Pop Up
MARVEL X KITH SPIDER-MAN POP-UP
It’s Spider-Man’s 60th anniversary and to celebrate the milestone, Marvel has teamed up with Kith for a pop-up on the men’s floor in Selfridges. There’ll be installation featuring archival work from the last six decades; a Spider-Man x Kith clothing collection that showcases the evolution of the character; accessories like hats, posters, and skateboard decks; and a special limited-edition 60th anniversary comic book that previews upcoming Kith collections and tells the story of Spider-Man trying to protect New York from Doctor Octopus and his robot army. Spidey fans, you won’t want to miss this.
CHOO CAFÉ
Think pink at Harrods this summer because the department store has opened a VERY fuchsia pop-up cafe in collaboration with Jimmy Choo in the shoe department – where else? The Choo Café, with its bold pink decor, mirrored accents and branded cutlery and crockery, is glam to the max (as you’d expect from the brand) and extremely Instagrammable. The menu includes patisserie like raspberry croissants, chocolate & salted caramel eclairs and pink champagne & summer berry jellies; picnic sandwiches; smoked salmon & cucumber and mozzarella & proscuitto open-faced ‘choux crostini’; and JC logo-dusted coffees.
MIFFY AT ICHIBA
Beloved bunny Miffy is taking over Japanese food hall Ichiba this summer with a menu of cute food creations. There’ll be Miffy lattes, Miffy-shaped buns filled with red bean paste, carrot-shaped buns with matcha custard, matcha buttercream Miffy cookies and more, with plenty of Miffy cooking tools and merch on offer too. You’ll also be able to drop into craft activities and origami workshops over the school holidays too.
Cult jewellery brand Alighieri has transformed Television Centre into an Italian piazza for a faux-Florentine market this summer. For 10 days this June, you can step off a London street into the heart of Firenze and enjoy some hand-rolled pasta at Casa Luna, sip on spritzes at the SELECT bar, grab a souvenir at the Tabaccheria or shop Alighieri’s ‘Modern Heirlooms’ at Mariella’s Bridal. Imagined by the brand’s founder Rosh Mahtani and created in collaboration with set designer Joanna Goodman, Mercato Alighieri has been crafted to resemble an Italian square, complete with pastel-hued stalls that look like little shops, so you’ll really feel as though you’ve been transported to Tuscany.
TWELV. AT PANTECHNICON
It’s still pretty difficult to travel to Japan at the moment so Pantechnicon is bringing a taste of Tokyo to us by hosting a pop-up from cutting-edge sake bar Twelv. Open by invitation only in Tokyo, Twelv. is all about showcasing biodynamic and craft sakes from across Japan, and founder Norihiro Tacamizuma will be presenting four rare sakes, including an exclusive Twelv. bottling, at the pop-up alongside an omakase food pairing menu from Chris Golding, with dishes such as scallop sashimi & summer salad and pistachio cake with strawberries & white balsamic. The pop-up will be held in Studio at Pantechnicon, a purpose-built space to match Twelv.’s own minimalist style that’ll seat 18 people each evening, so it’s going to be a very intimate affair – get tickets here.
CHERRY BLOSSOM GARDEN AT QUEEN OF HOXTON
The Queen of Hoxton’s rooftop has been transformed into a perfectly pink cherry blossom garden for the summer. As well as escaping the hustle of Shoreditch in the petal-and-lantern bedecked space, you can sip on Yuzu Cute, Candy Girl and Melon Rocks cocktails and tuck into gochujang beef and chicken katsu burgers whislt enjoying the longest cherry blossom season in town.
BLOOM & WILD POP-UP SHOP
Bloom & Wild are going IRL for the first time with a pop-up shop where people can browse and buy a range of plants, dried flowers, vases and pots in person, and with prices starting from just £2, there are some bargains to be had. You’ll also be able to get a sneak peek of their upcoming fortnightly flower subscription service, and anyone who shops at the pop-up will be in with a chance of winning flowers for a year.
EAST MEETS EAST
Korea is coming to Dalston as chef Joo Won of Cálong London and Jinro soju take over Three Sheets this summer. East Meets East will be running for six months, with a monthly changing menu of Korean cocktails and paired bar snacks, with drinks including a Blossom Martini (Jinro Chamisul Fresh, Sakura Vermouth, Geranium), an ‘Old Fashioned’ (Jinro Chamisul Original, Coconut, Oak, Benzoin) and a Shiso + Plum (Jinro Plum, Shiso, Anise, Gin, Soda), with a monthly secret off-menu shot. The festival is kicking off on 10th May with spesh six-course dinner from Joo Won, featuring dishes like Jinro fried chicken & chilli sauce, Iberico pork belly bulgogi & vermicelli japchae and chocolate cremeux with yuzu compote & hoji tea cream, and there’ll also be a closing party to wrap things up in October.
What do you get when you cross a cult pizza joint with a cult wine bar? Vin-Yard is the answer. Yard Sale Pizza and Top Cuvée are teaming up for the pop-up, running Thurs – Sat through May and June in the basement of Yard Sale’s Hackney Road restaurant. Naturally pizza is on the menu, including YSP faves like the Holy Pepperoni, TSB, and Cheese & Marmite Garlic Bread, with Happy Endings ice cream sandwiches to finish. The Top Cuvée crew are providing the drinks, including their house wine on tap, fresh whites, juicy orange wines, chillable reds, and classic cocktails like the Picante and Old Fashioned. Walk-in or book, just be there.
