About Time You Discovered: London’s Best June Pop-UpsBy Alicia Grimshaw
With summer round the corner, London has once again seen an influx of pop-ups. From a floating gin bar to one-off collaborations, we’ve hand picked the best London has to offer – here’s the best pop-ups to look out for in June:
June Pop-Ups: Food
1. For a Nine Course Tasting Menu: Borough Wines x Michael Thompson
The Run-Down: Borough Wines & Beers is hosting a new pop-up in partnership with chef Michael Thompson as part of its chef development series. Thompson’s ‘fodder’ project will be the third pop-up dining event at Brewery Below, the nano-brewery and event space at Borough Wines’ Essex Road Islington shop.
Eat and Drink: Michael has created a nine-course tasting menu using local, seasonal ingredients and produce found growing in the wild (much of which he has picked himself). Highlights from the menu include: chicken fat bao with ramsons; crispy oyster and apple kombucha; and crab, elderflower and torched tomatoes.
Price: Tickets for the nine-course fodder tasting menu cost £45 per person and can be booked here.
When: The pop-up will run on the 15th, 16th and 17th June.
Where: Brewery Below, Borough Wines and Beers, 344 Essex Road, London, N1 3PD
2. For a Late Night Snack: Holy Crepe! x The Canvas Café
The Run-Down: For four weeks only, Holy Crêpe! will be popping up at The Canvas Café in Shoreditch, serving gluten-free crêpes and cocktails til late. Catering for Brick Lane revellers looking for a chicken shish alternative, the crêperie will be serving a sensaitonal range of sweet, savoury and vegan crêpes.
Eat and Drink: On the sweet menu, there’s The Beyoncé with lemon and sugar/cinnamon; The Lady Gaga topped with Nutella and bananas/strawberries; and The Kim with banana, chocolate and salted caramel. If you’re hankering for savoury – up for grabs is The Bieber with bacon and maple syrup; The Robert De Niro with ham, mozzarella and spinach; and The Gary Lineker with Cheddar cheese and onion.
Price: From £7.50
When: 6th June – 1st July
Where: Holy Crêpe!, The Canvas Café, 42 Hanbury St, London E1 5JL
3. For a One-Off Dinner: Alice’s Kitchen
The Run-Down: The London Cooking Project (the private social enterprise that works to provide opportunities to develop and nurture young talent in Battersea), will play host to a special supper club from Alice’s Kitchen. Guests can look forward to a beautiful 4-course Italian supper cooked by Alice Staple, one of the venue’s resident chefs.
Eat and Drink: After a glass on prosecco on arrival, the menu features walnut, pecorino, rocket/chicken liver/clam and tomato on a crostini; followed by tortellini with prosciutto, ricotta and lemon zest with broad beans and courgette flowers; and salt baked sea trout with roasted tomato aioli, monk’s beard, crushed jersey royals with tarragon and spring onion. For pudding, Alice will serve apricot tart with thyme flowers, Vin Santo gelato and toasted almonds.
Price: Tickets are priced at £42 per person, and are available exclusively from RSVP here.
When: Tuesday 22nd June
Where: London Cooking Project, 1 Ethelburga Street, London SW11 4AG
4. For Sandwiches: Rubies in the Rubble x Selfridges
The Run-Down: Rubies in the Rubble is a gourmet condiment brand with its heart firmly in sustainable food production. The range is handmade in the UK from fresh fruit and veg that would otherwise go to waste. This June sees a month long ‘Open Sandwich’ pop-up in Selfridges Food Hall, in conjunction with London Food Month.
