Review: A night at Coppa Club's Arctic-inspired igloos
If there's one thing London does well it's dinner with a view — and after spending an evening in one of Coppa Club's exclusive riverside igloos, I can vouch that this is no exception.
As we walked along the terrace, I noticed each of the eight igloos was unique in some way, a few with round tables and a center light, and others with slightly different seating arrangements. They did, however, all share one thing: incredible panoramic views of the city's skyline.
Adjacent to Tower Bridge and with the Shard on the other side of the Thames, you'd expect this place to be crawling with tourists, but I was pleasantly surprised to find no selfie sticks in sight. The lack of obvious tourists may be due in part to the popularity of the igloos — which sadly are only a temporary addition to the Club's huge terrace — and although walk-ins are accepted, you'd better believe they're snapped up pretty quickly.
Lucky for us, Coppa Club's Manager, Lucy, was extremely accommodating, changing our booking from two to three people and from 4pm to 6pm at the last minute. Although we shared the igloo with another party to begin with, after 15 minutes we got to enjoy the space all to ourselves.
On a cold January night I was relieved to find the igloos were fully-furnished, complete with heaters, cozy blankets, and sheepskin rugs draped on the back of our chairs, creating the ultimate hygge heaven. The low lighting and relaxed music added to the ambience of our dinner setting.
Marcel, our server, brought out a couple of small plates to get us started: Crispy Fried Truffled Gnocchi and Courgette Fritti, cooked in paprika and served with a delicious aïoli. Both were incredible, but the Gnocchi was particularly tasty, especially when accompanied by a bottle of the Sicilian Shiraz.
Next up were our mains. Marcel's honesty was particularly appreciated during our indecisive browsing — his recommendations making our choices that little bit easier. While the others opted for steaks(flash and 10oz) I chose the Crab Linguine. Served with capers and cherry tomatoes and garnished with chilli and parsley, it did not disappoint. The crab was particularly fresh.
We were all fairly full by now, but I'm never someone to turn down dessert, so when Marcel insisted we try a selection, it was hard to say no. On the menu was a wide variety of choices — from Warm Pecan Pie — to a selection of Jude's Ice Cream and Sorbets.
Sadly they were out of Sticky Toffee Pudding (my favorite) but the Rhubarb and Apple Crumblecertainly made up for that. It was complimented nicely with a yummy vanilla ice cream. We also enjoyed the Pecan Pie with honeycomb ice cream, and a Flourless Chocolate and Almond Cake, which if you love dark chocolate, I'd thoroughly recommend. These were washed down with a selection of fresh teas and an espresso — perfect for warming the insides.
Overall, the service was excellent and the food was wonderful. Enjoying dinner in an arctic-inspired igloo was an experience we all thoroughly enjoyed and something not to be missed if you're visiting London in the next couple of months.
In my opinion, an evening sitting was the perfect way to see the city sights illuminated, but you can also choose to enjoy both breakfast and lunch (and brunch until 4pm on weekends) in one of the igloos. Although handy, the perspex sliding doors did create a bit of a chill if left open for too long — so I'd suggest dressing warm for dinner if you'd rather not wrap up in a blanket.
Privately hire using the contact form on the website, or walk-in at: Coppa Club Tower Bridge, Coppa Club, 3 Three Quays Walk, Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6AH. The closest tube station is Tower Hill.
