Pop Up
KERB PRESENTS: THE TABLE
KERB is back at the National Theatre this year with an open-air market of street food vendors, but this time they’re changing things up a little. From May, KERB will unveil London’s longest banqueting table, an immense 70-metre long installation that seats 200 diners. Guests will get to tuck into food from eight of KERB’s best independent street food traders, including Santa Bifana, Eat Lah, Papelon, Sen Noods and Big Kid Ice Cream. There’ll also be open-air bars serving up the likes of craft beers from South London’s Gipsy Hill Brewing Co., soft drinks from Bow’s Square Root Soda, mixed drinks made with East London Liquor Co. spirits, sharing cocktail pitchers of KERB faves and boozy fruity slushies for when the temps hot up.
ADEJOKÉ BAKARE AT GLOBE TAVERN
This spring and summer, West African chef (and the brains behind Chishuru, which is relocating from Brixton to central London) Adejoké Bakare is taking over the upstairs space at the Globe Tavern until the end of July. Ahead of reopening Chisuru – this time in Fitzrovia – Bakare will be in the Globe’s kitchen alongside industry friends Anna Higham (formerly of Lyle’s and soon-to-open Quince Bakery) and Sirichai Kularbwong (of Singburi), among others, cooking up a set menu inspired by her childhood and Nigerian dining traditions. Highlights from the sample include the likes of Sinasir (rice and coconut pancakes with summer squash puree), Abacha Mmri (cassava, young coconut and Scottish hand-dived scallops with a coconut dressing) and celeriac cake (with pumpkin seed sauce, endive and rice). As for drinks, expect wines from independent French producers as well as Chishuru’s cocktails.
In honour of Record Store Day on 22nd April, Soho Radio is popping up at Soho Space for five days with a programme of live shows, recorded special guests and Ballantine’s True Music alums spinning sounds from around the world. The pop-up also features vinyl pressing and crate digging sessions, with plenty of Soho Radio merch, music mags and books for sale too. Stop by one of Soho’s many record shops, including Phonica Records, Third Man Records, Sister Ray, Reckless Records and Sounds of the Universe on Record Store Day itself for special releases and live performances.
PRADA CAFFE
Jimmy Choo, Dior and Louis Vuitton have all had a go and now it’s Prada’s turn to pop-up at Harrods with Prada Caffe. Inspired by iconic Prada stores around the world, including the first ever boutique opened at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan way back in 1913, the pop-up is bringing some Italian elegance to London, with black & white flooring, pale green interiors, Japanese porcelain and Prada motif-embossed glassware. The food and drink is just as stylish, with Italian coffee, poached eggs, and avo toast available for breakfast, and everything from veal tonnato to saffron risotto for lunch, alongside classic Italian cocktails. Only got a few moments to spare between all that shopping? You can pick up pizzette, tramezzini (Italian finger sarnies), tiramisu, gianduja cake, and pistachio praline to takeaway too.
Sustainability-focused pop-up 00.thestore is back for spring with a new shop full of planet-conscious brands, including Mirror.Water, Dala, Daige, Yogi Bare, HANX, Neat Clean, Suri, Boody, Carbon Theory, and Frisbee Ceramics. There’ll also be panel discussions and workshops featuring industry experts, brands and activists to encourage conversations around sustainability.
VINTERIOR X SELFRIDGES FURNITURE SHOP
For the first time, you’ll be able to shop a curated collection of vintage homeware pieces at this Selfridges pop-up. A collaboration with pre-owned furniture marketplace Vinterior, the limited-time shop will be in-store at Selfridges on Oxford Street until July, alongside an exclusive collection that you’ll be able to shop online. The pop-up will feature one-of-a-kind items, including classic mid-century modern furniture and must-have icons (e.g. the mushroom lamp and togo sofas), from brands such as Ercol, G-Plan, Ligne Roset and more. Plus, prices start as low as £25 for home accessories & art and £150 for lighting & furniture.
HILDA AT ARRAY
Clothing and lifestyle store Array is one of our fave shops in Stokey and it’s getting even better this spring as vintage queen Hilda is popping up inside. Her eponymous biz is all about finding and curating the best vintage gems from across the country, and for each day of the pop-up she’ll be showcasing a capsule edit of the best vintage she can get her hands on. Secondhand fashion fans, you won’t wanna miss this.
MIFFY IN CHINATOWN POP-UP SHOP
Not content with being Mulberry’s latest muse, iconic bunny Miffy is popping up in Chinatown with its first dedicated UK shop, in a nod to the Year of the Rabbit. The store will be filled with all things Miffy, from design-led gifts, limited-edition drops and products that have been sold in the UK before. Of course, there’ll be plenty of photo ops, including a Miffy character greeting everyone on opening day to a giant 2-metre Miffy lamp, and the shop will play host to various themed events throughout its duration too.
ELTON JOHN AT THE SELFRIDGES CORNER SHOP
To celebrate his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ UK Tour, Selfridges have launched an Elton John-themed pop-up installation at its Corner Shop, featuring pieces from the artist’s archive, tour merch, eyewear and more. There’ll be outfits worn by Elton John from designers like Nudie Cohn, Annie Reavey and Bill Whitten Workroom 27 on display, as well as framed prints of his iconic shows. And guests will be able to limited edition bottles of Champagne from Moet & Chandon, an Elton-inspired candle by CENT.LDN, plates by independent ceramicist Laetitia Rouget that feature song titles, 1460 Doc Martens inspired by Elton’s famous Pinball Wizard outfit, an exclusive product from KidSuper and FPM Milano and a limited edition gold LP Honky Château signed by Elton himself.
