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.

ANYA MART

Until 7th April 2024
11 Pont Street, London

Londoners have gone crazy for Anya Hindmarch’s unusual ice creams, including flavours like Branston Pickle and Heinz Tomato Ketchup, and now the designer is bringing them to us in scented candle form. Anya Mart, the latest pop-up shop at the Anya Hindmarch Village in Knightsbridge, is stocked with candles smelling like Fanta, Imperial Leather, Coco Pops, Heinz Baked Beans and more. The shop, a playful nod to the corner shops of yesteryear, is pleasingly retro inside – it’s giving high-end Supermarket Sweep vibes – is also filled with charms, purses, bags, PJs, and slippers from the Anya Brands collection.

IXTA BELFRAGE AT ISLA

22nd March - 22nd May 2024
Isla, Argyle Street, London

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.

SPAGO AT 45 PARK LANE

20th - 22nd March 2024
45 Park Ln, London W1K 1PN
OPENING HOURS
  • Monday: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
  • Thursday: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
  • Friday: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
  • Saturday: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
  • Sunday: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM

Beverly Hills fave and celeb magnet Spago, founded by Wolfgang Puck, is coming back across the pond to the capital for a pop-up this March. The restaurant will be taking over Puck’s London restaurant CUT at 45 Park Lane for three days, with Byron Puck and Tetsu Yahagi coming over to collaborate with 45 Park Lane’s Elliot Grover on a five-course dinner menu. Dishes will include lobster and asparagus salad with yuzu miso vinaigrette; bacon-wrapped monkfish with broad beans and chanterelle mushrooms; uovo in raviolo with French black truffles; grilled New York steak with braised beef cheeks, wild ramps and ricotta-nettle gnocchi; and tiramisu.

HOKO X WUN'S TEA ROOM WONTON NOODLES POP-UP

10th February - 31st March 2024

Wun’s Tea Room & Bar (from the team behind Bun House in Chinatown and the Pleasant Lady stall in Old Spitalfields Market) has been closed since last summer, but it’s coming back this February and March for a collab with Hong Kong milk tea and French toast experts HOKO. The pop-up will see the Soho spot transformed into a wonton noodles shop where you can grab bowls of the HK speciality, as well as HOKO favourites. There’ll be several wonton noodles options on the menu, each of which will be served with hand-wrapped wontons filled with pork and shrimp. Plus, there’ll be plates of char siu BBQ pork rice, lo mein and HOKO’s classic French toast, as well as plenty of tea to sip on.

POLLOCK'S TOY MUSEUM

Until June 2024

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.

CALLY MUNCHY LOUNGE AT THE AFRICA CENTRE

The Africa Centre, Great Suffolk Street, London

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.

TIELLA AT THE COMPTON ARMS

4 Compton Ave, London N1 2XD

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.

SUPPERCLUB.TUBE

Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum, South Access Road, London E17 8AX

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.

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