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 mid-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, soft drinks and coffees.
WHEN: 17 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. This summer Time Out is curating their food offering with a tasty variety of food trucks including Patty & Bun, Rogue Sarnies and CDMX Tacos. Find out more here.
WHEN: 24 April until 21 September
The BBQ Club by Jimmy Garcia is always a summer favourite, and each year the riverside spot in a prime position opposite the Southbank Skatepark gets even bigger and better! This year, the signature riverside BBQ Club cabana is back, where guests can book a sit-down six-course tasting menu incorporating their very own Big Green Egg barbecue. There's also a separate Bar & Grill serving up casual street food and drinks and an expansive beer garden. Find out more here.
WHEN: 17 April until late 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. This year's food trucks include Duck Shed, Venezuelan fried chicken by El Pollote, Moroccan street food by Harissa and Lemon, Happy Pot rendang and Oh My Dog hot dogs. On the drinks side of things, there are craft beers by Two Tribes, a pop-up cocktail bar by Black Lines and premium softs from Double Dutch.
WHEN: From 25 April
The elegant Sea Containers Restaurant has teamed up with St-Germain so you can soak up gorgeous views across the Thames to St Paul's, while enjoying a classic St-Germain Hugo Spritz on their riverside summer terrace. If you prefer to have a drink and take a stroll, the award-winning cocktail bar Lyaness also now has a pop-up summer kiosk serving cocktails to go!
WHEN: 17 April until late September
The chic terrace wine bar at National Theatre, Forza Wine, expands its al fresco space with a second terrace, Forza Taps, seating 60. Forza Taps operates on a casual walk-in-only basis and serves drinks and snacks. In typical Forza style, these are elevated snacks, including Arrosticini, Forza’s playful take on Abruzzo’s famous kebab-like skewers. The 'tap' drinks on offer include Frizzante, rosé, white and red wines, negronis, spicy palomas, and a lineup of classic spritzes and posh sodas.
WHEN: Until late September
South Bank pop-up regulars Truffle Burger are teaming up with hip street food brands from France and the US for a unique series of street food collabs this summer. Every few weeks a different cult street food brand takes over their spot below Hungerford Bridge. International names popping up include; Homer Lobster from Paris (30 May–22 June), Charles Pan Fried Chicken (2–18 May), Forsyth Fire Escape (27 June–20 July), Utopia Bagels (25 July–17 Aug) and Bodgea Truck from New York, and Nixta Taqueria from Austin, Texas. Find out more here.
WHEN: From 8 May through Christmas
South Bank's newest pop-up is this breezy cocktail garden created by the same team from Jimmy's BBQ Club. Specialising in artisanal cocktails, there's an emphasis on supporting local with all featured brewers and distillers based within a ten-mile radius, including popular London boutique brands like Whitley Neill’s Gin, East London Liquor Co. and BlackLines.
WHEN: 24 April until 22 September
This quirky 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.
WHEN: 27 April until 22 September
You can't miss the bright pink glitter of SNOG's frozen yoghurt pop-up, located right in front of the carousel next to Jubilee Gardens. Staying open late into the evening, there’s always a queue for their fat-free organic frozen yoghurt available in five mouth-watering flavours. Grab a froyo to go or find a seat on one of the riverside tables on their petite terrace with its incredible sunset views of Big Ben.
You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy a great day out sightseeing in South Bank.