CAVE THINGS X DOVER STREET MARKET
Cave Things, a shop selling playful and unusual bits that have been designed, drawn, written or recorded by Nick Cave, is popping up at Dover Street Market for a limited time this spring. You’ll be able to shop the range of milk jugs, art prints, pencils, bowls, t-shirts, charms and more – many of which have a slightly cheerier look than you might expect from a Nick Cave design – throughout March and April, as well as get your hands on the Milk Carton tee, made exclusively for DSM. This is the first time Cave Things has appeared as an IRL shop; Cave Fans, keep your fingers crossed that it’s not the last.
Tuck Into Rustic Italian Food at Tiella at The Compton Arms
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.
To mark the premiere of the short film Matar, Choose Love is teaming up with WaterBear to open The Lab pop-up. The film, created by the same team behind The Swimmers, explores the UK’s asylum policies and the discrimination that people in the system face. The pop-up will play host to film screenings, live podcast recordings, and a photography exhibition, and you’ll also be able to purchase items from the Choose Love shop and oppose the refugee ban bill by accessing pre-written letters to send to your local MP.
SMOKING GOAT CHICKEN SHOP
Cult Thai spot Smoking Goat is turning into a fried chicken joint, serving up a menu of dishes inspired by a recent trip to Bangkok (check out our own fried chicken recs for Bangkok here). Among them will be fried chicken, marinated in fish sauce & coriander root and served with heaps of crispy garlic, Thai shallots & dipping sauces; street food gem kaitiao khua kai; tom yum nam sai made with makrut lime leaves and velvet crab; and fish sauce caramel soft serve ice cream for dessert. As for drinks, expect a new list of cocktails that’ll include neon ice Thai teas with salted foam, refreshing lychee margaritas and mango negronis. They’ve also made their own low abv Piquette in collaboration with Phillippe Weiss of La Petite Baigneusemade from the marc (the remains of grapes left after pressing) and foraged herbs.
HA'S DAC BIET AT ORANJ
NYC natives and pop-up experts Ha’s Đặc Biệt are the latest to take up residency in the kitchen at Shoreditch wine bar Oranj. Created by couple Anthony Ha and Sadie Mae Burns, Ha’s Đặc Biệt is a residency-based Vietnamese concept that began with the pair serving their food from a small pushcart at Manhattan’s outdoor markets and the gardens of Brooklyn’s bars. They made a name for themselves as they went and have since been travelling the world, bringing their menus to an international audience. Most recently, they were in Paris for three months, cooking at Le 6 Paul Bert, and now they’re coming to London to spend a whole month at Oranj. Expect a cuisine described as “Vietnamese bistro” and, as always, plenty of natural wine.
Fairtrade is imagining the supermarket of the future and spotlighting the staple items, like coffee, chocolate and bananas, that are most at risk of becoming endangered from the climate crisis with pop-up shop The Endangered Aisle. The store will include info on how choosing Fairtrade products helps to support farmers in adapting to climate change and protect the future of food. A limited number of produce will be given away each day The Endangered Aisle is open, and any surplus food will be donated to The Felix Project.
CUE POINT AT GOD'S GARDEN
Award-winning British Afghan smokehouse Cue Point is moving west with their latest residency at God’s Garden in Marylebone. You can head to the winter terrace hideout from Weds-Sun to enjoy Cue Point’s acclaimed menu of British classics infused with Afghan flavours. Expect the likes of a whole rack of oak smoked lamb ribs served with Afghan chutney, soured yoghurt & pickles; a brisket, smoked aubergine or chicken ‘naco’ (naan taco), a smashed beef burger; and a deep-fried root veg burger. Plus, there’ll be sides such as fries with smoked aioli, three-cheese mac & cheese and sweetcorn ribs with a Cue Point house rub. And on Sundays, you’ll be able to grab a special roast, featuring smoked meats paired with all the traditional trimmings.
CALCIFER'S KITCHEN AT SELFRIDGES
In honour of the final Loewe collab with Studio Ghibli – this collection is based on Howl’s Moving Castle – the brand has got French culinary studio Balbosté to take over Dolly’s Cafe in Selfridges and turn it into Calcifer’s Kitchen (he’s the little fire demon who cooks in the movie FYI). You’ll be able to try breakfast and aperitivo menus based on scenes from the film, but the afternoon tea is the real showstopper – it includes a lobster-filled charcoal chou Fire bun, Broomstick with sauce in a hat, Calcifer & Loewe macarons, verbena jelly Cloud terrine, and apricot & marzipan-filled Flower pie.
YAYOI KUSAMA X LOUIS VUITTON
Harrods is celebrating the latest collab between legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton with a totally dotty immersive pop-up. As well as pieces from the range on display, there’s an animatronic Kusama in the window, a claw machine where you can win prizes, a free photobooth, a patisserie counter stocked with colourful choux buns and eclairs, and of course, there are polka dots absolutely everywhere, with mirrored surfaces creating that infinity room feel. There’s no need to book, so walk on in and explore.