Best Pop-Ups in London
Best Pop-Ups in London
From one-day-only immersive experiences to 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. 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.
Jimmy's BBQ Club Is Back on the South Bank
24th April - 21st September 2025
Queen’s Walk, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX
It’s not summer in London without a BBQ pop-up from Jimmy Garcia, so he’s bringing his BBQ Club back to the South Bank. The club is serving up a six-course menu, including dishes like Wye Valley asparagus with goat’s curd, brown butter pangrattato and garlic three ways; smoked trout with cultured cream, pickled Pink Lady apple, pickled cucumber and dill oil; marinated chicken thigh with Panang sweet potato puree, pak choi, and a charred corn & coriander salsa; and rum-cured pineapple with pineapple biscuit crumb, vanilla ice cream and smoked caramel sauce, with at least one element of each course coming from the Big Green Eggs on each table. If you’re after something a little more casual, the club’s two bars will be offering a street food menu featuring burgers, gochujang wings, halloumi fries and Panang chicken salad boxes, so you can just walk up, grab your goods and find a sunny spot to sit in.
Shop a Range of Jewellery at This Indie Maker's Market
1st - 5th May 2025
Lower Stable Street, London N1C 4DR
N4 Makers’ Market is heading to Coal Drops Yard over the early May Bank Holiday to host another edition of the Indie Jewellers’ Market. Over 80 designer-makers and boutique brands from across the UK will be selling their wares, including House of Law, Behold Relics, Petite Lune Studio, Rare Bear, The Floating Jeweller, and Elin Horgan Jewellery. There’ll be rings, charms, chains, pendants and hoops on sale, with classic pieces and statement designs across a range of price points – and the market is totally free to enter.
Get High in Stratford at Roof East
17th April – end of September 2025
Roof East, Great Eastern Road, London
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 new for 2025, you’ll also be able to do bottomless brunch on the weekends. And of course, you’ve got those mega views over the Stratford to enjoy too.
Greek kitchen essi (formerly esti), has a new residency at Homerton pub The Adam & Eve, following its last London pop-up at TT Liquor in 2023. With essi, founder Kostas Vais is blending Greek dining with Australian hospitality – with some British produce and ingredients from Down Under thrown in – where the menu is heavily influenced by the cooking of his mother and grandmother. It’s one of those menus where you’ll want everything but don’t miss the pork souvlaki with its tender meat and tzatziki in a soft pita (not like the carboardy ones you get on the supermarkets); the white tarama livened with zhoug and served with impossibly crispy potato skins for dipping; the smoked aubergine with tahini and peanuts; and the octopus bolognese with Australian bush tomato, graviera cream cheese and desert dust. If you’ve ever had galaktoboureko, the classic Greek custard dessert, before, you’ve got to try this one – it’s served hot so you get extra crispy filo with soft, rich custard underneath, it’s a game changer. Stop by on Sundays for a Greek take on a roast, featuring the likes of pork shoulder, lamb, chicken thighs or BBQ mushrooms, all served with roast potatoes, roast pumpkin, BBQ cauliflower, grilled pita, tzatziki, Aegean slaw and lemon & oregano gravy.
Supper club Ling Ling’s, run by Jenny Phung and her partner James Shepherd, has done various pop-ups and residencies across London, including a stint at The Gun on Well Street. Now it’s got a new long-term home at The Bluecoats pub in Tottenham. Jenny draws inspo from her heritage, her family and her travels for her dishes, which serve as her memories on a plate, and she loves to feed people the kind of food that she wants to eat. The menu at The Bluecoats will include dishes like poached king prawn wontons, aromatic duck salad, doubanjiang mushrooms with crackers, and matcha & white choc tiramisu; Chinese-inspired roasts on Sundays; and snacks like spring rolls, Sichuan chicken wings and the McLing fillet o’ fish on Spurs match days.