Eat and Drink: Each offering on the menu is paired with one of Rubies in the Rubble’s award-winning condiments – showcasing their diversity and usage. Choose from options such as: pulled beef and pickle – slow cooked chipotle beef with pickled cucumbers and aquafaba mayo, served on a beetroot and ginger cracker with Rubies in the Rubble’s brand new Chipotle Ketchup; veggies can opt for spring veg and blue cheese – brown butter with spring root veg and crumbled blue cheese, served on a kale and spinach cracker with Rubies in the Rubble’s Piccalilli Relish; and vegans can go to town on avo and beet houmous – beetroot houmous, avocado and nigella seeds, served on a beetroot and ginger cracker with Rubies in the Rubble’s Pink Onion Relish.
Price: At £5 per serving (+£1.50 for the salad of the day).
When: Running until 30th June
Where: Selfridges & Co, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB
5. For Gin Ice Cream: Gin Mare x Ruby Violet
The Run-Down: To celebrate gin lovers’ favourite day of the year, Gin Mare has teamed with bespoke ice-cream aficionados Ruby Violet to open a G&T Ice Cream Parlour at The Hoxton’s popular alfresco courtyard in Shoreditch.
Eat and Drink: Choose their scoops of botanical infused ice creams and sorbets to create the ultimate G&T ice cream. Topped with your choice of dried olive, crystallised rosemary, botanical brittle, savoury wafer and gin-soaked orange peel, this will be the ultimate city escape for gin drinkers and ice cream lovers alike, in time to celebrate World Gin Day 2017. On the drinks menu the gourmet ice cream will be paired with refreshing twists on classic G&T’s, such as garnished with a wedge of succulent mango and a grind of freshly cracked black pepper.
When: 9th-11th June
Where: 81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU
6. For an Al Fresco Spot: Rosewood London x Tanqueray No. TEN
The Run-Down: The Terrace at Rosewood London will host the inaugural pop-up GQ Bar in association with premium gin Tanqueray No. TEN. The first pop-up of its kind, GQ Bar will bring the UK’s leading men’s lifestyle magazine to life in WC1. Launching this month and open from breakfast through to late-night drinks, The Terrace is a peaceful suntrap in Central London.
Eat and Drink: A concise list of breakfast options including spelt pancakes with blueberry compote and mascarpone; full English; and smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted brioche. The all-day menu of bar bites promises a mix of dishes from both Condé Nast International’s Director of Restaurants Gary Robinson and Holborn Dining Room’s much-lauded chef, Calum Franklin. A GQ Bar Burger by Gary is exclusive to the pop-up and comprises a tower of chargrilled wagyu, caramelised onions, watercress and peppercorn umami in a brioche bun, complete with garlic-salted fries. Favourites from Holborn Dining Room include Monkshill farm scotch egg; rabbit and bacon en croute with pickled vegetables; and grilled octopus with native breed chorizo and aioli.
Price: Dishes from £8.
When: Running until September
Where: 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
7. For Champagne and Crustaceans: 100 Wardour St x CLAW
The Run-Down: Soho hotspot 100 Wardour St, will host the ‘Champagne Crab Shack’ – an exclusive street-food inspired pop-up with award-winning seafood restaurant CLAW. The special residency will run for four weeks only and will feature CLAW’s sustainably sourced crustaceans directly from the fishermen alongside refreshing flutes of Moët & Chandon Champagne.
Eat and Drink: The team at 100 Wardour St will install an immersive fisherman’s shack experience in the venue’s ground-floor atrium with large fishnets, fisherman balls, giant crab claws and more. A feast for all the senses with the main event being CLAW’s mouthwatering famous crab, lobster and crayfish rolls which will be paired with sides of seasonal greens and classic chips served in cardboard trays combining a seaside and street food experience.
Price: Dishes from £10.
When: 9th June-9th July
Where: 100 Wardour St, Soho, London W1F
Photo Credit: Justine Trickett
8. For Ice Cream: Mercante x La Gelateria
The Run-Down: Italian restaurant Mercante has partnered with artisan gelato makers La Gelatiera to bring the taste of Italy to London this summer. A new range of ice cream can be enjoyed either on-the-go from the pop-up retro gelato cart on Mercante’s terrace, or as part of an innovative three-course ice cream pairing menu showcasing exclusive flavour combinations.
