The cosiest winter pop-ups and Christmas bars in London

Somerset House’s iconic ice rink has become a Christmas tradition for Londoners and visitors heading to the capital for some festive cheer. There’s good reason – gliding (or, at least, attempting to) around the rink, gazing upon the Georgian architecture and 40ft Christmas tree feels like you’ve skated onto a movie set, ready to be watched by families settling in for their post-turkey food coma. There’s more to this rink than just skating, though. Jimmy Garcia’s ski lodge-inspired pop-up  The Chalet has returned, serving up a variety of Alpine-inspired goodies, including decadent British cheese fondues made with Coastal Cheddar and Ogleshield, charcuterie plates, pommes aligot and crudités. Follow it up with a crisp glass of rosé in Whispering Angel’s rinkside skate. 

Find more places to go ice skating in London

Dreaming of a kitsch Christmas? New York’s famous Miracle on Ninth Street bar is popping up in London for its seventh year, ‘50s Christmas decorations, nostalgic accessories and creative new spins on beloved cocktail favourites in tow. This year’s menu is still a work in progress, but past years have seen the bar slinging the likes of a Snowball Old Fashioned or a Christmapoliton, which includes cranberry sauce and absinthe mist – a take on Christmas trimmings that’s not for the faint-hearted. If you’re failing to find the Christmas spirit, this is one great place to come find it.

What’s more Christmassy than visiting Santa’s grotto? Going for a pint or two with the man in red in his favourite boozer, of course. Humbug, an immersive Christmas dive bar, allows you to do just that – and join Mr Claus in rounds of games, sing-a-longs, live performances, storytelling and more. It’s all threaded together with a mission to cheer a weary Santa up and help him rekindle his Christmas spirit. Humbug’s 2024 return will include a shrine to the queen of Christmas Mariah Carey, a beer can bowling alley, a grotto and cabaret from the venue’s regular cast. Saving the festive season never sounded so fun.

Every winter the Southbank Centre turns the banks of the Thames into a frosty wonderland, full of little wooden Alpine-style cabins selling gifts, warming drinks, and snacks. And one of the mainstays of this festive funscape is pop-up king Jimmy Garcia, who has brought back his cosy raclette bar Fire & Fromage, a cosy winter lodge where you can feast on all you can eat raclette, enjoy decadent hot chocolates and toast marshmallows around a series of roaring fire pits, all while taking in the sparkling riverside views.

Curling has been growing in popularity in recent years, nudged on by its compelling showings at various Winter Olympics, and you can try your hand at it in King’s Cross this winter. This pop-up outdoor arena boasts six synthetic curling lanes, on which you can curl your heart out for 45 minutes before rewarding yourself with a tasty cocktail at the Curling Club bar. Last year’s 90s theme is being replaced by bright neons, with Walthamstow’s God’s Own Junkyard recreating their warehouse in the bar. Booking opens on October 11.

The Lost Estate’s long-running seasonal show The Great Christmas Feast plunges visitors into Victorian London on Christmas Eve 1843, into the heart of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. For the hefty ticket prices (the standard package will set you back £135pp) you’ll be treated to a performance of the tale, which combines theatre and music, and served up a three-course Victorian feasting menu (think confit duck, terrine and plum pudding ice cream). There’s also a Victorian-themed cocktail menu featuring such concoctions as the ‘Smoking Bishop’ and a shareable ‘Party House Punch’. 

Got a thirst for adventure and winter-themed alcoholic drinks? Up at The O2 – the entertainment centre’s dare-devil tour that lets you climb up the outside of the famous white dome (strapped into a harness, of course) – has been given a festive makeover. All climbers will get to retreat into an immersive snow globe after reaching the 52m-high summit. Inside your promised falling snow, the sweet smell of cookies and a ‘whimsical winter set-up’ to enjoy looking out at the stonking views of the city from. There’ll also be gingerbread cookies to snack on and glasses of bubbly. 

The Coppa Club Tower Bridge’s ever-popular winter igloos are back for another winter, offering groups of four to eight the opportunity to dine on a specially-created menu with spectacular views over the Thames. This year, the bar and restaurant has partnered with Aperol on an exclusive menu of après-inspired Aperitifs – chocolate orange negroni anyone? – to enjoy while snuggled up among sheepskin blankets and twinkling Christmas lights. There are also igloos at the Putney location of Coppa Club.