Jump to: Residences and pop-ups | Events
Pop-ups and residencies in London are getting more interesting by the week. Now you'll see some excellent food popping up everywhere from disused restaurant spaces to residencies in pubs across town. We're rounding up some of the best below.
Vivek Singh’s ‘Fantastic Five Supper Club’ Returns To Cinnamon Kitchen City
When: 21-22 February 2025
Executive Chef Vivek Singh’s ‘Fantastic Five Supper Club’ returns to Cinnamon Kitchen City with the 2020 finalists from BBC One’s MasterChef: The Professionals – Santosh Shah, Philli Armitage-Mattin, Bart Van der Lee and Alex Webb.
Hosted on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 February, each chef will cook a course from a special five-course menu in their signature style, with diners becoming the judges and picking their winning dish for the night.
Promoted event
Enjoy the new martini hour at Covent Garden Hotel
When: 5-6pm every weekday
What better way to mark the end of the work day than heading to Brasserie Max at the Covent Garden Hotel for their brand new Martini Hour? Running from 5-6pm every weekday, the bar is serving up £14 martinis with a side of complimentary seasonal fries.
Promoted event
22-23 February - Sticks'n'Sushi are holding a series of kids' sushi masterclasses over half term at their Islington, Greenwich and Wimbledon branches. Tickets for a 90-minute class are £40 and include soft drinks plus a goody bag to take home.
23 February - Viajante 87 in Notting Hill is bringing over two of Beunos Aires' best bars, Tes res Monos (7 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024) and Niño Gordo (18 in North America's 50 Best), for a four-course menu paired with a selection of Patron Tequila cocktails. Tickets are £80.
23 February - Pasta Slut are teaming up with Monella London for a family-style long lunch over at Hatch Homerton. Tickets are £60 for a three-course meal which starts with a rhubarb bellini and includes pacceri with beef short rib ragu and a profiterole tower.
27 February - Gaucho Piccadilly is having the first of a spirit-focused dinners called Pour Decisions. They're teaming up with Patron tequila for the launch with a series of dishes paired with tequila cocktails. Tickets are £80 for an evening which ends with a shot of Patrón XO Cafe.
1 March: Quaglino's is celebrating St David's Day with an evening curated by Katherine Jenkins. There's a three-course menu on offer which can be paired with Cygnet gin cocktails. There'll be a string quartet and big band providing entertainment on the night.
2 March: Ixta Belfrage is joining forces with Rambutan for their dinner series Rambutan & Cousins. She'll be showcasing a unique set menu (£60) that combines both Brazilian and Sri Lankan cuisines.
5 March: Kerth Gumbs of Fenchurch Restaurant and Thomas Lemercier of La Bibliothèque are joining forces for a Four Hands dinner at Fenchurch, promising an experimental French-Asian-Caribbean feast 37 floors up in the clouds for one night only. Tickets are £125 for six courses plus a glass of champagne.
6 March - Andi Oliver is hosting a supper club with Head Chef Avi from Pahli Hill celebrating the crossover of Indian and Caribbean cuisines. Tickets are £100 and include all food and a cocktail or mocktail on arrival.
8-16 March: House of HOLI is returning to Cinnamon Kitchen City (Liverpool Street) with tickets including the spectacular Holi paint pod with a 30-minute “rainbow fight”, a cocktail, and a five-course Indian sharing feast. Tickets start at £15.
18 March - The 2025 guest chef season starts at Bar Douro where the first chef is André Cruz from the Michelin-starred Feitoria Restaurant. He'll be cooking a five-course dinner which reflects his Beira roots and global influences and dishes like fish cured in beeswax. Tickets are £80.
27 March - Chef's Table UK '25 at the QEII Centre is hosting a special dinner for Hospitality Action. Hosted by Sabrina Ghayour, various tables will be up for grabs with chefs in charge including Atul Kochhar, Tom Kerridge, Tom Booton, Bryn Williams, Ollie Dabbous, Brett Graham, Sally Abe, Mark Birchall and more. Get tickets here.