TACOS PADRE SUMMER EVENING POP-UP
Nick Fitzgerald is bringing the summer evening pop-up back to Tacos Padre for its third season this year. Running Thursdays – Saturdays on the fully covered terrace outside the Borough Market stall, the pop-up sees Nick cook up a full dinner menu, featuring dishes like oysters divorciados, crab tostada with guajillo & tamarind, roasted sweet potato flauta, Baja-style fish tacos, Iberico al pastor with pickled pineapple, gilt head bream with shiso ceviche, confit pork chop cochinita with charred x-ni-pec, smoked celeriac with orange habanero glaze & macadamia sikil pak, chocolate & mezcal and black sesame & ginger soft serve, and bueñuelos with morita cajeta. As well as classic and frozen margs, Padre will also be pouring aji limon and Alphonso mango & morita chile cocktails, natty wines and beers from Mexico and London.
By Glaze, the sustainable jewellery biz founded by Londoner Natalie Glaze, is popping up in Seven Dials with a shop showcasing exclusive new collections alongside signature jewellery and ceramic pieces inspired by nature. Everything is sustainably and ethically produced, handmade using recycled sterling silver and responsibly sourced 18k gold. So if you’re after some new accessories for the summer and wanna be kinder to the planet whilst you’re at it, this is the place to pop to.
Westminster City Council has taken over unit 12 in Piccadilly Arcade and turned it into a pop-up boutique, where a range of emerging and indie brands across sustainable fashion and homeware are able to take up residence, using it as a shop, working studio and living lab. You’ll be able to check out the likes of Lone Design Club, Angie Power, CQ Studio, L Saha, TSAU and Supernaturae, with more brands still to be announced.
The Selfridges Corner Shop space has been taken over by some super cool new brands and experimental concept stores to create a planet-conscious shop of the future. Enter the SUPERMARKET and expect the likes of 3D-printing robots creating everything from handbags to vegan meat to furniture made from recycled plastics, as well as the chance to shop for pineapple-leather based goods, perfume made from captured CO2 and coffee made from some funky looking mushrooms. Wanna shop the future? This is it.
Sustainable multi-brand platform SlowCo, which curates the best and most beautiful brands on the market using an inclusive femme, masc and all approach, is popping up physically for the first time ever at Boxpark in Shoreditch. You’ll be able to shop from brands like Hemper, Birdsong, Arkitaip, Over and All, Girlfriend Collective, Basic Rights, Oh Seven Days, Saye, The Giving Movement and more, and there’ll also be a panel discussion on sustainability and fashion featuring Aja Barber on 20th April.
Pump Street is getting in on the Easter action with a chocolate-packed pop-up in Shoreditch. As well as showcasing their full Easter range and their eating and drinking choccy, the pop-up will also be hosting a daily changing charity bake sale to raise money for #CookForUkraine. You can expect guest pastries from the likes of Brunswick East, Esters, Flor, Gwyn’s Bakery, Happy Endings, Nicola Lamb, Nova, Toklas and Violet, so you’ll defo want to head down there more than once!
Photo credit: Angus D. Birditt
HAUSMATE AT KERB COUNTER
KERB Counter is a new bar and test kitchen from the street food market maestros and it’s playing host to collabs, pop-ups and residencies from a range of emerging food businesses. HAUSmate, a spin-off from KERB regular steakHAUS, is currently in residence (Weds – Sat), with founder Lily Lettuce showcasing her skills beyond steak and championing indie suppliers like Common Sanity Hot Sauce and Dr Sting’s Hot Honey. The menu is packed with bangers like wild garlic tempura crisps with lemon mayo, Maldon oysters with Hackney hot sauce & bacon dust, crispy lamb ribs with hot honey & mint, steak tartare with Marmite buttered toast, and cheesecake cones with gingernut crumb & raspberry. You won’t go thirsty either with the likes of Gipsy Hill Brewing Co and East London Liquor Co stocked behind the bar.
Fashion resale and rental platform Rites is popping up on Broadway Market with Rites Relove. The pop-up, designed to reduce clothing waste by keeping garments in circulation, will stock an edit of preloved, sample and archive clothing, accessories and bags from brands like Stine Goya, Rixo, and Faithfull the Brand, with prices slashed by up to 80%. There’ll be some vintage goodies from the likes of Gucci, Miu Miu and Balenciaga in store too alongside beauty and homewares from Sustainable Dept. Store.
A shop dedicated to B Corps is popping up in Fitzrovia throughout March to showcase the best businesses and products that are all about sustainability and community. Good News will display over 300 products from a range of B Corp brands including Tony’s Chocoloney, Vita Coco, COOK, Dash Water, Ella’s Kitchen, Pukka tea, Sipsmith, evian and more, with the aim of teaching people how to buy better by taking you behind the brands. You won’t be able to shop in the store in the traditional sense but you’ll be able to get your hands on lots of complimentary samples and tasters, and there’ll be a Healthy Nibbles vending machine that uses social media rather than money to dispense free snacks.