Your December Agenda | The Best Of London, December 2024
Welcome to December: the final boss of the calendar year.
The month when your wallet whimpers softly in the corner, your liver files (unsuccessfully) for annual leave, and your calendar becomes a complicated game of festive Tetris.
And frankly we are not going to be helping by telling you about allll the great stuff going on, which includes ice slides & Alpine lodges; a secret concert in a Victorian tunnel shaft; a massive festive knees-up in a brewery; a euphoric evening of mass singing; a candlelit party with live music & burlesque; a magic show in a sanctuary that’s usually hidden to the public; a chance to eat dinner in a rooftop gondola; and what will likely be your only opportunity to have panettone tiramisu…
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POP UP EVENTS
The Gingerbread City | Hansel & Gretel would lose their minds
Luke Hayes
This now-annual tradition sees around 50 architects and engineers turn their finely tuned minds to the serious business of constructing an entire village of gingerbread houses, caramel waterfalls and candy floss steam trains. Just try not to eat the artwork.
Details: 30th November – 29th December | The Gaumont, 196-222 King’s Rd, London SW3 5XP | £13
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Mexican Christmas Market | Feliz navidad
Christmas list lacking pizzazz? Or smoked chillis? Head to Coal Drops Yard where Casa Pastor is hosting a Mexican market, featuring Mexican traders, piñatas, live mariachi bands, hot chocolate and churros.
Details: 1st December, 11am-7pm | Casa Pastor, Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4DQ | Free entry
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Secret Christmas Concert at DEBUT | In a Victorian tunnel shaft
DEBUT is known for staging spine-tingling live concerts in magical settings, and this month they’re putting on a Secret Christmas Concert in the Victorian tunnel shaft beneath The Midnight Apothecary. So, obviously, being secret, we can’t confirm that it’s going to be an enchanting evening of live music, singalong carols and hot toddies. But it’s also not not that…
Details: 5th December | Brunel Tunnel Shaft, Railway Ave, London SE16 4LF | £45
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Miracle on Leake Street | Christmas cheer in a, er, graffiti tunnel
This month, London’s longest graffiti tunnel (a coveted title, if there ever was one) is transforming into a pretty unconventional festive celebration. Exepect a mass karaoke session featuring rock, hip-hop, and R&B classics, with a hard ban on anything remotely classic, yes, including Mariah. Then there’ll be graffiti workshops, dance performances, quirky wreath-making, and a craft market. There’ll be food & drink stalls, and a ten-foot ‘Spray Can Christmas Tree’ just to really nail the quirk.
Details: 5th December, 5–9 pm | Leake Street Tunnel, Waterloo | Free
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Pop Up Screens | Watch Festive Flicks in a Victorian Subway
The stately Crystal Palace subway has been closed off to the public for 70 years, but now Pop Up Screens are screening some classic flicks there. (to be clear, the subway didn’t just reopen for the cinema, you can take a tour and stuff). The halls will be decked with tinsel and fairylights for atmospheric screenings of from Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone and more. Plus, there’ll be a full bar loaded with popcorn, sweets and booze (you can also bring your own snacks if you fancy).
Details: 6th-15th December | Crystal Palace Subway, Crystal Palace Parade, London SE19 2BA | £15 + booking fee
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Willy’s Winter Wonderland | What Willy Cook throws a party
Insta-famous chef What Willy Cook is taking over Signature Brew, and throwing a festive knees-up with DJs and food trucks from the likes of Mangal 2, Pearly Queen and Magic Momo, all in aid of the children affected by the crisis in Gaza and Lebanon.
Details: 7th December | Signature Brew, Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow, London E17 5QJ | £24
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Eel Pie Island Open Weekend | explore a mysterious island on the Thames
Despite sounding like some kind of surreal culinary day camp, Eel Pie Island is actually a kind of artists retreat in the river Thames – and ordinarily, it’s completely closed off to Joe Public, except for two weekends a year. This will be one of those weekends. Head on over the tiny footbridge, and you’ll find a quirky enclave of artistic expression loaded with eccentric little touches. There isn’t really anywhere else like it in the city.
