Sunday Morning Sauna & Scran in North London
From a floating sauna to a well-fired roll — an excellent way to spend a Sunday in Islington.
Tucked along the Regent’s Canal, a short stroll from Angel, sits Sanos, a floating sauna and cold plunge set on a canal boat pontoon. From the towpath, it looks slightly mysterious — a boat full of half-dressed strangers staring out the window at dog walkers who are, in turn, staring right back.
Inside, it’s simple: one large sauna room with a window overlooking the canal and space for up to twenty people. When we visited, there were eighteen of us, which felt busy but comfortable. Unlike most saunas, where everyone sits in polite silence, this one was full of chat. Perhaps it’s the shared anticipation of what’s coming next.
Because the cold plunge here is no joke.
Where other places ease you in with “refreshing” intervals, Sanos goes straight for the jugular. The plunge was hovering between one and four degrees when we visited. Brutal. Competitive spirit quickly kicks in while watching others dip in and out — people who had sworn they wouldn’t even attempt it suddenly find themselves waist deep. I managed twenty seconds to chest height. Others lasted well over a minute. Fair play.
After 45 minutes of alternating between sauna and icy bravado, we wandered back along the canal towards Angel for breakfast at The Auld Hag, a Scottish-run café specialising in breakfast baps and pies.
Their pride and joy is the roll itself. What Scots might call a soft roll and we’d call a Belfast bap: fluffy centre, high domed top. You can choose soft, crispy or well-fired. Trust me — you want the well-fired. Dark and almost charcoal on the outside but still soft inside. Crucially, it won’t shatter your teeth the way some fashionable London sourdough might.
You build your own bap. Bacon and eggs are standard, but there are proper Glaswegian additions too: haggis, veggie haggis, and square sausage — the latter very similar to the vegetable roll we grew up with in the north of Ireland (despite containing almost no vegetables whatsoever).
My order: square sausage, fried egg and a tattie scone — or potato farl if you’re from my side of the water — in a well-fired roll with brown sauce. Alongside it, a Glaswegian cola, sweeter than the usual brands and oddly perfect after a freezing plunge.
The place was packed, with a queue forming out the door as a group of female cyclists rolled in just as we were leaving. Despite the rush, service was quick, the staff were lovely, and everything tasted fresh.
We didn’t try the pies — though the chicken curry and mac and cheese versions looked extremely popular — but based on the bap alone, I’d happily return.
Sanos costs £20 for 45 minutes, and no one comes rushing you out when the time’s up. Frankly, after multiple rounds of near-Arctic immersion, you’ll be ready to go.
Sauna, canal walk, breakfast bap.
A slightly unusual way to spend a Sunday morning — but a very good one.
What looks like a charmingly affordable neighbourhood spot can escalate quickly. With a bottle of wine (not cheap, though well recommended), tiramisu and the rest, our bill came to £173. A little punchy for a midweek supper.
So, do I love it?
Yes. And no.
The food is great, bordering on excellent. The staff are warm. The setting – especially on a winter evening, candlelight flickering as double-deckers glide past the windows – is genuinely special. It feels like London in the way only proper neighbourhood restaurants do.
But am I rushing back for the third time? Not quite.
Lupa is very good. It might even be great. I’m just not entirely sure it’s essential. Maybe that’s for you to decide.
PS Look out for its hunky owner being featured on Topjaw’s Instagram site. I saw him being interviewed on the one sunny day we had this year so far!
