimed at attracting weekend diners earlier in the day.
“I’m really excited about this,” said Kayla.
“I want to create a menu of really good brunch staples so we can add that to the offering.
“Everything is still to be confirmed, but I’d love to do a take on a salt beef bagel with hot mustard.
“Sometimes the meat can be quite dry, but I want to make one that’s really juicy on a really good quality bagel that we can source locally.”
Baba with Japanese plum wine and forced rhubarb at Barge East – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
key details: Barge East
Barge East is located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opposite Hackney Wick at Sweetwater Mooring.
The venue is set to be open seven days a week from April 30, 2026.
