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.
Vogue Is Bringing Back Its Cafe at 180 Corner Shop
Corner Shop is already a hyped grocery store, deli, wine bar, and all-around one-stop-shop for the best food and drink products. And after a successful takeover last year, the space is turning into a concept cafe run by Vogue and Nike for London Fashion Week. The brands are taking over the space from 10am – 5pm on Sat 21st and Sun 22nd February, so you can drop in for a much-needed refresh and refuel between shows. The Nike Deli will be offering brekkie bites, pastries and refreshments, and Nike will also be hosting movement sessions with brand ambassadors to help keep everyone energised. You’ll also be able to stop by the Vogue Cafe for exclusive talks with British Vogue’s Head of Editorial Content Chioma Nnadi and you can pick up a range of merch, including t-shirts, caps, Vogue notebooks, Corner Shop tote bags and even Vogue patches, which you use to customise your totes at the personalisation corner.
An Ex-Dough Hands Chef Is Launching Hot Saint Pizza
After cutting his teeth at Dough Hands, Tom Budakan is launching his own pizza concept (and continuing the tradition of pizza pop-ups in pubs) with Hot Saint Pizza at The Old Queen’s Head in Islington. His NY-style pies are made using high-protein Canadian flour and rye, with the dough being left to ferment for 48 hours, resulting in a light, crispy crust. Toppings-wise, he’s doing a Spicy Hawaiian (with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, guanciale & smoked ham hock, pineapple, smoked chilli and jalapeños), a Meatball Ricotta (with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, house meatballs, ricotta and parmesan), and a Vodka Pesto (with vodka sauce, stracciatella, pesto and parmesan). You’ll also be able to get spicy chicken parm and house meatball pizza sandwichs and banana miso soft serve, with beers and cocktails coming from The Old Queen’s Head.
After doing pop-ups around east London since the start of 2025, Fresh Hot Pizza is taking over the kitchen at The Fox in Haggerston. James Fox started Fresh Hot Pizza after working at the likes of Crisp, Dough Hands and Ria’s, and has been selling out his own thin and crispy pizzas, topped with the likes of pepperoni, banana peppers & hot honey and stracciatella & brown butter crumb ever since. With The Fox getting a new lease of life thanks to the team behind Hoxton boozer Howl at the Moon, and the fact that pubs have been successful proving grounds for a number of other pizza concepts, this is a great pairing.
Lucy & Yak Opens its First Ever London & Yak Pop-Up
Socially and environmentally conscious brand Lucy & Yak is opening its first ever London pop-up in Spitalfields and it’s gonna be there for at least six months. Inside the gloriously pink London & Yak, you’ll be able to shop from the brand’s colourful collections, all made from eco-friendly materials, as well as the new sub-brand L&Y, which features more subtle prints and tones. The shop will also act as a Re:Yak hub, meaning you can return pre-loved pieces to receive a discount voucher and you can come recycle, repair or upcycle your clothes.
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 and at The Bluecoats pub in Tottenham. Now it’s got a new long-term home at Godet in Canonbury. Jenny draws inspo from her Chinese 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 Godet will include spicy beef tartare; Sichuan hibiscus octopus; turnip cakes with a soy pomegranate glaze; mala beef ragu with udon noodles; steamed prawn, chicken & Thai basil wontons; and matcha tiramisu, with a traditional Chinese family meal on offer on Sundays.
Following a debut in the City, spice bag specialist Scaldy, run by Max Spiro, is now in residence at Peckham pub The Red Bull. The famous Irish takeaway dish is the focus of the menu, available in the classic spice bag combo (fried chicken, chips, wok-fried veg and a Chinese spice mix), with beef and with tofu. You can also tuck into chicken balls, spring rolls, gyoza, spiced fries and Munch Boxes, a pizza-sized box with two spice bags, chicken balls, spring rolls and curry or satay sauce – that should blow away any hangovers.
After closing its restaurants back in May, the Chick ‘n’ Sours crew has been on the events circuit this summer and now it’s coming home to roost with a residency at Big Chill in King’s Cross from 17th September. The full Chick ‘n’ Sours menu will be on offer at Big Chill, including the kung pao disco wings, the K-pop fried chicken sandwich, the chicken toast with fish sauce caramel, the Szechuan aubergine and the pickled watermelon salad. That’s the chick, now for the sours – you’ll be able to get the Chick N Club #4 (with vodka, crème de mûre & raspberry vinegar), the Mexinese (with tequila, lime, vanilla & ginger) and the Big Chill Sour (with vodka, elderflower, violet & lemon). If you get down there early, from 17th – 21st September, you can bag 50% off food too.
Sho Foo Doh, the Japanese street food brand run by Fumio Tanga, had a long residency at bar and arts space Filly Brook in Leytonstone a few years ago, and now it’s back for another run. Sho Foo Doh specialises in Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, with pork belly, kimchi & cheddar and squid & prawns among the varieties, and the residency menu also includes dishes like sesame panko-crusted cauliflower with soy garlic; vegan dan dan udon; tonkatsu with house plum sauce; sprats tempura with grated daikon; and tuna tostada wth avo, wasabi mayo and crispy gyoza skin. It’s izakaya food so it’s perfect to be eaten with a few bevs.
Alim Nayil has taken his acclaimed Kingston pizza shop Patio Pizza to Peckham for a residence at The Greyhound. Alim founded Patio Pizza in 2020; after throwing pizza parties at university and working in his dad’s pizzeria, he began researching dough before landing on a hybrid style that blends New York crispiness with Neapolitan chew. At The Greyhound, Alim is serving a short menu of pizzas, including N’Duja, Pepperoni and Funghi, alongside rotating specials like the Lupita (a pistachio pesto base, courgette, ricotta, lemon zest, crispy coppa and mint oil). There are sides like boneless wings, mozzarella sticks and garlic bread on offer, plus house-made dips for your crusts.
Seouls of Mischief Is Doing Korean Burgers at Pretty Decent Beer Co
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
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
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.
Dine Inside a Disused Tube Carriage at Supperclub.tube
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.
