The decorations are up and London is alive with the sound of Christmas carols, and excited adults clinking cocktail glasses in winter pop-ups in celebration of all things festive. With so many winter pop-up bars across the capital to discover, we’ve narrowed it down with a round-up of the most luxurious ones in central London. If you missed out on the Coppa Clubs igloos, these are the ones to visit if you love nothing more than a little luxury this time of year. Go on, treat yourself.
The Berkeley Winter Cinema
The Berkeley’s Winter rooftop cinema is back for another year. We first wrote about this in 2014, and it’s still just as popular. Located on the Berkeley’s Health Club & Spa terrace which has been transformed into a pine-filled winter wonderland, hotel guests and Londoners are treated to winter classics on the big screen high above Hyde Park and the bustling streets below. Tickets have gone up since 2014, and are now £75pp for adults and £55 for children, which includes the movie, mulled wine, hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows and mince pies.
The Grey Goose French Winter Village at Langham Hotel
The Langham London have teamed up with Grey Goose this year to bring you The French Winter Village this festive season. Open until February 2019, Grey Goose has transformed the courtyard at The Langham in Marylebone into a winter paradise, with a dash of French alpine style. Guests can sip on hot and cold Grey Goose cocktails underneath a Christmas tree adorned with lights or get cosy under blankets in the chic rustic hideaways. Menu highlights include a warming Chocolat Chaud’ à L’orange, a festive Grey Goose Le Poire Mulled Wine and the Grey Goose La Vanille Espresso Martini. There’s also a selection of festive food straight from the woodfire, including an XXL stovetop cheese toastie with cranberry and stilton, a ‘Boudin Blanc’ hot dog, and a luxurious sticky toffee pudding.
Bloomsbury Club Bar Dingle Cocktails
The Bloomsbury Hotel has created a cosy hideaway below the Instagram-famous Dalloway Terrace, with the Bloomsbury Club Bar. You can choose to sit in the giant armchairs by the fireplace inside, or among the fairy lights outside on the terrace, with plenty of heaters and blankets to keep you toasty. The bar have teamed up with Ireland’s first independently-owned artisan spirits distillery to create a delightfully festive cocktail menu using the Dingle’s small-batch Original Gin, and Single-malt Whiskey, infused with delicious seasonal flavours. Cocktails include the ‘All I Want For Christmas’, a hot cocktail with a comforting mix of coffee, Dingle whiskey, and nutmeg, and the ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’, a warming gin-based cocktail blended with a flavour of spiced pear.
Narnia at St Martin’s Lane Hotel
This Christmas the boutique St Martins Lane hotel have transformed the hotel into Narnia, inspired by C.S. Lewis’s classic tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The lobby has become an alpine forest complete with fallen snow, and there’s even a grand wintery throne set on a plinth against ornate stained glass, providing the backdrop for the perfect festive photo. St Martins Lane have teamed up with British chocolatiers Rococo to create a sweet cocktail menu and festive afternoon tea, and the hotel’s popular gin trolley will also undergo a transformation, decorated with icy stalactites and serving a selection of Rococo goods including their Turkish Delight, as well as festive chocolate bars flavoured with Christmas Pudding, Mulled Wine, and Cinnamon Spice.
Noël & Chandon at The Blind Pig
Jason Atherton’s flagship bar, the Blind Pig, has been transformed into a cosy, winter snug this Christmas in collaboration with Moët & Chandon. Inside you’ll find mistletoe and wreaths hanging from the ceiling, as well as blankets and candles to keep you warm and create the perfect festive environment. Sink into the soft cushions and enjoy a Harry Potter Butterbeer inspired cocktail, ‘Best Bottle Butter Bitter’ which includes Monkey Shoulder, Beer, Kamm & Sons, Thyme, Butterscotch, Citrus, and Bitters, or try one of the two Christmas-inspired cocktails for the pop up; the Cranberry Kir Royal, and the Christmas Pudding made with champagne and cognac.
Hyatt Regency Highland’s Hideaway at Churchill Bar
Located in the Hyatt Regency’s Churchill Bar is the Highland’s Hideaway. The stylish winter bar offers craft cocktails, many made with their very own Sacred Churchill Craft Gin, as well as homemade tonics. Outside on the Highland’s Hideaway terrace, which pays homage to Winston Churchill’s love of Scotland and his wife Clementine’s fondness for the Highlands, this winter hideaway promises to offer guests the ultimate winter bolthole in the centre of London. A roaring fire, faux fur throws, pine trees, woodland features and naturally, a tasteful touch of tartan will transform the awardwinning bar and terrace into a cosy hideaway, complete with a decadent menu of Scottish and Churchill themed cocktails complemented with British comfort food such as traditional Scottish steak pie and homemade Scotch eggs.
Gingerbread House at Ivy Chelsea Garden
This Christmas Ivy Chelsea Garden have partnered with London florists Early Hours to create a literal gingerbread house. The saccharine house is ‘partly’ edible, meaning some of the candy canes, sweets, and gingerbread parts are actually able to be eaten. To match the impressive exterior, Ivy Chelsea Garden have created a Christmas cocktail; the Gingerbread Espresso Martini, and for those with a very sweet tooth you can also try The Ivy Pine Tree, which is made from Christmas pudding parfait with white choc mousse and brandy sauce.
Mrs Fogg’s Winter Forest
Mrs Fogg’s Maritime Club & Distillery is one of Broadgate Circle’s newest arrivals, and they’ve created a magical winter forest in one of London’s most stark areas of the city. With a menu of seasonal warmers including Hot Chai toddys and Aouda’s Ambrosia non-alcoholic cocktail, plus Mrs Fogg’s Live Christmas Carol Singalong every Wednesday, there is no better pop-up to discover your festive spirit. Just make sure you wrap up warm – this one is purely outside!
The Montague Ski Lodge
Located in Bloomsbury, luxury hotel The Montague have launched a Ski Lodge pop-up which is open until January 13th 2019. The Wood Deck has been transformed into a magical ski lodge; think pine trees, falling snow, reindeer, snowmen, ski racks, piste maps and strings of fairy lights and lanterns. The centerpiece is a bar serving a selection of beverages from a choice of 12 including Schnapps and flavoured vodkas. As well as the cosy Ski Lodge you can also enjoy the Log Cabin – an atmospheric space to enjoy a drink in front of a decorative fire, Christmas tree and cosy armchairs and sofas complete with blankets.
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Catherine Lux is a food and travel contributor at AGLAIA, and a luxury lifestyle blogger documenting her life on her blog, Lux Life London. With Lux Life London having a large focus on travel and food, she loves nothing more than long-haul flights, excellent restaurants, and relaxing with friends in the coolest places in town.
