The sun is (hopefully) shining, the weather is (occasionally) warm, and the first taste of a crisp pint touches your lips. Yes, my friend, what better way is there to spend your summer than in one of the city’s pop-up restaurants or beer gardens?
The city is always full of excitement but the list of things to do in London really ramps up in the summer; from attending one of the best music festivals in London to hunting down the best spot for ice cream. But some of the most exciting options come from the less-permanent spots, which bless the capital with fantastic food and refreshing cocktails for a few weeks before disappearing along with the beer garden weather.
So if you don’t want to miss out on some of the best experiences of the summer, you’ve come to the rest place. Here’s our round up of TikTok-worthy foodie spots and temporary sun-traps hitting London.
RECOMMENDED: Find more fun in the sun in our guide to outdoor London.
The ultimate chicken wing showdown is coming to the capital at the end of July for just three days. Taking over the London Stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the festival brings together independent chicken wing traders in a competition for the title of Best Buffalo, Best BBQ and Best Wild Wing. There’s also epic eating competitions to take part in so make sure you turn up hungry.
July 28-30.
Visit www.wingfest.co.uk for more details.
If you find yourself in Islington, you’ll want to head into the backstreets to find The Compton Arms, a historic pub with a brand new residency, Tiella. This pop-up foodie haven comes from former Sager and Wilde chef Dara Klein, and features a traditional menu of rustic Italian food. Think hand-rolled pasta and luscious braised meat. Perfect with sunshine and a glass of wine.
Open now.
Visit www.comptonarms.co.uk for more details.
For one day only, London’s original hot sauce festival brings all the spice to Peckham. Head to southeast London on Saturday May 20 to try hundreds of small batch and limited edition chilli sauces from over 30 different makers. Plus, with tickets at just £2, this one won’t put too much pressure on the purse strings. You can expect live music, hot and spicy street food, and plenty of cool beers and cocktails to freshen up your palate. Let’s just hope the weather is as hot as the sauce.
May 20.
Visit www.hotsaucesociety.co.uk for more details.
For the month of May only, the terrace at Bluebird Chelsea will be transformed into a floral oasis (apologies to those with hayfever). Featuring a partnership with fragrance experts, Penhaligons, and drinks company, Fever Tree, the team have launched a fancy new cocktail menu with four exclusive drinks which are based on the fragrances and botanicals used in their products – because nothing says summer like a refreshing G&T.
May 1-31.
Visit www.bluebird-restaurant.co.uk for more details.
Low alcohol aperitif maker, Beesou, has collaborated with The Nest to offer a month-long pop-up cocktail offering in celebration of World Bee Day on May 20. If you’re someone who runs at the first buzz of a bee, you might want to give this one a miss, as the entire 360-degree rooftop will be filled with foliage, bright colours, and bee hotels to provide a safe haven for bees to rest. Alongside the cocktail menu, you can enjoy The Nest’s range of nibbles and small plates.
May 1-31.
Visit www.treehousehotels.com for more details.
Another one day wonder, this festival aims to bring together independent drinks businesses that are championing sustainability such as Wildjac, an ethical distillery that uses local-sourced ingredients, and British vodka makers, Ellers Farm which uses British apples for their craft vodka. Spending money on *another* festival when you’re broke might seem irresponsible but this one’s supporting eco-friendly brands so that cancels it out, right?
June 17.
Visit www.positivespirits.events for more details.
On select Wednesdays throughout May, Sessions is hosting a series of food party pop-ups where the guest chef gets to choose the DJ for the night, playing the music which fuels their cooking. On May 10, BBQ concept From The Ashes will be bringing their savoury doughnuts stuffed with smoky BBQ meat, alongside classic 1980s tunes. Then on May 17, come bifanas and sangria from Ana Da Costa. Feast on Portuguese sandwiches stuffed with slices of piri piri pork, listen to a funk tracklist and enjoy pitchers of sangria. Rounding up the series is a reggaeton party with soul food from Naz Ramadan.