Details: 7th & 8th December | Eel Pie Island, Twickenham Embankment, TW1 3DY | Free, book here
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UncannyCon | Ghost stories meet science
This terrifyingly long, 7-hour event comes to us from the team behind Uncanny, the podcast that unpacks real-life supernatural encounters with a skeptical, science-based approach. Expect live podcast recordings, panel discussions, meet-and-greets, and a marketplace of eerie curiosities. Perfect for skeptics, believers, and anyone wondering if 7 hours is long enough to cross into the spirit realm themselves.
Details: 8th December | Southbank Centre | £60
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Satanic Flea Market | It’s an anagram of ‘am tackier Santa elf’
Ever see a Christmas gift you’d sell your soul for it? Well, unfortunately the vendors at the Satanic Flea require actual money. We know, it’s truly demonic. But in exchange you’ll find all manner of vintage & bespoke collectibles, curiosities, cultural relics, vintage clothing, unusual toys, occult trinkets, obscure records, and “human skulls”. Stocking fillers, basically.
Details: 10th December | Electrowerkz, 7 Torrens St, EC1V 1NQ
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Borough Market’s Evening of Cheese | omgomgomg
Borough Market is getting spruced up (quite literally) with Christmas trees and garlands for the festive season, dozens of stalls selling fancy food & drink gifts, and pop-up mulled wine bars. And it’s also cutting straight to the chase with what everyone really wants from a Christmas market, by hosting a night dedicated entirely to cheese, with pairing tips, tastings, and mulled wine.
Details: 11th December, 6pm-9pm | Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TL | Free entry
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Organoke | Mass karaoke in a church
Everyone loves a big organ. And the one at St. Giles in Camberwell is huge. All the better than to bang out some tunes for a night of Organoke this month. And yes, Organoke is exactly what it sounds like – a portmanteau of ‘organ karaoke’, in which a classically trained organist quite literally pulls out the stops to provide live accompaniment for a raucous evening of sing-a-long bangers.
Details: 12th, 14th & 15th December | St. Giles Church, Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8RB | £29
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The Candlelight Club’s Christmas Party | A ’20s-style bash in a secret location
Don your finest 1920s garb, sip prohibition cocktails, and dance the night away with Champagne Charlie and his degenerate crew of musicians, DJs, burlesque dancers, caricaturists and tarot readers.
Details: 13th & 14th December | Secret location | £30
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Santacon | This con ain’t no con
Santacon describes itself as a “non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical Christmas parade”, and they’re pretty much nailed it. For one Saturday every December, a whole bunch of people get dressed in Santa outfits, and run around giving gifts, singing songs, and generally spreading Christmas cheer across the city.
Details: 14th December | Somewhere in central
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A Dickensian Christmas | Proper old school fun
What the Dickens can you expect at this concert? Well, a load of Victorian Christmas carols played by a full brass band, interspersed with snippets from A Christmas Carol read by Mark Williams (a.k.a. Arthur Weasley).
Details: 18th December, 7.30pm | Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ | £30-55
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Science Museum Xmas Lates | Go ohm for the holidays
The Science Museum’s Christmas late will look at the chemistry of festive food, the physics of Santa travel… and the universal law that mulled wine + silent disco = fun.
Details: 18th December | The Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2DD | Free
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Christmas at the Natural History Museum | Meet Santa claws
This festive season, the NHM is holding a late-opening event for adults (or ‘fossils’) only. You can chat to scientists, get a free rein of the galleries, listen to live harp music, create festive cards, and check out exhibitions like Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre. Oh, and don’t miss the animatronic T. rex in a Christmas jumper.
Details: 20th December | Natural History Museum | £27 (£24.30 for members)
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The Rivoli Ballroom Cinema | Festive classics in a ’50s ballroom
If you’ve never been to the Rivoli, it’s worth going for the interiors alone: it’s a totally untouched 1950s ballroom in South East London, with a shimmering vaulted ceiling, chandeliers, and deep scarlet walls. The fact that they’re turning the whole place into a pop-up festive cinema this month is just the icing on the cake, really. Just be warned that the bookkeeping system hasn’t updated since the ’50s either, and it’s a cash-only bar.
