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How to Eat in London’s Coppa Club Igloos Without a Reservation – Coppa Club Tower Bridge Review

Eating in an igloo might be something on your bucket list. I didn’t know it was on mine until we booked cheap flights to London as a way to get to Belgium to see family last year.

I knew the Coppa Club igloos existed from seeing them on Instagram, but assumed they were too expensive. When we happened to walk by them our first night in London, we decided to ask about eating there only to find out they book months in advance.

Unfortunately, we did not book the igloos before the trip. Fortunately, we found a way to eat in the Coppa Club Tower Bridge igloos without a reservation. If you are planning to eat in the Coppa Club igloos in 2022, book it as soon as they open the reservations. Otherwise, use our little trick to eat in the igloos without booking in advance.

We had one night in London at the start of our trip and spent three days in London at the end of our trip two weeks later. Thanks to a helpful waiter that first night, we were able to dine in an igloo just by walking in.

Even if you don’t want to eat in the igloos, they are still worth a quick stop to see them or take some pictures. The photos of the igloos are some of my most liked photos on Instagram (see my top Instagram tips here).

Chances are, if you go to London, you’ll want to see the nearby Tower Bridge and Tower of London anyways. If you visit London at Christmas, you can add Coppa Club to your list of places to see Christmas lights.

The Coppa Club igloos are available all year except the few days between seasons when they change the theme. For example, one year the winter Coppa Club igloos had a woodlands theme featuring candles, blankets, cruelty-free sheepskin rugs, and evergreen trees.

In the summer, the igloos transform into a summer theme with a fun vibe. Past themes include Coppa Club Surf Shacks and Tulum Paradise Pods.

Find everything you need to know about dining in the igloos at the Coppa Club Tower Bridge location including how to eat there without a reservation, when to make reservations if you can plan ahead, what the prices and food are like, and when to go for the best pictures.

Sunrise at Coppa Club igloos Tower Bridge. Get there early to eat in the Coppa Club igloos without a reservation

WHERE IS COPPA CLUB TOWER BRIDGE?

This location of Coppa Club is located at 3 Three Quays Walk, Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6AH. It is located near Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. The restaurant faces the River Thames with the igloos located on their patio area along the river.

The igloos look out over the river and face Tower Bridge, making it one of the best places to eat in London for the views.

HOW MUCH ARE COPPA CLUB IGLOOS FOR RESERVATIONS?

There is no fee to eat in the Coppa Club igloos, but there is a minimum spend depending on when you visit.

If you go during breakfast like we did, there is no minimum spend. Breakfast is considered from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

However, if you go during peak hours, there is a requirement of spending £150 per igloo no matter how many people are in the party. Peak hours are considered all weekends, bank holidays, and weekday evenings after 6:30 p.m.

During off-peak hours, they require a minimum spend of £25 per person for anyone over 16 years old. Off peak hours are from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Kids are welcome to eat in the Coppa Club igloos, but they do not have a minimum spend if they are under 16. They do count towards the minimum spend during peak hours.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO EAT IN THE COPPA CLUB IGLOOS?

Because we went when there was no booking fee, we ate brunch in the igloo and spent about £20 for both of us. The price would go up with drinks included, but we just had water and I drank a hot chocolate (£3.25). Since we went early, we both enjoyed a short stack of pancakes (£6.95).

You can view all of the menu options for any time of day here. They do have vegan/vegetarian options available. Entrees start at £14 and range up to £30 with cheaper options available for pizza, pasta, salad and starters.

You can eat inside the restaurant instead of in an igloo, but then you can eat in any Coppa Club London location since the menu options are the same. Coppa Club is a chain restaurant with locations throughout London. You don’t usually need reservations to eat inside although it may be a good idea at the Coppa Club Tower Bridge location, especially if you plan to eat dinner there.

Sunrise at Coppa Club igloos - get there early to eat in the Coppa Club igloos without a reservation

HOW TO BOOK COPPA CLUB IGLOOS

One way to guarantee you can eat in the Coppa Club London igloos is to plan ahead. Reservations for the Coppa Club Tower Bridge pods fill up quickly, so book as early as possible. When we went in January, they were booked for the next two months.

The best way to get in, especially if you want to enjoy dinner, is to plan way in advance and get a reservation. If you live in London or can go anytime, book an igloo to guarantee it.

If you don’t live in London or have set dates, try to get a booking when they release them. Book a Coppa Club igloo on their website or by calling as soon as you know you are going.

They tend to release reservations a few months in advance and in batches. If your dates are not available on the website yet, keep checking back. Bookings right now can be made until March 2022.

