Insanely cool pop up bar on south bank. Furnished with old props from the national theatre. Highlights include a typewriter corner, a freakish boar’s head, and a working model train track just under the ceiling. All this is topped off with a sick outdoor area and a nice river view. Good for people watching too, but more because you see a lot of unique characters along south bank rather than because people are particularly attractive. Drinks aren’t cheap, but neither are they exorbitant. They have a decent selection of Meantime beers(Lager, Yakima Red, Pale Ale), but the real stars for me are the drinks made with Sipsmith liquor. Hadn’t heard of Sipsmiths before this but their spirits are something else. Easily one of the best GnT’s I’ve ever had. And definitely the best Pimms I’ve ever had!(Though it’s not actually Pimm’s. It’s the Sipsmith summer cup so it’s possibly not a fair comparison) Food is actually good. Tried the pulled pork sandwich, the scotch eggs, and the chips(with garlic mayo). It’s nothing special, but neither is it ‘good for bar food’. It’s just solid all around.
Robert L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
A really cool pop-up bar that will presumably be closing soon as the summer fades. Made from recycled bits and bobs from the prop store of the adjacent National Theatre this place looks cool, has nice outside seating and overlooks the river. A lovely place for a drink by the river though at weekends it will be hard to get a seat. Drinks aren’t cheap(bottles of wine from £16!) and there’s not a huge selection. Food is limited but reasonable price-wise from what I saw. All in all: Great for after theatre drinks or if wandering along the Southbank.
Becky F.
Rating des Ortes: 3 New York, NY
Very cool pop up bar made from different parts of sets and props from the National Theatre. The ceiling and walls are open so you get the best of outdoor and indoor. It’s pretty small and seating is limited. Our group of 4 had trouble finding seats and had to take turns sitting. I had a strawberry bellini which was awful. The other drinks our table tried were ok but definitely come for the ambiance not the drinks. They also have some food, which we didn’t try. Mostly sandwiches and chips but they looked good.
Andrew M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 London, United Kingdom
First off, it’s a bar not a store to buy props unfortunately(not that it being a bar is a bad thing, mind you). The propstore gets its name from the fact that it’s built and decorated with various props(presumably no longer used) taken from the National Theatre. It’s an odd mix of patterned steel, battered mismatched wooden furniture, and the odd bicycle or two. Still, it’s worth checking out for the atmosphere and it’s a great spot to camp out with a cold beer and hot pulled pork to watch the world go by. The beer menu is extremely limited with a lager, a pale ale, and a cider comprising the full offering. I think wine is probably also limited to simply red or white. Foodwise, you can choose from a handful of things but it’s the pulled pork that really looks like its worth a go. There is plentiful seating given the size of the bar and even tables outside, but it’s also highly popular with tourists so snap up what seats you can in a hurry. I would note that as they only serve you in plastic pint glasses, you should feel free to take your drink and go(in fact there is a sign advertising just that). Which means you can enjoy said beverage on the river’s edge or in the gardens above. Overall, I doubt I’d make a trip there just for this, but when waiting for friends near southbank there are few better spots.