Until 31 March - The Montague on the Gardens is having a pop-up Alpine-inspired Winter Lodge where you can book for a two-hour fondue session. It's £50 for two people.
Marta Sandini at Bruno
Where: Victoria Park - 211a Victoria Park Rd, London E9 7JN
When: 16 January - 2 March 2025
The former head chef at Naughty Piglets, Italian-born Marta arrived in London via China and Australia. That globe-trotting background informs the menus of her pop-ups. Here at Bruno, treats in-store include polentacos with hazelnut dressing and what's becoming a signature dish, her prawn and sesame choux.
Il Pellicano at Claridge’s
Where: Mayfair - Brook St, London W1K 4HR
When: 17-22 February 2025
For one week only, the kitchen team at the legendary Hotel Il Pellicano in Tuscany are decamping to Mayfair where they're taking up residence in Claridge's Restaurant. Expect to find many of the hotel's signature dishes on the menu from risotto with shrimp and ginger to their amazing tiramisu. They're also bringing over barman Federico Morosi to serve up some of his famous cocktails.
Short Road Pizza at Three Colts Tavern
Where: Bethnal Green - 199 Cambridge Heath, London E2 0El
When: Ongoing
Chef Ugo has pizza in his blood - his nonno owned a pizza restaurant in Naples so he ought to know his way around a pizza oven. Here in Cambridge Heath, he and partner Kate are serving up an Italian-American menu - think Romana-style pizza with Chicago Thin Crust. There are snacks and small plates too including farinata (the Ligurian chickpea flatbread).
Rake at The Compton Arms
Where: Islington - 4 Compton Ave, London N1 2XD
When: Ongoing
The latest Compton Arms residency comes over from their sister pub, The Gun. Rake is run by three chefs who have a lot of key experience: Jay Claus (ex-Peckham Cellars and Quo Vadis), Syrus Pickhaver (ex-Zebra Riding Club and Acme Fire Cult) and Peter Ward (ex-The Shard and Acme Fire Cult) Their menu focuses on whole beast butchery and sustainable Cornish fish and they're keen on looking at classic British recipes through a modern lens.
Chap Bistro at The Haggerston
Where: Haggerston - 438 Kingsland Road, London, United Kingdom E8 4AA
When: Ongoing
Having previously headed up the kitchen at Black Axe Mangal (where, incidentally, he trained up Will Poulter for The Bear), chef Angus Kitchin is now out on his own with this French-inspired residency in East London. A tight menu might feature roast meats and lentils or Saucisse de Morteau & Celeriac Remoulade. He starts 2025 focusing on moules and steak frites.
Smash n Grabz at The French Market
Where: Finsbury Park - 16 Blackstock Road, London N4 2DW
When: Until at least March 2025
Estate agent turned burger fiend Anthony started serving up burgers to the denizens of Tufnell Park before starting a series of popups in the area. Following the current London trend, the menu here is all about the smash burger. On match days look out for the Saka burger which features two patties, plantain, cheese and Lesley's sauce.
Alby's Pizza at The Gipsy Queen
Where: Kentish Town - 166 Malden Road, London, NW5 4BS.
When: Ongoing
The latest residency at The Gypsy Queen , Alby's, is all about new York-style pizzas. Expect huge pizzas with options including margeritas, the Alby's Hot and more. You'll also find them inside Someday at Finsbury Park.
Natty Can Cook at The Greyhound
Where: Peckham - 109 Peckham High Street, London, SE15 5SE
When: Ongoing
Nathaniel Mortley has taken over the kitchen at The Greyhound for a menu of "elevated Caribbean food". The chef built his Natty Can Cook business after spending time at HMP Brixton and working in The Clink. For the residency, he's bringing together his Jamaican family recipes with French culinary techniques, for dishes like soft shell crab with scotch bonnet & tomato veloute and plantain cake with white chocolate ganache, chocolate soil and lime chantilly.