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN FIT IN A COPPA CLUB IGLOO?

The Coppa Club igloos fit up to 8 people inside. You cannot reserve an igloo for more than 8 people.

WHAT IF YOU NEED TO CANCEL YOUR COPPA CLUB IGLOO RESERVATION?

If you end up needing to cancel your reservation, you need to do so at least 48 hours in advance. This gives them a chance to rebook that slot.

If you wait until within 48 hours of your booking to cancel, you will be charged a no show fee of £20 per person. This is charged to the credit card of the person making the booking.

Sunrise at Tower Bridge Coppa Club Igloos

WALKING IN: EATING IN THE COPPA CLUB TOWER BRIDGE IGLOOS WITHOUT A RESERVATION

Since I thought it would be expensive and didn’t think about needing reservations, we did not have reservations. We were going to London twice – for one day and then for a couple of days two weeks later at the end of the trip.

When we walked by that first night, we stopped to look at the menu. Once we realized the prices were normal London prices, we asked a waiter about eating there. He told us there were no reservations available until the end of February (this was at the end of December).

Luckily, he didn’t stop there. He told us that we could still manage to eat there. We were all ears. He told us that they keep one of the Coppa Club igloos reserved for walk-ins. This is not ideal if you are a large party, but it works great if you have 2 – 4 in your group.

Even with that one igloo saved for walk-ins, it only seats 8 people at once. It had two tables for two people and one table for four people in it. That means that later in the day and especially near dinner, you may end up waiting an hour or two for a table to clear out.

If you wait and go for dinner, they may close before you are seated. The waiter warned us that the wait time can be 3+ hours for a busy night near dinner.

Thankfully, the waiter told us the secret: get there right at opening. On the weekends, they opened at 9 a.m. We were only there for breakfast on a Saturday and Sunday, so we decided to go for Sunday brunch. We arrived a few minutes before they opened and were seated right near 9 a.m. without a wait.

***Thanks to @timeofftravelers, I know that this tip is still good as of December 2021. If you are wanting to eat in the Coppa Club igloos in 2022, you can still use this tip to eat in the Coppa Club Tower Bridge igloos with no reservation.

Inside of the Coppa Club Igloos at Tower Bridge

WHEN ARE COPPA CLUB IGLOOS OPEN?

The Coppa Club Tower Bridge location opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 10:00 p.m. from Monday until Saturday according to their website. They are open on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

However, the igloos often open for breakfast at 9 a.m. They may open at 8 a.m. on some mornings, so if you plan to go for breakfast, call ahead or go by the day before like we did to find out for sure.

DO COPPA CLUB IGLOOS HAVE HEATERS?

While the igloos are heated, it was still cold in the igloos the morning we went. Keep in mind that it was a cold morning out and we are from Florida where it does not get all that cold.

I kept my winter jacket on the whole meal, and my hands were still cold while I was eating. I think it was because the door kept opening and closing for the waiter, so it never fully got warm.

If you are going on a cold day, dress warm and wear layers. This gives you an option to keep your layers on if it is cold or to remove some layers if it gets warm.

WHICH COPPA CLUBS HAVE IGLOOS?

The Coppa Club Tower Bridge location is the most famous of the igloos. This is because of their location right on the Thames River with the view of the Tower Bridge.

The Coppa Club Brighton igloos opened in 2019 but are not as popular as the Coppa Club Tower Bridge location. To book a Coppa Club Brighton igloo, click here.

The Coppa Club Sonning location also has igloos now. You can book a Coppa Club Sonning igloo here.

COPPA CLUB TOWER BRIDGE IGLOOS REVIEW

If you are walking in, you want to get there early. Get there about 5 – 10 minutes early. They put us on the list for the igloo and told us to give them a few minutes. Sure enough, they came and got us when they opened and led us to the igloo.

The walk in igloo is the one furthest from Tower Bridge, but you still have a good view of it from inside. We had the igloo to ourselves for about 15 – 20 minutes before a mother and daughter joined us. We only stayed in the igloo for about 30 – 45 minutes, and another couple joined right before we left.

No one used the other igloos during our visit in the morning, but they keep them open for when those with reservations arrive. I am not sure what time people start coming in for reservations.

Thanks to the early arrival, we looked over our menus and placed our orders for pancakes and hot chocolate (for me). Granted, we did not order anything that requires a long time to prepare. However, our food did arrive quickly to the table. The food tasted delicious, and I had to stop myself from ordering more and more of the hot chocolate.

