If the frigid temps and falling flakes didn't tell you it's winter, these pop-ups sure will. From Nordic rooftop bars to hipster winter funfairs and alpine chalets, the seasonal shops around London are booming with holiday spirit and cheer. Here, the best of them all.
Lodge D’Argent
Granted, there are more ski-themed pop-ups than you could shake a ski pole at in London this winter, but Lodge D’Argent is one of the first and one of the best. Offering a wintry retreat for city slickers and pilgrimaging guests alike, Lodge D’Argent occupies the rooftop terrace of swanky restaurant, Coq D’Argent in Bank. Running with a real après-ski theme so that you can pretend your long day at the office was a long day on the slopes, warm up with a hot toddy or a mulled wine, and quench your thirst with wintry Belvedere cocktails. You’re bound to be hungry too after all that snow ploughing, right? Gooey, cheese fondue and traditional tartiflette are sure to fill a hole.
Valhalla Vodka Bar
Standing firm and unique, away from the plethora of alpine-themed winter pop-ups, Valhalla Vodka Bar is the Viking-themed rooftop pop-up at Skylounge, Tower Bridge. Cozy and snug, the outdoor pop-up on the 12th floor is fully waterproof and warm thanks to a myriad of outdoor heaters, blankets, and bear hides. Guests can enjoy not only epic views of The Gherkin, The Shard, and Tower Bridge from there but also revel in the delights of Snow Queen vodka cocktails, mulled wine, spiced cider, Scandiavian flame-cooked meats, and damn-good halloumi. Open Wednesday to Saturday ‘til February.
Winterville
More a pop-up spectacular than a pop-up bar per se, Winterville is brand new this year to Victoria Park, offering residents of the East all the fun (and more) of Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, only without the tourists. Open now and running right through to January 1, visitors can anticipate a truly awesome winter wonderland. There’ll be hot cider bars, festive street food, Ferris wheels, ice rinks, craft beers, roller discos, and giant spiegeltents.
Scandi-Bird at Bluebird
For classier cocktails and guaranteed Made in Chelsea cast sightings, head to Scandi-Bird at Bluebird, Kings Road’s best social hangout for all aspirant Chelsea residents. Open until Christmas Eve, the Nordic-themed venue is decorated with twinkling fairy lights, fir trees, reindeer skins, and blankets to make it extra snug. Head on down, cozy up on a sofa under a heater, sip Belvedere vodka cocktails, glögg, and mulled wine, and munch on classic Scandi snacks like gravalax on rye. Who needs to go to Scandinavia this winter when Scandinavia has come to us?
Le Chalet
Restaurateur Des McDonald is intent on making Selfridges even more of a place to be by transforming the roof into all things awesome. This summer it was Q on the Roof, his pop-up BBQ garden restaurant, but now, reinvented for winter, it’s Le Chalet, a cozier, winter reincarnation mimicking that of a ski chalet complete with wintry ferns and timber branches. The mouth-watering food menu created by Q Grill focuses on season-appropriate dishes, with highlights of spit-roast suckling pig, comforting lobster macaroni cheese, and warming apple streusel and custard. Drinks wise, Le Chalet’s "choctail" menu makes hot chocolate even better. Bourbon and coconut hot chocolate
Lodge D’Argent
Granted, there are more ski-themed pop-ups than you could shake a ski pole at in London this winter, but Lodge D’Argent is one of the first and one of the best. Offering a wintry retreat for city slickers and pilgrimaging guests alike, Lodge D’Argent occupies the rooftop terrace of swanky restaurant, Coq D’Argent in Bank. Running with a real après-ski theme so that you can pretend your long day at the office was a long day on the slopes, warm up with a hot toddy or a mulled wine, and quench your thirst with wintry Belvedere cocktails. You’re bound to be hungry too after all that snow ploughing, right? Gooey, cheese fondue and traditional tartiflette are sure to fill a hole.
Valhalla Vodka Bar
Standing firm and unique, away from the plethora of alpine-themed winter pop-ups, Valhalla Vodka Bar is the Viking-themed rooftop pop-up at Skylounge, Tower Bridge. Cozy and snug, the outdoor pop-up on the 12th floor is fully waterproof and warm thanks to a myriad of outdoor heaters, blankets, and bear hides. Guests can enjoy not only epic views of The Gherkin, The Shard, and Tower Bridge from there but also revel in the delights of Snow Queen vodka cocktails, mulled wine, spiced cider, Scandiavian flame-cooked meats, and damn-good halloumi. Open Wednesday to Saturday ‘til February.
Winterville
More a pop-up spectacular than a pop-up bar per se, Winterville is brand new this year to Victoria Park, offering residents of the East all the fun (and more) of Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, only without the tourists. Open now and running right through to January 1, visitors can anticipate a truly awesome winter wonderland. There’ll be hot cider bars, festive street food, Ferris wheels, ice rinks, craft beers, roller discos, and giant spiegeltents.
Scandi-Bird at Bluebird
For classier cocktails and guaranteed Made in Chelsea cast sightings, head to Scandi-Bird at Bluebird, Kings Road’s best social hangout for all aspirant Chelsea residents. Open until Christmas Eve, the Nordic-themed venue is decorated with twinkling fairy lights, fir trees, reindeer skins, and blankets to make it extra snug. Head on down, cozy up on a sofa under a heater, sip Belvedere vodka cocktails, glögg, and mulled wine, and munch on classic Scandi snacks like gravalax on rye. Who needs to go to Scandinavia this winter when Scandinavia has come to us?
Le Chalet
Restaurateur Des McDonald is intent on making Selfridges even more of a place to be by transforming the roof into all things awesome. This summer it was Q on the Roof, his pop-up BBQ garden restaurant, but now, reinvented for winter, it’s Le Chalet, a cozier, winter reincarnation mimicking that of a ski chalet complete with wintry ferns and timber branches. The mouth-watering food menu created by Q Grill focuses on season-appropriate dishes, with highlights of spit-roast suckling pig, comforting lobster macaroni cheese, and warming apple streusel and custard. Drinks wise, Le Chalet’s "choctail" menu makes hot chocolate even better. Bourbon and coconut hot chocolate