Mamapen at Sun & 13 Cantons
Where: Soho - 21 Great Pulteney St, London W1F 9NG
When: Ongoing, until June 2025
Mamapen is billed as London's only Cambodian restaurant, led by chef Kaneda who left an advertising career to become a chef, and has worked at Aqua Kyoto, Flank and From the Ashes before this. His goal with Mamapen is to champion Khmer food in London with dishes including Khmer fried chicken bun, panko pork toast and sour pineapple curry. Chefs with pop-ups here have gone onto big things so this is definitely one to watch.
Carter's at The Crooked Well
Where: Camberwell - 16 Grove Ln, London SE5 8SY
When: Ongoing
Carter's is a new residency set up by Ballymalloe-trained Franc Carter who's brought a menu of Modern British food to the pub. The menu adapts throughout the week, featuring dishes like Wookey Hole panisse wirh asparagus, aioli, salsa verde and parmesan alongside pork schnitzel, gnocchi with oyster mushrooms and ginger cake for dessert. Plus they do some absolutely great-looking pies.
Daccappo pizza at The Smuggler's Tavern
Where: Fitzrovia - 28 Warren St, London W1T 5ND
When: Ongoing
The latest pizza residency at this pub features Neapolitan pizzas with a Roman twist and you can order square pizzas by the slice her too. Look out for non-pizza specials like their fried cacio e pepe balls as well as their "slice and stuff" pizza style sandwiches.
Fowl
Where: St James - Norris St, St. James's Market, SW1Y 4RJ
When: Ongoing
Opposite their restaurant, Fallow have launched a long-term pop-up called Fowl. Described as a "chicken shop like no other" there's chicken in pretty much everything, from the butter to the salads, pies and more. They'll also be collaborating with top chefs for limited-edition dishes.
Jackson Boxer at The Corner Restaurant
Where: Selfridges, 400 Oxford St, London W1A 1AB
When: Ongoing
Jackson Boxer (Brunswick House and Orasay) has taken over the corner restaurant, which has in the past seen residencies from Adesse and NYC chef Grant Clark. Under Boxer, the restaurant will be serving an "exclusive experimental, seasonal menu".
William Fisher and Jin Park at The Hawke
Where: Hackney - 235 Victoria Park Rd, London E9 7HD, United Kingdom
When: Ongoing
Formerly at the Compton Arms with Belly, chefs William Fisher and Jin Park are now in charge of the menu at The Hawke in Victoria Park. Expect a menu led by seasonal ingredients and recent dishes have included cod with fuet, nahm Jim and sorrel as well as crispy lamb with carrot, mint, cucumber and chickweed.
Angelo Sato at Artesian
Where: The Langham, 1C Portland Pl, London W1B 1JA
When: Ongoing
Humble Chicken's Angelo Sato is in charge of the menu at Artesian and it's one that Sato says "is inspired by my Japanese heritage, incorporating the likes of shiso, miso, katsu curry and nori."
Mondo Sando at the Grove House Tavern
Where: Camberwell - 26 Camberwell Grove, London SE5 8RE
When: Ongoing
Sandwich slingers Mondo Sando serves up a roster of sarnies that include the Mondo Frango (chargrilled peri-peri chicken thigh, pea salsa verde, peri mayo, potato matchsticks, shrettuce) alongside burgers and sides.
Tigre Tacos
Where: Holborn - Gunmakers, 13 Eyre St Hill, London EC1R 5ET
When: Ongoing
Up until now, Tigre Tacos have been popping up with their food truck at the alfresco Nine Lives Alley. This is their permanent residency at Gunmakers in Clerkenwell. There'll be baja fish and camarones tacos among the dishes on the Mexican menu.
Filthy Buns at the Three Compasses
Where: Dalston - 99 Dalston Lane, London E8 1NH
When: Ongoing
Filthy Buns, led by exec chef John Gladwell, will be settling down for a residency in the pub following their start on the street food scene. Expect plenty of beer cheese.
Liu Xiaomian at the Jackalope
Where: Marylebone - The Jackalope, 43 Weymouth Mews, London W1G 7EG
When: Ongoing
This was originally a street food stall, started by Charlene Liu and her flatmate Liu Qian, serving up a Sichuan menu based on Chongqing food. Expect a variety of Chongqing noodles, daily chefs specials and more.
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