As some of our mobile bar owner members and frequent readers may know, whilst I'm now based on the West Coast of the US, I'm originally from London, England.
After a long couple of years not being able to travel out of the country due to COVID restrictions, I was finally able to return back to my homeland in 2022.
This was actually right around the time that I launched Roll To.
Of course, catching-up with friends and family was top of the agenda, but there was another activity not far behind...searching for mobile bars.
With London being one of the most walkable cities in the world, I knew it wouldn't be long until I stumbled across some amazing examples.
So, take a trip around London via way of coffee carts, vintage ice cream vans and tap trucks with me below!
First stop was this charming mobile coffee cart parked at Ralph's Coffee.
Unfortunately, the baristas weren't brewing cups on the bike bar itself, but they were serving out of a more traditional shop to the right of the picture above.
This was probably due to the weather as temperatures were pretty low and I don't blame staff to not want to be working outside this early in the morning.
Ralph's Coffee is a project of the Ralph Lauren fashion brand.
They have an assortment of mobile coffee trucks, kiosks and bikes around the world, including New York, Munich, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Doha and of course, London.
The fact that one of the world's most recognizable fashion designers is using mobile bars to increase brand awareness is definitely an indication of how fast this 'niche' sector of events and catering is expanding!
With my morning dose of caffeine secured, it was time for a stroll west.
The next mobile bar to catch my eye was this Citroen truck situated outside Harrods Department Store.
Painted a beautiful British racing green, it looked regal amidst the hustle and bustle of tourists and commuters in Knightsbridge.
Unfortunately, on this particular morning the van's serving windows were shut, but from what I could tell, the vintage vehicle would usually be offering plenty of hot beverages, snacks and pastries.
If the sweet treats I picked up from the Harrods food court were anything to go by, the old Citroen bar would be a great place to visit if you're in the area and hungry.
Delicious (if a little pricey)!
Interestingly, on a previous trip, I had taken this photo of what looks to be the same Citroen food truck, this time painted a bright pink to match with a nearby cafe's color scheme.
It's cool to see that even if the owners changed, the mobile bar remains!
Well, no matter the weather, or the time of day, us Brits love an ice cream.
With no guarantee of when the next bout of sunshine will arrive, can you blame us for grabbing one whenever we have the opportunity to do so?
And when the treats on offer are being sold from a vintage van like the one above, I'm definitely not saying no!
I have to admit that I didn't know it at the time but after a little research, I found that the ice cream vans and catering trucks dotted around Kensington Gardens are repurposed Morris Commercial J-Type vans.
Wonderfully cute I think you'll agree!
These quaint ice cream vans are operated by Colicci.
Their fleet includes a very elegant automobile similar to the one found at our next stop, heading south...
Wow.
When I came across this beautiful mobile bar amidst the newly renovated Battersea Power Station, I had to take photos from every angle.
It doesn't get much classier than a Rolls Royce Champagne bar!
Operated by Searcys, a British catering company founded in 1847, the vintage Roller offers guests a list of selected fizz, English Sparkling Wine and the limited edition Searcys Blanc de Blancs Champagne, along with a selection of bar nibbles.
Reservations are hard to come by at this exclusive location, so I can't speak to the quality of the food and drink on offer, but given the high standards of the operators, I'm sure that they are excellent.
Next in line was another very stylish bar, this time serving something other than food and drink...
I have to admit, I usually switch off when walking through the perfume and makeup floor of department stores.
But whilst navigating the fragrances and bright lights of this Oxford Street shop, I noticed out the corner of my eye something much more to my liking.
Bright yellow, vintage flair and, best of all, mobile, this was a branded product display that certainly stood out from the crowd!
Acqua di Parma is an Italian fashion company that produces fragrances and other high-end accessories.
It was very cool to see that they had deployed a vintage Piaggio Ape to display their products.
Originally used to transport bread, groceries and liquor through the backstreets of Italian cities, converted Apes are becoming increasingly popular vehicles to deploy as mobile bars and serving stations!