The waitress was very nice and attentive. One of my pancakes was slightly burned, but I didn’t finish my meal anyways. The pancakes were filling, and I knew I would not eat all three of them when they arrived.

I did not say anything because getting a new pancake just meant more food would go to waste. She noticed it and took them off the bill when I did not want a new plate or a drink. That actually made our meal even cheaper, but I would not count on that happening.

Overall, the experience of dining in the igloos was pleasant. In the cold January morning, it was nice to enjoy the view from inside the warmth of the igloo. It was not warm enough for me to take my jacket off (I am a wimp in the cold though!), but it was much better than outside with the bitter wind blowing.

You also have a wonderful view of the Thames River and Tower Bridge from Coppa Club’s igloos. Between the unique experience of eating in an igloo (or surfer shack), the amazing view, the delicious and reasonably priced food, the high quality service, and the perfect location, the Coppa Club igloos deserve a spot on your London bucket list.

Sunrise at Coppa Club igloos by Tower Bridge

GETTING THE BEST PICTURES OF THE COPPA CLUB TOWER BRIDGE IGLOOS

The best time to photograph the igloos is before they open at 9 a.m. The sunrise in winter is closer to 8 a.m., and it is actually a perfect place to watch the sunrise.

We watched the sunrise from London Bridge with Tower Bridge in view. Then we slowly walked down to the Coppa Club igloos. By the time we got down there around 8:30, we were still the only ones there other than another photographer.

The sun comes up behind Tower Bridge, and we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise with the igloos and Tower Bridge in view. From the igloos, you can continue over to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London from here. They are both within a few minutes of the Coppa Club igloos. Even if you don’t eat in the pods, you can still check them out on your way to other popular London locations on your itinerary.

The Coppa Club igloos are a popular spot for Instagram photos. Once they open, there will always be people inside the pods. If you want photos of them empty or without others around, make sure to go before they open.

You can still get Instagram-worthy photos after they open too though. You can capture the energy of the London pods with people enjoying dinners and celebrations. Because there are so few of the pods and people stay inside them, the area is not really crowded.

Tower Bridge in London is the perfect place to watch the sunrise before eating in the Coppa Club igloos.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON EATING IN LONDON’S COPPA CLUB TOWER BRDIGE IGLOOS

Overall, eating in the Coppa Club igloos was one of the highlights of London. The pictures we got there are some of my favorite photos from the trip. The view alone is worth the dining experience. No matter when you visit London, try to eat in the igloos (winter) or Surf Shacks (summer). If you have any questions I missed, let me know in the comments!

Looking for more of our London recommendations? Check out our full 3 day itinerary for London (including Instagrammable spots) here and our full guide to finding the best Christmas lights in London here.

***This post is not sponsored and is based on our experience eating in the Coppa Club igloos without a reservation. All photos are edited with presets you can purchase here (I earn a small commission from purchases at this link at no extra cost to you).

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how to eat in the Coppa Club igloos without a reservation

Dee

Thursday 20th of August 2020

I can't believe you paid full price for the London Eye. There are plenty of 2 for 1 offers around and they include many other London attractions too. Google London 2 for 1 offers

Christine Wheeler

Monday 26th of April 2021

We don't usually plan our trips ahead of time, so it was one of those things where we were walking by and were like, "Want to?" Neither of us said no, so we did it and then found out afterwards that neither of us really cared about doing it - whoops! Good to know there are discounts for it though!

Kookylovestotravel

Sunday 19th of April 2020

Igloos seem so cool! Thank you for such a lovely article!

Christine Wheeler

Wednesday 27th of May 2020

They really are! Thank you!

15 Reasons to Visit London | highlands2hammocks

Tuesday 31st of December 2019

[…] Coppa Club sits in the centre of London, beside Tower Bridge. It is a space for unwinding and eating and drinking. For such a beautiful and unique place in London, the prices are very reasonable, a coffee costing between £2-£3. To sit outside in the igloos overlooking the river, it is recommended that you book in advance, especially if you are with a group. However, if it is quiet, you may be able to get a table in one whilst it is free, it’s always worth the ask. […]

Ultimate London Bucket List | Lost in Laurel Land

Tuesday 5th of November 2019

[…] Club – read all about how to eat here without a […]

Our recommandations to eat well in London – C&C, Cedric Lizotte

Saturday 2nd of November 2019

[…] NOTE: If you’re looking for a different kind of dining experience in London, check out Live.Love.Run.Travel. for tips on eating in London’s Coppa Club Igloos. […]