Coppa Club London Igloos – Eating without a Reservation

The mere mention of Coppa Club London Igloos especially among Londoners evokes an air of fanciness and exclusivity. We all know about the igloo restaurants that have been popping up all over the city in the last few years? Almost as popular as the flower brunch café craze that London has not seemed to recover from! I had seen pictures of Coppa Club on Instagram and knew it was a must visit for me. It is probably the most popular igloo restaurant at the moment and it is all thanks to its really spectacular location and Instagram approved ambiance!

As with popular London spots, Coppa Club Igloos have been thrust into the abyss of impossible locations to book! Trying to get a reservation just to eat has become an arduous task that makes you literally write it off. You want to go but you are not in the mood to go through all the stress. What comes next is that if you are really determined to eat in one of Coppa Club’s igloos, you start to figure out how best to dodge the madness.

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Booking Coppa Club London Igloos via Reservation

I would recommend booking or at least attempting to book; however if you find this as impossible as I did, then this post should be helpful. It is also advisable to ring as there might be sudden cancellations. I had a chat with the waiter and she said that sometimes, you could walk-in and have to wait about 3 hours especially for dinner. She also advised that if there is no availability for a specific day, ring them up and be flexible, ask to look on their system for any availability and then check if it suits you.

Although it seems like a herculean task, it is actually not as difficult during the weekday mornings. Currently,  bookings are open up until 26th April for the Winter Woodland Igloos. Just on a random check, I found that I was able to get a Thursday 8.30am reservation when I went online a few days before so it definitely is very possible during those odd weekday hours. However, booking on a Saturday morning? Now that one is HARD AF! So what did I do to bag a breakfast spot at one of London’s most impossible spots?

Coppa Club London Igloos without a Reservation

The Coppa Club website confirms that they accept walk-ins but in limited numbers, and will be filled as first come, first serve. On Saturdays, Coppa Club opens at 9am and I found out that there is one igloo reserved or walk-ins, which means that if you get there on time, you could be the lucky one to eat in the reserved igloo.

My friends had already been a few weeks ago but they had gone during the week. They had confirmed that they walked in on a Friday morning and were able to have breakfast in the walk-in igloo without having to wait at all. This gave me hope even though I was going on a Saturday and not a weekday!

I convinced Bobo to go with me. Saturday morning, we headed to Coppa Club unsure if our mission would be successful. We arrived at 8.50am and although it was not yet open to the public, the reception was open! We walked in and asked if there was availability. The lady confirmed that there was a family of 4 who were already waiting to be assigned to the special “walk-in” igloo. Since it was just Bobo, and myself we were in luck and completed the 6-seater igloo.

Coppa Club London’s Walk-In Igloo

What was even more lush was that the igloo we were assigned was the one closest to Tower Bridge so we were in direct view of the gorgeous scenery! I had read online that the walk-in igloo is the one farthest from the bridge but on this occasion, it definitely was the one closest to the view of the bridge. The reserved walk-in igloo sits 6 people – one table for 4 and one table for 2. Although I suspect they most likely move the seating around depending on how many walk-ins they have. So it could be 3 tables of 2 or 1 table of 6!

Basically, all you have to do is to get there before 9am and ask for availability in the walk-in igloo. I advice to get there at about 8.30am just to be sure you will be accommodated. You can kill time taking in the views of Tower Bridge and while you’re at it, take some pictures. The backdrops are some of the loveliest you will see in London.

something to note – I was initially told that there was no availability and the walk-in igloo was already taken. So I told the lady that I was ok to wait until the first set of walk-ins finished eating so I could go in after them. It was at this point she had a second look and confirmed that there was availability for 2 more people in the walk-in igloo for the 9am open slot! I think they initially say no to perhaps, turn you away? I’m really not sure tbh!

What is the food like in Coppa Club London Igloos?

Ok, Let’s not forget we actually went to eat. By the time we had realised we were actually sat in one of the Coppa Club igloos without reservation, we were so excited that we were no longer hungry! What is brunch and breakfast like in the Coppa Club Igloos? I will admit that I was incredibly shocked, in a very good way though!

The menu was fantastic with a lot of choices and let me tell you guys, it was cheap AF!!!! We went for breakfast and had the choice of  breakfast menu and brunch menu. 

My pancakes were made to perfection, eggs were perfectly fried to my well-done liking and my tea was strong! My experience with pretty spots is that you are there for the views really and not the food but not with Coppa Club. The food was surprisingly very good! I think in everything I experienced that morning, this was the one that shocked me the most!

How much does it cost to eat at Coppa Club London Igloos?

Another shocker! It was so unbelievably cheap. 3 stack pancakes with berries cost £6.95 and their equivalent of a full English breakfast was £9.45 – the cheapest I have seen anywhere in London. I had extra fried eggs on the side for £1.45 and English Breakfast Tea (as usual) for £2.25. Bobo’s apple juice was free because he ordered off the kids menu. Our bill was £22.61 and this included the customary 12.5% service charge!

Can you actually believe that?! I think it might be my summer breakfast spot. Even if I am unable to eat in the igloos, I will definitely return to the indoor restaurant space just because of how good the food, price and service were – my power trio when considering where to eat!

Our bill for both of us was £22.61 and this included the customary 12.5% service charge

How to get to Coppa Club London Igloos

Coppa Club is located near the Tower of London (one of London’s most iconic monuments). The closest train stations are Tower Bridge and Tower Gateway. There is no parking space nearby, at least I did not see any and I highly recommend taking the tube! With a prime view of Tower Bridge to its left and the Shard to its right, this beauty is in the center of it all. How lush is that? The igloos are just sat in the middle of the terrace area.

I 100% recommend snagging (or at least trying to snag) a spot in one of the igloos. It really is amazing and fantastic and throw in all the other positive adjectives. It is worth all the hard work, waking up early and the James Bond movements LMAO ok there was no James Bond movement but you understand my drift right?! If all fails and you still are unable to book or walk-in successfully, then don’t worry, the indoor restaurant is also really cute. You can get your pictures on the terrace with the igloos and Tower Bridge as backdrop and then go inside to eat! Win Win!!

Website –  Coppa Club Tower Bridge

Address – 3 Three Quays Walk, Lower Thames Street EC3R 6AH 

Coppa Club London Igloos: To go or not to go?

It is worth noting that towards the end of 2019, Coppa Club Brighton opened their igloos. So if Coppa Club London is impossible without reservation; perhaps, try Brighton! However, I’m hoping that this post motivates you to try the London igloos! It is worth it, trust me. Just do a walk-in so you can tick it off your list and proudly say that you ate in one of Coppa Club London Igloos without a reservation!!

Happy Igloo-hunting and Goooooodluck! Haha!

Bisous, ‘Bugo x

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