Details: 20th – 22nd December | Rivoli Ballroom, 350 Brockley Road, Crofton Park, SE4 2BY | £10
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Explore Sir John Soane’s Museum By Candlelight | Plus mince pies, mulled wine & carolling
This house hasn’t been touched in over 200 years. And this month, they’ll be celebrating like it’s 1799 with mince pies, mulled wine and carolling, in an entirely candlelit atmosphere.
Details: 20th December | Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A | £25
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The Magic Circle Christmas Show | Makes the magic triangle look amateur
London’s magicians have got something up their sleeves.
The Magic Circle is a worldwide network of illusionists who are solemnly sworn to secrecy (only eventually allowing Stephen Mulhern to rejoin after he revealed the secret behind a trick on a children’s TV show). Their London HQ – aka ‘the house of 1000 secrets’ – is usually closed to the public except for occasional shows and museum tours, where you can see Houdini’s handcuffs, and King Charles’ cups and balls. And every year, they open their doors for a riotously entertaining Christmas show in the building’s teeny tiny theatre.
Details: 20th-23rd, 27th-30th December | 12 Stephenson Way, NW1 2HD | £15.40+
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Carols by Candlelight | Union Chapel gets a glow-up
Emile Holba
One of the most popular carol services in London returns this year, illuminating the vast, grade II listed Union Chapel in Highbury with the glow of thousands of candles. There’ll be performances of classic carols and parts of Handel’s Messiah sung by the Union Chapel Voices choir, accompanied by the church’s amazing organ, as well as well-known carols to sing along to.
Details: 22nd December, 6pm for 7pm start | Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, Islington, N1 2UN | Free, arrive early to get seats
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New Year’s Eve | 10, 9, 8…
New Years is coming. The countdown to the countdown has begun. We’re all going to celebrate what is, essentially, the earth’s birthday. If you’re looking for a party idea, then there are obviously hundreds going on, but a couple to consider are a ’20s-style shindig by The Candlelight Club; live music & bacon sandiwches at Cahoots; a silent disco at the Natural History Museum; some power ballads at The Piano Works; a 1988 themed party at Big Penny Social; or a screening of When Harry Met Sally at the Prince Charles.
Details: 31st December | Everywhere
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A Christmas Carol-ish | By Mr Swallow, AKA Nick Mohammed, AKA that guy from Ted Lasso & Taskmaster
If you’ve not yet encountered Nick Mohammed’s berserk alter ego Mr Swallow, you’re in for a treat, and he’s accompanied here by a more than able supporting cast of character comedians, Kieran Hodgson, David Elms and Martha Howe-Douglas, who are all in fine voice (and an array of ridiculous outfits). The plot is gloriously incomprehensible (it’s Scrooge meets Santa, but that’s just the half of it…), there are rollerskates and sparkly gold tailcoats, and the musical numbers are genuinely fantastic. There’s not a ghost of a chance you won’t love it.
Details: Until 31st December | @SohoPlace theatre | £20+
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Wecandoo | Fun, creative workshops led by artisans | Partner Content
Wecandoo is a curated online platform, where you can book maker-led workshop experiences – ones where you can learn to make something beautiful by hand, with an artisan’s guidance. Then you can take your creation home, or eat it, or both. And you’ll probably get to meet some like-minded souls along the way. This December alone, you can try anything from a pottery wheel throwing workshop in South London, to loom weaving or silver ring making in East London, or guided coffee tasting in Central.
Details: Throughout December | Across London | £25+ | Book here
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Hot Tub Film Club | Floating Flicks
The team behind London’s hot tub boats are bringing back their Hot Tub Film Club, where you can watch a cult flick al fresco from the comfort of your own toasty jacuzzi tug boat. Yes, those people in the photos are half naked, in winter. It’s really rather refreshing.
