If you’re keen to dine with people outside your household but want to keep toasty while you’re at it, then why not try one of these igloos with a view…
Jimmy’s Winter Lodge
From boozy hot toddies to oozing fondues, Jimmy Garcia’s snow globes at his pop-up Winter Lodge on the Southbank dial up the hygge to 11. With room for six guests, each globe offers dreamy views of the London skyline. Guests are encouraged to indulge in a spot of Alpine dining via the likes of venison hotdogs, raclette burgers and gargantuan schnitzels served with fragrant mounds of truffle fries. Hot cocktails are served in flasks, and if you’re having a night off the sauce then you can stick to hot chocolate.
Coppa Club
The snow domes at Coppa Club on Lower Thames Street are so chic they even have their own signature cocktail – the Igloo Fizz, featuring Piper-Heidsieck, gin, Maraschino and mint. The timber pods also have their own bespoke menu, offering the likes of tuna tartare, lemon sole, porterhouse steaks with Café de Paris butter; and chocolate fondant. The icing on the cake is the stunning view of Tower Bridge across the water.
Winterland
While Christmas may be cancelled, you can get into the festive spirit at Winterland in Fulham, which has popped up again this year. Decked out to look like an enchanted forest filled with pine trees, the space boasts a plethora of igloos where you can sip winter warmers with people you don’t live with. Complete with cosy blankets, the pods offer a range of cocktails and schnapps, and a £35pp fondue experience for cheese fiends.
Aviary
Perched on the 10th floor above Finsbury Square in east London, Aviary’s igloos boast beautiful views of the metropolis and London’s patchwork of architectural styles. Each of Aviary’s eight sturdy pods comes complete with cosy blankets and sheep pelts to keep you toasty while you feast from the à la carte menu, which includes dishes like steak tartare with pickled walnuts, burrata with hazelnuts, seared tuna with pickled daikon, and steak frites with peppercorn sauce, alongside a range of seasonal cocktails.
Mercer Roof Terrace
You can dine under the stars inside one of the Mercer hotel’s roof terrace igloos, which offer sweeping views across the City of London, including St Paul’s gorgeous dome. The candlelit tables come complete with cosy throws and tablecloths, for those seeking a more refined experience from their pod, where you can enjoy everything from afternoon tea to Champagne cocktails while feasting on smoked haddock scotch eggs, pumpkin dumplings, and cauliflower and butternut squash gratin.
Skylight
The igloos at Skylight in Tobacco Dock are back for the festive season. Running the length of the venue’s cobbled walkway and nestled beneath the masts of its ships, the cosy quayside igloos offer delicious views across the Big Smoke. Ideal for hot toddy sipping and watching the world go by, you can enjoy a full table service from the comfort of your pod, and tuck into the likes of chicken schnitzel and pomegranate molasses, beachwood smoked bratwurst, slow cooked beef cassoulet, truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, roast pumpkin and thyme arancini and tartiflette with smoked pancetta. Afterwards, you can get your (ice) skates on to work off all the calories.