Seouls of Mischief Is Doing Korean Burgers at Pretty Decent Beer Co
Bow Wharf, 221 Grove Rd., London E3 5SN
Mexican-Korean fusion spot Mexican Seoul has teamed up with neighbours Pretty Decent Beer Co. to put its spin-off burger concept inside the Victoria Park taproom. Seouls of Mischief is doing Korean-inspired burgers like the beef, umami seasoning American cheese, ssamjang mayo and oi-muchim pickle Seouls of Mischief and the buttermilk fried chicken, “gochu-gang” sauce, perilla leaf, oi-michum pickle and daikon slaw “Gochu-Gang”. There are sides like pajeon hash browns, tteokbokki bites, loaded fries and crispy chicken skin chick-charrones, and it all goes down a treat with one of PDBC’s Czech side pour beers.
Dough Hands Has Gone South of the River for its Next Residency
The Old Nun’s Head, 15 Nunhead Grn, London SE15 3QQ
Dough Hands founder Hannah Drye has been slinging her London-style pizzas – regenerative flour dough and light, crispy bases – at The Spurstowe Arms in London Fields and now she’s giving south Londoners a chance to get in on the action by taking a second residency at the Old’s Nun’s Head in SE15. The menu features her signature 12″ pizzas topped with the likes of pepperoni, jalapeno and parmesan; nduja, hot honey and stracciatella; and soy-roast mushrooms, taleggio, tarragon and garlic, with her house-made hot sauce available for dipping, plus some exclusive specials in the works too. Dough Hands is cooking at the pub every day except Sundays as that’s being reserved for roasts.
Rake, run by Jay Claus and Syrus Pickhaver (who have worked at the likes of Quo Vadis, Brat and Acme Fire Cult), has made the move to the Compton Arms in Islington from The Gun in Hackney. Rake is all about classic British cookery with a focus on whole animal butchery and sustainable Cornish fish. The menu will change seasonally but you can expect dishes like oysters rarebit; beer battered cockles and clams; braised squid, ale and potato pie; ray wing tenders on a crumpet; salsify and Scotch broth; beef ribeye with onion rings; and treacle tart with clotted cream and ice cream. There’ll also be roasts and veggie stargazy pies with all the trimmings on Sundays and on Arsenal match days, Rake will be doing Cumberland sausage hot dogs with French dip gravy.
Viral Jacket Potato Sensations Spud Bros Have Popped Up in London
9a Archer St, London W1D 7AX
With their videos going viral on TikTok and people from all over the world visiting their jacket potato truck in Preston, the Spud Bros (aka Jacob and Harley Nelson) have come down to London to bring their social media-famous spuds to the capital. Popping up on Archer Street in Soho, Spud Bros Express is serving the same giant baked potatoes topped with the likes of cheese, beans, chilli and tuna mayo. The Spud Bros seem just as popular down south, with lengthy queues forming at the pop-up, so if you don’t mind waiting in a line for a potato, head on down.
Feast on Fire-Cooked Dishes & Beer With Whole Beast at Exale Tap
Uplands Business Park, Blackhorse Lane, London E17 5QJ
Enjoy a winter of fire-cooked food and BBQ at Exale Tap as the Walthamstow taproom plays host to Whole Beast, known for its big, bold cooking. The menu will feature dishes like the award-winning aged cheeseburger, pig’s head al pastor sausage tacos with smoked pineapple hot sauce, hash browns with trotter & smoked eel parsley liquor, pickled eggs in fermented red chilli sauce, and snakebite ice cream. Get your fix Thurs – Sun.
Neil Rankin and From The Ashes BBQ founders Martin Anderson and Curtis Bell have teamed up to create Little Earthquakes, a new deep pan pizza concept. Taking inspo from the Chicago Town and Pizza Hut pizzas of Neil’s youth, Little Earthquakes is doing super cheesy (seriously, there’s cheese on the bottom, top and sides of these pizzas) gourmet 6″ pies, using Wildfarmed flour and the best local produce. Combos include taleggio & guanciale, salami ragu & rosemary, and nduja & pickled chillies, with dips like honey & garlic butter and chilli crunch marinara sauce on the side. After a short residency at Walthamstow’s Burnt Faith Brandy House, Little Earthquakes is taking over the kitchen at The Railway Tavern in Dalston, serving 6pm – 9pm every Tuesday to Friday and 3pm – 9pm on Saturdays, and booking is recommended as they’re quite complex pies to prepare.
Dine Inside a Disused Tube Carriage at 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.