Details: Sundays in December | West India Quay, Off Hertsmere Road, London E14 4AL | £35
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Go Skating | “Ice rink, therefore I am”
Technically, ice skating is a water-sport. Only one you do with mulled wine and hot chocolate. And we’ve rounded up the very best places to do it in…
Details: Throughout December | Across London
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Check out some Winter Light Trails | A little light entertainment
London’s festive after-dark events typically involve taking some of the city’s most iconic parks and buildings and filling them with a spectrum’s-worth of LEDs, lasers, strobes, floodlights, holograms, interactive displays, and other such modern wizardry. And if you’re wondering which to book? Allow us to illuminate you with our pick of London’s best winter light trails…
Details: Throuhgout December | Across London
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Vogue: Inventing The Runway | 40ft legs striding across the screen
After hosting two blockbuster exhibitions (The Moonwalkers and David Hockney: Bigger and Closer), Vogue: Inventing the Runway is the Lightroom’s third show. It makes use of the magazine’s extensive archives, and the venue’s immense, 40ft wall-to-wall & ceiling-to-floor screens to deliver a breathtaking, 360° documentary like no other – involving a lot of very long legs.
Details: Until 26th April 2025 | Lightroom, Lewis Cubitt Square, London, N1C 4DY | £25
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Winter Wonderland | Ice slides, sing-a-longs, and cocktail bars
You know this one. Winter Wonderland has become a mainstay in the capital’s festive calendar, but they do at least make a noble attempt to innovate every now and then – this year, they’ve got an actual ice slide which you can careen down in an inflatable tube. And that’s to go with the parade of street food chalets, alpine lodges, sing-a-longs, ice bars, rollercoasters, and more.
Details: Until 5th January 2025 | Hyde Park | Free (off peak), £5 (standard, £7.50 (peak)
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Mars In The Painted Hall | A real space invader
UK based artist Luke Jerram has made himself a small cottage industry displaying replicas of heavenly bodies in rather heavenly spaces. And now, he’s now planting our neighbour Mars into the immensely grand Painted Hall in Greenwich. Prepare yourself for a little awe time.
Details: Until 28th January 2025 | Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, SE10 9NN | £16.50
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Batman Unmasked | Visit The Batcave and see some cool props
Batman turns 85 this year, but seems as ruggedly muscular as ever (proving once again that billions of dollars do make the best anti-aging cream). And in honour of the masked vigilante’s birthday, there’s a new show in town called Batman Unmasked. You’ll get to step into 9 themed rooms (a Batcave, Arkham maze, Wayne Manor library, etc) and see props & costumes from several decades of movies. Should be fun.
Details: Until 30th December | 45 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 7BN | £21+
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Astronomy Photographer of the Year | These photographers shoot for the stars
Want to see some truly stellar photography?
Head on down to the Astronomy Photographer Of The Year. It’s free, it’s in the National Maritime Museum, and it’s ready to blow your mind into cosmic dust until summer of 2025. This is the 16th year they’ve held the competition, and they’ve received thousands of entries from dozens of countries, narrowing them down to just the best 100 which they’ve displayed in the lightboxes that line the walls of the museum. And there are some insanely good images in there…
Details: Until Summer 2025 | National Maritime Museum, SE10 9NF | Free
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Go To The Theatre
You may laugh, you may cry, you may vomit, you may do all three… See The Best Shows On At The Theatre Now
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Take A Day Trip
London’s so enormous that just travelling from Notting Hill to Hackney can feel like a day trip.
But if you merely double that journey time (and in some cases, it might genuinely be quicker), you could also find yourself eating a chippie tea on the beach; hiking along glorious clifftops; walking down quaint cobbled lanes and enjoying a wine tasting in the vineyard where it was produced… Take a look at these 21 ideas
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See An Exhibition
Okay look, we’re fully aware that it seems like we’re padding the list with entries like this. “An exhibition?? What a creative and offbeat idea!” you say. We hear you. Buuuut this month features some pretty great stuff on show, including fake food from Japan, a 12th century make-up magazine, and a dive into the imagination of Tim Burton… See the best exhibitions on right now.
