19 Cultured As Fuck Things To Do In London This Winter

The essential December to February pop ups.

1. Gingerbread Cabin at York & Albany

York & Albany

Tragically, I can confirm the cabin isn't actually edible, and people will give you funny looks if you try to take a bite. Luckily, everything served inside IS edible, and is perfectly delicious. Alongside hot toddies and winter cocktails like the "Gingerbread Espresso" (gingerbread-infused orange vodka, Kalhua, Amaretto, espresso), you can also order sweet and savoury canapes, i.e. venison croquettes and winter crumble.

There's even a full afternoon tea as well, with gingerbread macarons, finger sandwiches and stem ginger scones.

Price: afternoon tea from £24, cocktails £13 each, or you can get two cocktails and a sharing platter of canapes for £30

Dates: on until 28th Feb

2. Hot Gin Roof at Ham Yard Hotel

Instagram: @sipsmith

You know what they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it, which is why Ham Yard Hotel and Sipsmith are bringing back their Hot Gin Roof this winter. The Ham Yard's rooftop bar is a properly magical space, made only more magical by the addition of Sipsmith's hot winter cocktails. Think hot punches, steaming cups of spiced gin, and I hear tell on the wind there'll even be a hot Bloody Mary. All sipped upon while ensconced in fluffy rugs and surrounded by hanging lanterns.

FYI, tickets to this sold out FAST last year, so I am giving you advance warning now. If you want to go to this, buy your tickets sooner rather than later.

Price: £18 entrance tickets, which includes a hot G&T on entry and your first cocktail

Dates: 20th January to the 14th of February

3. Smith & Sinclair Pop Up Bar at Sanderson

Instagram: @petite.blondine

Smith & Sinclair make boozy sweets, which should be enough to get you on board with their new pop up at Sanderson hotel's Purple Bar. It's basically sweets, cocktails and magic combined in one place, and it's GREAT.

The cocktails change colour, smoke and shimmer (there's a shimmering rose gold negroni and a teapot cocktail with lapsang souchong smoke), and there's also a sweet shop that has lollipops to dip into alcoholic sherbet.

Price: £18 per cocktail, so choose wisely; the "Thyme For Tea" cocktail and the "Violet You're Turning Violet" would be the two most worth the price tag IMO

Dates: on until 24th December

4. Winter Night Garden at Backyard Cinema

Backyard Cinema

First things first, if you have already heard of this, and want to go, but haven't booked tickets yet, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GO AND BOOK THEM NOW. I've checked, and like, 85% of the tickets for the screenings at Winter Night Garden are booked.

And for good reason. This winter pop up from Backyard Cinema is a truly brilliant winter cinema experience. Classic film screenings (think Home Alone and It's A Wonderful Life) in a gorgeous winter wonderland setting. If you're into your films, go and grab a ticket while you still can.

Price: tickets £16.50

Dates: last available screening is The Princess Bride on 8th January

5. Skye Halla at Queen of Hoxton

Queen Of Hoxton

Every year Queen of Hoxton turns their rooftop into a glorious winter wigwam. I was first taken there on a date circa 2013 and it was love at first sight – with the venue that is.

This year, the fairy light-filled tent has returned, along with the open pit fires to roast marshmallows over, and hot buttered rum. They've also added a "Skye Halla" themed food and drink menu, with drinks that include the "Blood Of Loki" (whisky, port, thyme & ginger, rosemary reduction) and "Gullveig's Grog" (whisky, mead and elderflower liqueur topped with pale ale).

Price: cocktails start from £6 and main meals from £5

Dates: on until end of March 2017

6. Beyond The Waterfall

Instagram: @bompasandparr

The Christmas grotto for grown ups. It's been a long time coming is all I'll say. Getting kicked out of the kids grottos gets draining after a while, you know? Anyway, this grotto mixes fairytales, adventure and mythical stories to create an immersive experience: you travel in a wooden boat across an undersea lagoon, through an actual waterfall to an Aladdin's cave of gemstones.

