Pop-up restaurants and numerous street food markets are probably what I love most about living the foodie life in London. There’s always something new and exciting every week…as they say, variety is the spice of life! Many of the more successful pop ups almost always establish a more permanent home after the pop up period. These are some of my favourites, but they only represent a very small slice of this ever growing trend of short term food establishments.
Ronnie Saunder’s Diner’s Union
This was the most recent pop up restaurant I dined at and I loved it. Not only did it serve outstanding, delicious and high quality food, it also came with a price tag that was more unbelievable; £15 for 5 courses! This pop up is in Shoreditch and will only be running every Friday and Saturday until the end of 2013. It has a new theme and menu every week, so you will never get bored! One of the visionaries behind this meaningful pop up is Head Chef Rolan Dack, whose grandad is whom he named this establishment after. This venture works in conjunction with St. Mungos, where they are housing and training a handful of homeless Londoners in the kitchen and to understand the business aspect. His restaurant ethos that good food should not be exclusive is one that is not only very admirable but also refreshing to see in this day and age.
The Flat Iron
This restaurant started off as a pop up above a pub in Shoreditch but now has a permanent location on Beak Street in Central London. It serves one and one item only…steak! Their steak is flavourful and delicious and is only £10 per serve. I can honestly say, there are not many places in London that serve good quality steak at this price. You can also order sides to go with your steak, such as salad or chips starting at £3. To sweeten up the end of your meal, try some of their tasty caramel mousse where you can sprinkle a little bit of sea salt to make it a salted caramel mousse!
Pitt Cue & Co
http://www.pittcue.co.uk/home/
This once was a pop up that has now set up in bricks and mortar in Soho. Serving up delectable meals such as pulled pork, beef brisket, gargantuan beef and pork ribs and burnt ends mash, this is definitely a meat lover’s paradise. The only downside, like any other popular London restaurant you will have to wait to get a table to taste these hearty meals as they do not take reservations. With only seating for 30 people, you can always wait at the bar and enjoy some of their scrumptious bar snacks such as their pickled and deep fried shitake mushrooms. If waiting in line is not appealing to you, you can always purchase their recently released first cookbook and try it at home.
Yalla Yalla
I had heard lots of great things about this restaurant and tried it one day on a whim whilst walking through Shoreditch to go to Columbia Road markets. The one I came across was their pop up restaurant along Shoreditch High street. My curiosity and fondness of Lebanese food only started a few years ago, so I would never say no to trying a new restaurant. Their inexpensive and affordable menu includes items such as schawarma wraps, hommos, baba ghannouj, falafels and flavoured lemonades; which are very tasty and surely won’t disappoint. Their portion sizes are also generous, so you will leave with a full belly and feeling satisfied!
MEATliquor, MEATmarket & MEATmission
http://www.meatliquor.com/london/
http://www.themeatmarket.co.uk
As the name suggests…it’s all things meat! Starting out as a pop up called MEATwagon that was serving up hot and greasy bundles of deliciousness…burgers! From it’s humble beginnings in a wagon, it has now multiplied and popped up in four different locations all offering something special. My favourite of the three I’ve tried is MEATmarket. Even though they all serve up very similar menus, I find that MEATmarket burgers are my favourite. I put it down to it being more like a fast food diner/restaurant so the burgers are cooked and served almost immediately after. Every time I got my burger, it was still steaming and hot, which in my book makes it all that much tastier. They also offer up buffalo wings, cheese poppers, corn dogs, Philly steak sandwiches and hot dogs if burgers don’t tickle your fancy.
Bao
I came across this market stall at the Street Food Europe Festival at Dalston Yard in September. Bao = Bun so as their name suggests, serve up buns that are steamed and made from milk which are then filled with slow braised pork belly. The trio that started Bao have used their Taiwanese influence to create delightful street eats, that has seen them win various food awards in the short span of time since opening. If you ever come across their market stall or their 6 seater bar in Netil Market, you must also try their soya milk fried chicken. The deep fried pieces of chicken thigh are crispy without being oily, seasoned just right and are bursting with juices so the chicken tender and succulent. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.
Sucre Belle 