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Your Perks, this month | A brief reminder
Just as a quick reminder, as a Nudge Member you have access to:
- Complimentary hot toddies & popcorn at JOIA’s Rooftop Cinema
- 50% off cocktails at Chiave
- 50% off bookings for igloo boats
- 50% off cocktails at Bar Lina Shoreditch
- 50% off drinks at Quill
- 50% off food (plus complimentary welcome cocktails for everyone) at Boulebar
…and plenty more to come throughout the month. See all your current Member Perks here.
POP UP RESTAURANTS
A Very Papi Christmas | Probably your only chance at panettone tiramisu
Bucks Fizz Oysters? Hay Roasted Pigeon? Panettone Tiramisu? If that sounds to you like the signature playful creativity of Papi, only pushed through the lens of a festive menu, then you’d be right. It is. Over three Tuesdays in December (3rd, 10th & 17th), you can score a seasonal set menu that’s two courses for £38 or three for £45, with optional add-ons for extra decadence. Yes please.
Details: 3rd, 10th & 17th December | Papi, E8 3DQ | £38–£45
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Uyen Luu | Vietnamese supperclubs in London Fields
Uyen Luu has her fingers in a lot of pies. She’s a chef, a cookbook author, a food photographer, she hosts cookery classes, and she does indeed throw the occasional supperclub, all from her London Fields studio space. Head on down and you’ll be treated to all manner of fragrant & lovely Vietnamese food (pho, chicken papaya salad, 5-spice pork belly, etc). No pies, though.
Details: 7th & 14th December | Unit 32, Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road, E8 4QN | £60pp
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A Taste Of Paradise With Glenmorangie | A six-course, whisky paired tasting menu | Partner Content
A six-course, whisky paired dinner from the folks at Glenmorangie already sounds pretty fantastic, so it’s pretty apt that they’re quite literally holding it in Paradise. After almost instantly selling out their opening nights, they’ve added two new dates this month (11th & 18th). It’s all in honour of Glenmorangie’s newly re-imagined Original 12 Years Old – their new reimagined signature blend, aged for 2 years longer to make it silkier & creamier – and the Infinita 18 Years Old expressions. The idea is to fuse the best of Scotland and Sri Lanka, taking the punchy and vibrant flavours of Paradise’s modern Sri Lankan food, and pairing them with the silky, playful complexity of Glenmorangie’s own cocktails & whiskies.
Details: 11th & 18th December | Paraside, Soho | £65 | Book here
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Dinner at the Painted Hall | Dine in an Insanely Opulent Hall
As if Greenwich’s Painted Hall wasn’t atmospheric enough, they’ve now filled it with a giant, glowing replica of Mars. That you can have dinner beneath. With live jazz.
Details: 13th December | Old Royal Naval College, Romney Road, SE10 9NN | £125
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Gorka | At Italo in Vauxhall
Gorka is how they abbreviate the name George in the Basque Country, apparently. So when two chefs names George bonded over their mutual love of Basque cooking (no surprise one of them is ex-Brat), they decided to start a pop up, and name their enterprise Gorka. It’s hitting the wonderful little deli Italo in Vauxhall until about the end of the year, serving up weeknight treats of pigeon with grapes & pumpkin sauce; poached mushrooms with confit yolk; and an insane mortaeu sausage bread & butter pudding raclette that has to be seen to be believed.
Details: Until 20th Dec (Tues – Fri, 6-11pm) | 13 Bonnington Square, SW8 1TE
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ROCCO at The Montpelier | European coastal cuisine, in Peckham
The Montpelier’s kitchen is now helmed by ROCCO, offering a menu inspired by European coastal cuisine, and tt shore is good. Seriously though, it is. Expect whole grilled fish, BBQ meats and top-tier oysters, all prepared with seasonal British produce and live-fire cooking.