Favored for their stylish aesthetic, versatility and practicality.
Bellissimo!
Now, time to find another coffee...
If you've ever been to London, you'll know that city planning is very different on that side of the Atlantic.
Roads curve and intersect seemingly at random, there are back alleys and secret squares galore.
Totally by accident, I stumbled across this extremely cute and very memorable mobile coffee bar.
Hiding down a side street was this charming van, operated by the good folks at Change Please, a brilliant organization who are tackling homelessness in the UK through selling life changing coffee.
They also train and employ homeless people to work as baristas in their mobile bars.
My luck was out (again!) this afternoon, as the van's windows were shut, but I have it on very good authority that the hot beverages sold here are well worth seeking out.
And of course, you're helping out a very good cause if you do.
From here, we take a trip to the South Bank of the River Thames...
Similar to the yellow taxis of New York City, the 'black cab' has become an iconic symbol of London, as synonymous with the capital city as the red double decker bus or red telephone box.
Taxi services date back hundreds of years in London, with the more familiar, modern vehicles being introduced post-Second World War.
Whilst the Austin FX4 model is probably the most iconic of the London taxi silhouettes, the newer TX4 has become equally as noticeable on the cities roads, as well as films and TV shows.
Chealson's Coffee have taken one such vehicle and created a wonderful coffee cab.
Fortunately, this taxi was open for business and I was able to grab an afternoon pick-me-up! 😋
From black to vivid multicolor!
A little further up the river Thames was a mobile bar that was very hard to miss.
Caleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia.
And as you can see from my photos, they certainly brought some South American flair to the gray skies of London.
Caleño's bold yellow mascot is a Jeep named Shakira, from which they were playing music, handing out samples and generally having a great time.
This bright example just goes to show that mobile bars can have a big impact on brand recognition!
Next on our mobile bar tour of London was a vehicle a little less colorful but no less bold in appearance.
Sons + Daughters serves up breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks at their Coal Drops Yard, King's Cross location.
But much more interesting than their brick and mortar shop is what sits atop it.
Up on the roof is parked the S+D Go van, another vintage Citroen bar.
As you can see, this is a vehicle with more than enough space to serve the big lines that form at lunchtime in London.
Awesome to see that even shops with a fixed physical presence are investing in the quirkiness and downright amazingness of mobile bars!
From big to something a little smaller and oh so cute.
Parked just outside the Birra Baladin brewery in Camden is this little gem.
An Italian outfit, it's very appropriate that their mobile bar brand of choice is Fiat.
This vintage Fiat 500 is equipped with two taps pouring beer and bringing with it bundles of European style!
I didn't see anyone driving this mini car, but I enjoyed imagining myself weaving through the Italian countryside in this little gem, before pulling over and enjoying a beer or two (continuing on in the passenger's side of course!)
Well, a day in London wouldn't be complete without one final ice cream stop.
And once again, I couldn't resist a treat from one of the best looking ice cream vans I've seen, courtesy of Ruby Violet Ices.
This absolutely beautiful, 1968 Austin Morris LD van (thanks Google!) was the star of the show, serving delicious home made scoops made just across the road at Ruby's parlor.
The perfect end to the perfect mobile bar tour of London!
With my trip coming to an end, I headed to Heathrow Airport for the journey back to the States.
As I explored the airport shops and restaurants I was drawn to the bright pink walls of EL&N, a cafe chain that you may have spotted up above in my photo of the pink Citroen van.
Whilst it might not be considered a mobile bar in the purest sense of the word, this super-cute Vespa was standing proudly to the right of the entrance and I had to take a snap.
It would seem that classic cars and beautiful bars on wheels are increasingly being used to market products and stand out from the crowd!
Thanks for joining me on my tour of London's mobile bar scene.
I can't wait to go back and discover many more.
If you're looking for an awesome mobile bar like the ones above to serve at your US based wedding, corporate event, birthday or any other celebration, then you're in the right place.
Check out our selection of mobile bars here and begin reaching out to vendors in your area.