Ask any Londoner about their favourite places to relax in the city during the summer and the words South Bank will undoubtedly come up! Once you've stretched your legs with a stroll along the river on the Queen's Walk, kicking back for a drink or two and a bite to eat at one of South Bank’s pop-ups and terraces is a quintessential London summer experience.
Here’s a look at who’s popping up this summer to put on your radar.
WHEN: 1 April until late September
This peaceful space on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall (reached via those iconic yellow staircases) has become a much-loved feature of the Southbank Centre. The lush garden is home to over 200 wild native plants, wildflowers and trees, with grassy lawns, deckchairs and some of South Bank’s best views. The garden has its own casual pop-up Roof Garden Bar & Kitchen serving wines, beers and soft drinks.
WHEN: 30 April through to Christmas
Spreading out between Jubilee Gardens and Hungerford Bridge, Between The Bridges is one of London's biggest pop-up destinations. The complex encompasses several indoor, all-weather bar areas with stages for weekend performances and parties, arranged around a huge central courtyard where a big screen shows major sporting tournaments such as Wimbledon, and a variety of street food trucks are there to satisfy your hunger. Find out more here.
WHEN: 23 April–20 September
The perennial pop-up maestro Jimmy Garcia has been cooking on the South Bank since 2016. This summer, he's changing things up with a new concept located in front of the Southbank Centre Skatepark that celebrates rotisserie. Where at last year's BBQ Club live-fire grill cooking was the centre of the action, this year, with Rotate the pop-up will be centred around whole chickens slowly roasting.
Beyond the food, of course the biggest attraction here is always the chance to enjoy the relaxed riverside ambience and views and this year Jimmy is promising even more riverfront seating with a brand new layout guaranteeing every seat a view of the water.
WHEN:16 April until mid-September
This year’s summer pop-up by street food incubators KERB, spreads right across the National Theatre's sunny piazzas. Expect a tasty selection of guest street food traders and a huge pop-up bar with plenty of tables and deck chairs for enjoying the sun.
Food traders joining this summer include plant-based Feed the Village, Eat Barb's feel-good Bajan food, The Duck Shed, Moody Sip Sandwiches, Malaysian-Nigerian fusion from The Happy Pot, plus Chill Gelato's plant-based ice cream flavours. On the drinks side look out for a pop-up cocktail bar by Black Lines plus two container bars slinging fresh pints, frozen cocktails, wines and spritzes.
WHEN: 23 April until 20 September
This pretty pop-up bar is the perfect photo opportunity, sitting with a prime view of Big Ben and the London Eye. Fashioned from a salvaged vintage horsebox, the bar serves up classic British summer cocktails like Pimm's and elderflower G&Ts. A small ‘cocktail garden’ faces right onto the river and is a great spot to kick back and admire the sunset with a drink.
You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a great day out sightseeing in South Bank.