Best of all, there's a hidden cocktail bar at the end (staffed by mythical creatures). Which is what all the grottos of my childhood were missing tbh.

Price: £15 for a ticket, which includes the experience and two cocktails.

Dates: on until 23rd December

7. Coppa Club

Coppa Club

Usually Coppa Club is a bangin' rooftop summer bar... and they've decided there's no reason for that to change in winter. Their answer to the cold weather? They've set up "igloos" in the rooftop space, so you can enjoy panoramic views of London in your own cosy little bubble, bundled up in sheepskin rugs.

Price: cocktails from £6.95, non-alcoholic cocktails £3.95, which is cheap as chips for a rooftop bar in London

Dates: as of yet there's no official end date, but I imagine the igloos will get packed away sometime in spring

8. Winter Lodge at Camino Bankside

Facebook: pg

Two words: spiced sangria. The mulled wine alternative that has been missing from your life. Served in Camino bar's winter cornucopia of fairy lights, Christmas trees and lanterns. If you're feeling peckish, be sure to pair it with some chocolate con churros.

Price: £4.50 for churros, tapas from £3, £8 for spiced sangria, or £25 for a jug to share

Dates: the lodge will remain open throughout the Christmas season

9. London Cheap Eat's £8 Pop Ups

LDN Cheap Eats

If you've overspent on presents, but still want to have a good night out, this is the pop up for you. London Cheap Eats is a website dedicated to showcasing the best of London's meals that are under a tenner. Which may still seem expensive to people outside of London, but lemme tell you, it is CRAZYTOWN here. I went to a restaurant the other night, and they charged me £4.50 for tea. TEA. STANDARD GREEN TEA. Anyway, I digress.

The website is launching a series of events where the £8 ticket includes both entry and a meal – the first one is at Clutch Chicken in Hoxton, and the £8 meal is a whopping 50% discount off the standard menu price.

Price: £8

Dates: first one this Thursday (December 1st) with more to be announced

10. Once Upon A Time's Little Treasured Toy Shop

Instagram: @onceuponatimepresents

A Treasured Little Toy Shop is the very first pop up coming this winter from new company, Once Upon A Time. It's a "dining experience", meaning food combined with immersive theatre. In this one, you enter a toy factory where the toys slowly come alive to play with you; all while you feast on "Toy Drummer's Pate" and an "interactive board game" of brownies. Also the bar's run by Moet Chandon, which is pretty swish.

Price: tickets from £70, which isn't cheap, but then it's a three course meal, plus drinks, plus theatre, so you're getting a lot of bang for your buck

Dates: on until 22nd December

11. Dalloway Terrace

Dalloway Terrace

Dalloway Terrace knows how to keep you warm. While you sit under the beautiful winter foliage on their covered and heated terrace, you'll find not only blankets and hot chocolate cocktails to cosy up with, but hot water bottles and complimentary Génépi liqueur shots too.

If the hot chocolate isn't enough for you, there's also white chocolate fondue. Because fuck it, just drown me in chocolate, I'm ready.

Price: hot chocolate is £3.75, beer from £5, cocktails from £10, mains from £14 and £7 for chocolate fondue

Dates: the winter menu and decor will last for the entire winter season.

12. Tales of Woodlandia at Patterns

Instagram: @petite.blondine

Ok, so this one technically isn't in London, it's in Brighton. But 1. it's always good for us Londoners to remember there's life outside the M25, and 2. this pop up is 100% worth the day trip.

Patterns has launched a new NARNIA-themed pop up in their bar complete with a entrance filled with fur coats to walk through, turkish delight martinis (rose liqueur, rose water, grenadine, vodka, chocolate liqueur and chocolate bitters), and boozy hot chocolate.

Price: cocktails from £6, hot chocolates all £3.90 (or £6.50 with booze) and food from £5

Dates: on until spring 2017

13. Hendricks Winter Garden at Mr Fogg's Residence

Mr Fogg's Residence

If all the ski chalet and winter wonderland themes get a bit too much for you, know that there is a haven at Mr Fogg's Residence. Their hidden Hendricks gin garden (an elevated terrace off the main building) is kitted out like a winter garden, with tasteful tartan blankets, fir trees, and Christmas cocktails. Just the right amount of Christmas cheer, without going overboard.

