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Best Pop-Ups In London
From winter wonderlands to one-day-only immersive experiences and the coolest restaurant collabs, never miss one of these one-off wonders ever again. This is our up-to-the-minute guide to the best London pop-ups to check out.
The London pop-up scene has completely changed over the last few years, going from people taking over an empty shop to test the waters of running a physical space to brands creating totally immersive and incredibly detailed mini-worlds. Lots of the pop-ups that appear in the capital are seasonal, with rooftop bars and outdoor cinemas appearing in the summer, and festive terraces and Christmas markets arriving in the winter. Food pop-ups in London have always been popular, with lots of chefs running restaurant residencies before going out on their own, and these usually last a while so you have plenty of time to check them out. Other London pop-ups open in the blink of an eye though, so it pays to keep your eyes peeled as you walk around the city.
Given their transient nature, keeping track of pop-ups in London can be tricky – some of them are only around for a day – so we’re here to bring you the best pop-ups in London today, the best free pop-ups in London and all the food pop-ups in London that are coming your way.
Following the closure of his restaurants at Birch in Croydon, Lee Westcott is back in South London, popping up at Robin Gill’s Brixton wine bar Bottle + Rye. The six-week stint is a space for him to try out some dishes as he looks for a permanent pub space in East London, and the French/Southern Med-inspired menu he’s cooking up sounds good. You can expect dishes like oysters with fermented wild garlic, grilled asparagus with purple sprouting broccoli and seaweed hollandaise, aged sirloin steak tartare with crispy potato, Cornish bouillabaisse with baguette and rouille, breast of lamb with spring veg and salsa verde, and Yorkshire rhubarb choux bun, and there’s also a £40 set menu option available too.
Fancy playing a round of crazy golf, catching a movie, hitting some bullseyes or shaking it out with a dance class? Well you can do it all at Roof East. Yes the Stratford rooftop is jam-packed with activities, including Rooftop Film Club, Sluggers batting cages, Birdies crazy golf, Arrows archery, Glitter Bowls lawn games, giant jenga, cornhole and table tennis. You can stay well fed and watered with the roof’s five bars and street food from the likes of Chick ‘n’ Sours, Piddaji and Cheeky Burger, and of course, you’ve got those mega views over the Stratford to enjoy.
BLACK CACTUS AT EXALE TAP
From 25th April 2024
Uplands Business Park, Blackhorse Lane, London E17 5QJ
Enjoy a summer of beer and BBQ at Exale Tap as the Walthamstow taproom plays host to smoked meat specialists Black Cactus and their 500 gallon pit smoker. The menu, showcasing produce from the UK’s best meat suppliers, will be changing regularly but you can expect the likes of Texas-style BBQ trays, dry-aged ex-dairy cow smoked burgers, chimichurri brisket rolls, and char siu pork belly banh mi (and yes, there will be veggie dishes on offer too). Get your BBQ and Exale brew fix Thurs – Sun.
Ixta Belfrage, chef and award-winning author of Mezcla: Recipes to Excite, is going to be taking over the kitchen at The Standard’s Isla for three months this spring. The all-day restaurant will be serving up an exclusive flavour-packed menu inspired by the recipes in Ixta’s hit cookbook and the culinary traditions of Italy, Brazil and Mexico, with the star of the show being a fan-favourite, her king prawn lasagne. Other highlights will include guava roast duck tacos with chipotle crema; crisped sticky rice stuffed aubergine; a moqueca fish slider on curried coconut brioche; sea bream and yellow tomato aguachile; and honey-roasted cashew ice cream choco-taco.
After saying a sad goodbye to its former home on Scala Street in Fitzrovia last January, Pollock’s Toy Museum is coming back to London – this time, in pop-up form. The (now, mini) museum will be moving into a space in Croydon’s Whitgift Centre in January for a six-month residency and it’ll be bringing plenty of whimsical toys, games, dolls and theatres along with it. There’ll also be a display of toys made in a local factory, A Barton, exclusive to the Croydon pop-up. They’re open on Saturdays from 10am until 4pm and entry is free (plus, there’ll be special toy theatre shows on Sat 20th January to mark the opening), but donations are welcome and will go towards saving the collection and supporting the museum’s hunt for a new permanent home.
Afro-fusion street food biz Cally Munchy, run by Ebenezer Sogunro, which has been popping up at markets and at festivals across London as well as running a catering operation is taking up residence at The Africa Centre in Southwark. The regular Cally Munchy offering includes dishes like suya steak, spiced chicken, kelewele (Ghanaian seasoned plantain), and jollof ‘n’ peas and the brand’s signature Shi-Tuan chilli sauce, and these will be appearing on the Cally Munchy Lounge menu.
Islington’s beloved The Compton Arms (which managed to survive a licence review last year) is welcoming a new kitchen residency, taking over from Reece Moore’s Belly. Tiella, run by chef Dara Klein (who’s cooked at Brawn, Trullo and most recently, Sager + Wilde), is all about traditional, rustic Italian food, including the eponymous Puglian dish tiella, made with layers of rice, vegetables, mussels, cacio cavallo & pecorino. The menu will also feature the likes of sagne ‘ncannulate pasta with eight-hour tomato sauce, sage & anchovy fritti, braised hoggett shoulder with polenta & vignole, asparagus with mozzarella & saffron sauce, and bay panna cotta with Fernet Branca & blueberries.
Ever fancied dining on a disused Victoria line train? Rest assured, this retired TFL carriage is not the pollution filled, chewing gum laden sweatbox you’re used to on the commute home from work. Oh no, it’s a 1967 refurbished carriage which has been promoted to fine dining status with tables, linens, fine silverware, a curated playlist and dimmed lights to create an intimate atmosphere. Onboard you’ll be greeted with a welcome drink then seated for a 6-course meal from Colombian head chef Beatriz Maldonado Carreño. Expect dishes like sweetcorn dumplings with smoky corn salad and queso fresco; ceviche Ecuatoriano, that’s hake and prawns cured in lime and chilli; and an asado of beef and roasted corn fed chicken with chimichurri, and cassava chips.