May 10, 17, and 31.
Visit www.neighbourhoodn1.co.uk for more details.
If you’re enjoying the summer weather, why not bring your furry friend along for some fun too? Catalina’s in Fitzrovia has partnered up with dog nutrition experts, Talula Eats, to offer a three course menu for your pampered pooch. The menu includes cricket powder treats, a full meat and vegetable main, and a peony pupcake for dessert. Don’t panic, there’s a separate menu for humans.
Various dates from Apr 28.
Visit catalinas.co.uk for more details
Giving us the chance to live our summer camp dreams is the Midnight Apothecary roof garden at Brunel Museum. Here there’s a firepit to keep you warm during the sunset and (most importantly) to roast marshmallows for the perfect gooey, chocolate s’mores. There’s also a bar available serving unique cocktails full of home-grown botanicals and local spirits.
April 21- October 26.
Visit www.themidnightapothecary.co.uk for more details.
Cheese is the way to our hearts and this pop-up by Tottenham-based cheese purveyors Wine and Rind, is sure to brie grate (sorry). Taking place at Mannions, an Irish pub, the team are serving up a fantastic menu that is perhaps one of the only places in N17 where you might be able to order oysters alongside a chip butty or eat scallops and bacon together in one bap. But if you don’t fancy something quite so adventurous, there’s always Wine and Rind’s classic cheese toastie to fall back on – why mess with perfection?
Every Sunday.
Visit Wine & Rind for more details.
Ahead of the opening of the new Chishuru restaurant in the West End, Joké Bakare and some of her closest chef friends have teamed up for an eight week pop-up in Borough Market. For £45, you’ll get to taste creative West African dishes including rice and coconut pancakes, spiced goat belly skewers, and a mango and baobab dessert.
May 9-July 1.
Visit www.chishuru.com for more details.
You’ve broken out of escape rooms and you’ve thrown axes, but have you tried boules? If you haven’t played before, the aim of the game is to chuck your boule as close to the jack as possible. The first team to 13 points wins. Simple. If you fancy trying your hand, there will be eight boules courts popping up on South Bank this June, alongside a street food market and bar so you can celebrate your wins, or drown your sorrows.
Jun 15-Oct 22.
Visit www.boulepark.com for more details.
Carousel is known for its kaleidoscope of foodie offerings and this is another to add to your summer schedule. Venezuelan-born chef Paxti Andres is known for his creative mash-up of Latin American flavours and European techniques, as well as wild card twists, so maybe don’t bring your mate who only eats chicken nuggets and chips. But for the adventurous foodies among us, you’ve struck gold – fried rabbit, anyone?
May 9-13.
Visit carousel-london.com for more details.
Another Carousel pop-up to add to your list comes from guest chef, Hugo Duran, who’ll be returning with his traditional Mexican menu. You can expect the likes of octopus ceviche, and fish wrapped in authentic hoja santa leaves. It’s made for sharing, so bring friends and hungry bellies so you can dive straight in.
May 16-27.
Visit carousel-london.com for more details.
We can picture it now: the sun is out, you’re strolling along the South Bank, and the one thing that could make it better is a cocktail. Well, you’re in luck. The Thirsty Farrier will be serving up classic cocktails as well as signatures with a twist until September. But this bar isn’t just any ol’ pop-up, it’s made from a refurbished horsebox and is keeping sustainability at the front of the menu by feeding leftover fruit from the cocktails to the chickens and ducks on their family farm. Adorable.
April 27-September 24.
Visit www.thethirstyfarrier.co.uk for more details.
Since opening the very first Baohaus in New York in 2009, Eddie Huang has masterfully laid the groundwork for Taiwanese cuisine in the city. Now he’s making his UK debut and bringing fluffy bao and more signature dishes to Islington. Stand outs on the menu include a braised pork belly bun and a fried chicken version brined for 24 hours and served with a lemon and garlic aioli.
May 27-Aug 26.
Visit sessions.co.uk for more details.
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