Details: Monday–Friday: 12–3 pm, 6–9 pm; Saturday: 12–4 pm, 6–9 pm; Sunday: 12–5 pm | 43 Choumert Road, London SE15 4AR
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Tiella at the Compton Arms | Italian food in a classic North London boozer
The Compton Arms always gets in great residencies. The last two – Four Legs and BELLY – both impressed massively, so they took a slight risk with Tiella because a) it’s not named after a body part, which seems to be the theme here, and b) it’s the debut of Italian chef Dara Klein, who has not yet helmed her own restaurant. But luckily, it turns out that she almost literally grew up in her family’s restaurant kitchen, and soaked up experience the whole time, then worked her way up through the ranks at places like Brawn, Trullo, and Sager + Wilde. So – surprise surprise – that risk has paid off…
Details: Until 20th December (Weds-Sun) | Compton Arms, 4 Compton Avenue, London, N1 2XD
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Fire & Fromage | Unlimited raclette on the Southbank
Yes, the words ‘unlimited raclette’ have already pretty much told you everything you need to know about this festive pop-up. But if, for any reason, you needed a broader introduction, here it is: Jimmy Garcia’s perpetually popular Alpine pop-up has returned to the Southbank, once more setting up a firepit-laden riverside cabana under the festoon lighting in front of the Southbank Centre. It’s £35 for 90 minutes of cheese plus a whole bunch of sides, desserts, and cream-topped hot chocolates.
Details: Until 31st December 2024 | Outside the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | £35
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Feast Off Piste | Dine in a rooftop gondola
The rooftop at The Berkeley is a tad chilly in the winter, so they’ve decided to set up some ski gondolas, and fill them with mulled wine raclette, tartiflette with freshly shaved truffle, a milk chocolate fondue (with edible candles) and gingerbread s’mores to finish. Not too shabby.
Details: Until 1st January 2025 | The Berkeley, SW1X 7RL | £75
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Rice Paddy @ King & Co. | Northern Thai brilliance in a South London pub
The kitchen at the King & Co is once again the preserve of one Paul Asher a.k.a Rice Paddy – after extensive travels in south east Asia, he’s come back with a menu of joltingly fiery and fragrant dishes, mostly from Northern Thailand. Thus you expect the likes of spiced aubergine with puffed rice, curried beef noodle soup, and a dreamy warm butter cake with pandan custard.
Details: Until 18 January 2025 | The King and Co, Clapham
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Saucy Bast*rds Burger Bar | Smash burgers in Fitzrovia
Saucy Bast*rds, led by Michelin-trained chef Zeus Ioannou, are serving up smash burgers, crispy chicken, and plant-based options with some sass & some sauce. Their signature ’Saucy Bastrd’ features two smash patties, American cheese, burger sauce, house pickles, and fresh onion, all in an artisan brioche bun. They’ve hit the Newman Arms in Fitzrovia, and will be there for the foreseeable…
Details: Throughout December | 107 Upper Street, London N1 1QN | Prices vary
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From The Ashes x The Ram | Unbelievable BBQ
After a blisteringly popular residency here in 2023, From The Ashes have returned, suitably phoenix-like, for a second round at The Ram. Their menu of BBQ grub is, in a word, outrageous: smoked pulled pork on toast with BBQ mop sauce; smoked beef, cheddar & jalapeño pie; pit-roasted squash with tahini yoghurt and their famous Del Potro doughnut all feature, alongside monster-sized roasts on Sundays.
Details: Throughout December | The Ram, 68 Wandsworth High St, London SW18 4LB
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Yagi Izakaya at Kernel | Japanese comfort food in a brewery
The Kernel just got a promotion: Yagi Izakaya has moved to serve up its splendid Japanese comfort food, ready to be washed down with the ultra-fresh brews. Expect the likes of chicken karaage burgers, shokupan prawn toast, and burnt cheesecake with miso caramel.
Details: Weds-Sun in December | 132 Spa Rd, SE16 3AE
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Varrons at Cadet | Sneak Preview of a Sure-Fire Hit
Run by a crack team with the likes of Westerns Laundry and Primeur on their CVs, Varrons might just end up being one of the most exciting openings of the year – but before they get the keys to their first bricks and mortar site, the trio have been popping up for brief spells across the city. Currently on the ticket is a fairly lengthy stint at Stoke Newington’s elegant wine bar, Cadet, where they’re serving a shorter bar menu from Mon-Weds, and a proper restaurant-style offering the rest of the week. Expect all manner of French comfort food, accompanied by a couple of cocktails and some lovely Jura-region wines…
Details: Throughout December | Cadet, 57 Newington Green, London, N16 9PX | Book a table
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Rake | Excellent modern British food above a pub
You’ll find Rake above The Gun – a sentence that may sound like the opening of a blinding episode of Gardener’s Question Time, but which actually makes for the start of a truly fantastic meal.
