Lunching at a London Car Park

Urban Food Fest — the love child of two City white-collar professionals, raised loud and rambunctious in London and Manchester. Jessica is a solicitor; Mike, an investment banker. United by their love of food, music and good company, they decided to tie the knot between their passions in a roomy car park in Shoreditch.

That’s right — a car park.

From Venezuelan arepas to Chinese bao, Italian coffee to Mexican pulled pork, the pleasure is theirs and the choice is yours.

I had a taste (quite literally) of Urban Food Fest one Saturday. With great company and a curiously grumbling stomach, I dug into a Japanese J-dog (a hot dog, strangely — but deliciously — topped with mayonnaise and bonito flakes), mini burgers, kebabs, arepas… and a cooling jar of cocktail. The arepa was the star of the day — a Venezuelan staple, a cornflour flatbread filled with cheese, avocado or meat. It was an instant connection — love at first bite.

At the heart of the crowd sat the live band, crooning soft rock and lazily strumming guitars into the afternoon. With the iconic red London bus as a backdrop, the scene made for a perfectly unconventional, wonderfully local postcard.

Admit it or not, we all love a midday drink in the UK. We love the sun, love being with someone, and at the same time, surrounded by everyone. More often than not, the crowd is the main draw — and this place offers exactly that.

Open from midday to midnight every Saturday, Urban Food Fest is exactly where you need to be — and exactly what you’d expect: in metropolitan London, a dizzying array of food, and a sun-soaking, beer-loving, solitude-repelling crowd.

RSVP: yes.

^ There — the car park ticket machines still clearly visible.