Price: drinks from £7

Dates: on all winter

14. Mac N Wild at John Lewis

macandwild.com

If there was a drink to be drunk at winter, it would be whisky. And Mac N Wild, Scottish restaurant extraordinaire, have teamed up with John Lewis to get you thoroughly "warmed up" this season, at their winter pop up bar on the rooftop of John Lewis. There's hearty Highland grub to be eaten, and whisky masterclasses to take part in.

FYI, if you feel like you aren't getting enough whisky from John Lewis, there's also a pop up whisky bar at Mac N Wild City with enough liquid fire to satisfy the chilliest of souls.

Price: "wee plates" from £5, mains from £10 and cocktails from £9.50. Whisky flights at Mac N Wild City from £11.50

Dates: On until 31st December

15. Bump Roller Disco at Southbank Centre

southbankcentre.co.uk

If you're brimming with so much festive energy you don't know what to do with it, may I suggest the new pop up roller disco at Southbank Centre? They've also got late nights on Friday and Saturdays with DJ sets, so you can really let off some steam.

Price: standard tickets are £12, Friday and Saturday club nights are £15, and you can get "Cheap Monday" tickets 7 - 11pm on Monday

Dates: on until 22nd January

16. The Night Before Christmas at Sketch

Twitter: @sketchlondon

Tbh, Sketch always looks like a magical fairytale land. But this Christmas they're going a step further with their Night Before Christmas themed afternoon tea. While you dine on caviar and quails egg sandwiches, and bûches de Noël, two of London's best choirs will sing to you, and you'll be treated to a performance of a Christmas story.

Essentially, this is the most Christmassy afternoon tea you're going to get in London, short of them flying out Santa Claus himself to dine with you.

Price: £71 a head. Which, yes, is steep, but think of the darling little choralists. And the champagne. FYI, if you're not drinking, the standard afternoon tea is £45, and still very Christmassy (the whole of Sketch has undergone a Christmas overhaul)

Dates: on until 31st December

17. Christmas Squiffy Picnic at Cahoots

Cahoots

The rip-roaring1940s wartime tube carriage-cum-air raid shelter that is Cahoots will be throwing a festive Christmas version of their Squiffy Picnic this December. Guests will be served up a picnic basket filled with special Christmas cocktails, and a "rationed" Christmas feast of mince pies, turkey, lavender shortbread and homemade tiffin. All accompanied by live entertainment. Essentially, if you like pretending to be an Andrews Sister in your spare time, this is for you.

Price: £46 a head for a picnic hamper feast plus cocktail ration of choice, or £66 a head for bottomless cocktails

Dates: every Saturday and Sunday this December

18. Little Feast

Glenn Dunbar / Via Facebook: WeFeastLondon

Street food + fairy lights + Christmas trees = pure joy. Head along to this winter garden for croquettes, crab burgers, BAO buns, full-on-meat burgers and more.

Price: the average cost of a main dish is £6 - £8

Dates: runs until summer

19. The Ski Lodge at Montague Hotel

Facebook: pg

There's about a million different ski lodge-themed bars and restaurants popping up in London this Winter, and they're all decent. But Montague's is one of the original and best ones. These guys don't just fling a few blankets about. They COMMIT to their ski lodge theme, and I fully respect that. What, your ski lodge has a few snowflake sprinkles? These guys have buckets of snow, pine trees, snowmen and reindeer.

The menu is also a treat; there's candied pecans, winter Pimm's and hot spiced cider, which is great because mulled cider is 100x better than mulled wine. Mulled wine is trash. Don't @ me.

Price: £30 for a "ski pass" which includes three drinks (either alcoholic or non-alcoholic) plus an "Alpine platter". Extra food and drink items are £5 after that

Dates: on until 13th January 2017