You see, the Rake in question is a modern British restaurant concept helmed by a hyper-talented trio of chefs including Jay Claus, Peter Ward & Syrus Pickhaver – their collective CVs include top-tier joints like Brat, ACME Fire Cult, and Quo Vadis, and it bloody well shows. And The Gun in question is an independent Hackney pub with a dedicated upstairs space for kitchen residencies just like this. They recently said a tearful farewell to Ling Lings. Thankfully, this is a more than adequate replacement.
Details: Throughout December | The Gun, E9 6FE
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Mamapen | London’s best Cambodian eatery
Mamapen is London’s only Cambodian restaurant – and it’s a pop up at that. And if, when hearing that, you thought ‘Really?? That feels like it can’t possibly be true’, then you’re not alone. In a city with the sheer depth of culinary choice that the capital has (we have Eritrean eateries! Javanese joints! Qatari cafes!), it definitely seems weird. So it’s a very good thing indeed that Mamapen exists, because otherwise we’d be missing some punchily flavourful, delightfully unfamiliar, and remarkably good food.
Details: Throughout December | The Sun and 13 Cantons, Soho, W1F 9NG
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Ling Ling’s Residency at Bambi | Sunday takeovers this autumn
Despite serving some of the best modern Chinese & Vietnamese for in the city, Ling Ling’s doesn’t have a restaurant. So they’re borrowing Bambi. The takeover’s happening every Sunday, and there’ll be specially curated cocktails to go with the likes of poached king prawns; chicken & water chestnut wontons; doubanjiang mushrooms; and more…
Details: Sundays in December | Bambi, E8
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POP UP BARS
The Winter Gin Garden: Sipping History | Cosy rooftop cocktails
The Ham Yard Hotel is once more firing up the heaters on its beautiful, usually closed-to-the-public rooftop for another series of lantern-lit winter evenings with quirky gin cocktails. It goes without saying that they are very popular…
Details: Until 31st December | Ham Yard Hotel, 1 Ham Yard, Soho, W1D 7DT | £24
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Bar Humbug | Raucously Festive Dive Bar Returns
Grant Walker
Santa Claus is coming to town! But unfortunately the miserable b*stard has had such a tough year he’s currently holed up in a festively-bedecked dive bar just off Brick Lane… and it’s up to you to help him rediscover that Christmas spirit. Yes, HUMBUG is back for a second year of raucously festive celebrations, complete with live music, festive burgers, games, singalongs, a beer-can bowling alley, a Die Hard tunnel, and a Mariah Carey shrine…
Details: Until 31st December | Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QR | £25+
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Bar Night at Novelty Automation | Pop up bar in a surreal arcade
Novelty Automation has some truly weird arcades. There’s a Money Laundering cash drop, an ‘Auto Frisker’ that will pat you down like a mechanical bouncer, and a ‘Small Hadron Collider’ among many others. It’s like satire meets surrealism meets stainless steel. And for one night a month, there’s a pop up bar there too.
Details: 5th December, 5-9pm | 1a Princeton St, Holborn, WC1R 4AX
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Miracle Bar | A joyously OTT Christmas cocktail joint
Imagine if someone threw a retro Christmas hand grenade into a bar and it went off, spraying tinsel, coloured lights, stockings, holly, mistletoe, and candy canes all over the place. Well, that’s pretty much what happens at Miracle. It leans very heavily into the theme, and serves up a menu of eggnog-laced, snow-speckled, richly mulled cocktails to a ridiculously nostalgic soundtrack.
Details: Until 23rd December | 14-15 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8QH | Book here, but some tables are held back for walk-ins each night
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