Eat and Drink: Both teams of tastemakers have come together to create a unique offering of ice creams, with fresh flavours including honey, rosemary and orange zest, quirky pairings ranging from basil and chilli to Cornish blue and caramelised walnuts, as well as some classic favourites such as milk chocolate and the renowned Sicilian pistachio sorbet.
Price: Scoops from £3.
When: Throughout summer
Where: Mercante, Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, Piccadilly, LondonW1J 7BX
July Pop-Ups: Drink
9. For Beach Bar Vibes: The Montague at the Gardens
The Run-Down: Swap the hustle and bustle of the city for flip-flops and island living at Bloomsbury’s very own Beach Bar, returning to The Montague at the Gardens. The luxury hotel has brought the colourful and lively Beach Bar installation back to its outdoor Wood Deck area after a triumphant introduction to London’s summer bar and dining scene last year.
Eat and Drink: Returning bigger and better, with a refined design and all new drinks and BBQ menu for summer 2017, enjoy a Bahamian beach setting, complete with real sand underfoot and a beach-hut style thatched roof, transporting Londoners straight into summer. A delicious menu of tropical cocktails and barbequed burgers of all varieties (from classic beef to chicken, tuna and veggie options) is available.
Price: Dishes start from £10
When: Throughout summer until 24th September
Where: 15 Montague St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 5BJ
The Run-Down: Swap the beer garden for Bordeaux Wines’ very first pop-up wine bar at Broadgate this summer. A haven for the discovery of Bordeaux wines, the Bordeaux Butterfly Bar will run from Monday 12th to Friday 16th June at Finsbury Avenue Square, near Liverpool Street.
Eat and Drink: From aromatic whites and refreshing rosés to sparkling Crémants and soft, more fruit-forward reds, there will be over 36 wines to taste over the course of the week. Visitors will also be able to enjoy 15-minute Bordeaux Speed Tasting sessions, led by wine experts, at 1pm, 4pm, 5pm and 6pm each day.
Price: Wines will be priced at £5 and £6 per glass and £20 and £24 per carafe.
When: Monday 12th to Friday 16th June
Where: Finsbury Avenue Square, London EC2M
11. For Mexican Cocktails: El Bandito
The Run-Down: Having successfully introduced the East London masses to the wonders and versatility of agave spirits, the mezcal and tequila-loving team behind El Bandito have moved North for their second pop-up residency, taking place at Victory Mansion in Stoke Newington.
Eat and Drink: El Bandito have introduced a brand new Asia and South American infused menu to their pop-up, and is home to an impressive selection of approximately fifty tequilas and thirty mezcals, many of which are incorporated into the inventive cocktail menu. The menu is accessible for a range of palates, and features everything from frozen watermelon margaritas, to more complex concoctions, such as the Kale Mezcalarita, which combines Illegal mezcal, kale juice, ginger, agave and lime juice.
Price: Drinks from £9
When: Running until July
Where: 18 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PL
12. For Gin: Lockhouse x Merchant Square
The Run-Down: Craft food and drink venue, Lockhouse and Merchant Square, are to launch a new pop–up bar on London’s first ‘Floating Pocket Park’ in Paddington Basin on the Grand Union Canal this summer. Opening on 10th June to celebrate World Gin Day, the Botanical Bar will serve an eclectic and imaginative range of gins, and gin cocktails.
Eat and Drink: The Botanical Bar will feature a specially developed G&T menu, incorporating Beefeater London Dry Gin and Beefeater 24, Plymouth and Monkey 47 gins matched perfectly to one of the many ‘skillfully distilled mixers’ from The London Essence Company, including Classic London Tonic, Grapefruit and Rosemary Tonic, Bitter Orange and Elderflower Tonic and Delicate Ginger Ale.
Price: Drinks from £10
When: Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer, from 12-9pm.
Where: Floating Pocket Park, Paddington Basin, London
