Jimmy Garcia is known for his foodie pop ups and every year along the Southbank he pops up with his BBQ Club from May to September.
The BBQ Club is a very interactive BBQ restaurant which has two bars, a roof terrace and private event spaces.
Jimmy’s unique six course tasting menu centres around local, sustainably sourced produce, which is cooked over coals from your very own Big Green Egg.
I was invited along to attend the press night to enjoy the new menu for this years BBQ Club pop up.
Jimmy Garcia – The BBQ Club
Jimmy Garcia has been popping up within London since 2011 with a wide variety of foodie pop ups.
Every May though he brings back to London on the Southbank his BBQ Club pop up, plus his Fondue Club in Winter.
Jimmy’s BBQ Club brings to Southbank every year a show-stopping BBQ experience. Bringing mouth-watering new dishes every time, along with great wine pairing and experimental BBQ cooking techniques. With the help of Jimmy and the team, you’ll get to cook your own 6-course menu at your table using a Big Green Eggs BBQ. As the chefs on the night will prepare and guide you through each course with top tips and bucket load of accompaniments. This year the ethos for Jimmy’s BBQ Club is all about sustainability.
Both Jimmy’s kitchens from the street food stand and the BBQ Club each menu uses locally sourced food with zero-waste menus. From the garnishes to the cocktails each which are all crafted from by-products of other ingredients as well as living herb walls on site. Even the bar features art made with recyclable materials.
Barbequing along the Southbank watching over the Thames
Heading on down to Jimmy’s Garcia from Waterloo the heavens opened up unfortunately but luckily even though then BBQ Club is alfresco style dining part of the restaurant has a sheltered area and thankfully that is where me, my husband Jason and my friends Reanee @wheretoadventures and Caroline @traveleatslay will be dining.
Jimmy Garcia’s The BBQ Club is in my opinion one of the most fun ways to enjoy a BBQ, within London as not only do you get great tasty food, get to cook your own food if you wished but you also get an amazing view over the River Thames where you can gaze at many historical buildings and watch as the river boats sail past.
What I love about The BBQ Club is the layout as it feels very like a picnic type area with the benches and bench seats and the striking Big Green BBQ’s give it a real impact with that added colour of striking green.
We sat at the last bench the one right to the far right from the entrance. What I loved about this bench is that it was away from the bar and hustle and bustle and we had a tent/wall behind us. It sat us four easily. Plus we was under shelter so the rain could not get us but even though we was under shelter. Also being May and it being cold and raining Jimmy’s provides blankets which you can wrap up in. These can be found in a box in the corner of the restaurant on the floor.
Once me and my friends had settled at our table we then got to meet the man himself, Jimmy Garcia. He is a really nice man and was interesting learning about why he loves doing what he does.
He then briefly explained to us all about the menu, how he sources everything locally and uses all food which is in season.
What I loved mostly about the menu was the fact that everything is locally sourced and in season, so with that in mind the menu does slightly change during the time The BBQ Club is at the Southbank as it all depends what is in season. Also if any of the which is on the menu does not meet your dietary requirements an alternative can be provided just be sure to let them know in advance when booking at time.
Before the food arrived though we had a a few welcome drinks and got to check out the BBQ.
For the first course it was bread from Bread Bread Bakery in Brixton. The dish Pick, Forage and Ferment was sourdough, Southbank herb dips, kitchen Trimchi, Streatham Common wild garlic oil. The bread was super fresh and had a nice thickness to it so when grilling on the grill of the BBQ it gave nice scorch marks. The spread was creamy and sharp all thanks to the Trimchi and herbs.
It was then onto the Asparagus Season which Wye Valley asparagus, house labneh, Brixton brown butter sourdough crumb, pea shoots. After a few minutes the asparagus was ready. The grill of the BBQ gave the asparagus a stunning look with grill marks. By having it grilled it also made the asparagus taste slightly different to how it normally tastes, I would say a little like a thick bean instead. Was all very delicious and the garnish and buttery sauce gave it that extra added flavour.
Long Live The King Hand Dived Dorset scallop, Cornish seaweed and salami sauce. The scallop took minutes to cook within it’s shell in a closed BBQ. The scallop was plump and sweet, with the salami, giving that a spicy, sweet, hot and savoury flavour to the whole dish.
Chicken and Beer BBQ Chicken supreme, Streatham Common wild allium emulsion and flowers, coal-fired leeks, crispy leek tops, and Toast lager and wild London Honey Co glaze. The chicken was cooked in the BBQ on a piece of wood which has been soaked in water for 3o minutes prior as to not to burn. The BBQ gave the chicken that extra smoky flavour whilst the beer & honey glaze gave it that extra sweetness and maltiness. The chicken was a delight, literally melted in the mouth.
BBQ Beef Bits salt beer braised bone marrow & beef cheek Long-Boys doughnut, flat iron yakatori, XO slaw, Southbank Sriracha. The beef took minutes to cook. Even though it was nice and soft the beef I would of preferred a slab of steak. The burger had beef cheek within them. The doughnut bun to me tasted a little like a brioche but a little more doughy and sweet like a plain doughnut. Was nice but I would of like more beef cheek within the bun.
Milk and Honey Wild London Honey and lavender panna cotta, Maldon sea salt shortbread, raspberry, caramelised figs, flowers. I love desserts and this dessert did not disappoint. Firstly had to roast the figs over the BBQ. The hot figs gave the dessert another level. Giving the sweet honey and lavender panna cotta that extra texture and chewiness. A creamy and fruity delight.
As well as the food we enjoyed a variety of drinks from wine to cocktails all which have been made in London.
If though BBQ’s don’t appeal to you then you might like Jimmy Garcia’s fondue pop up which happens along the Southbank in Winter instead.
Upon leaving after enjoying wonderful service by the staff, nice drinks and tasty food we remembered to pick up our menu as all the menus are printed using wildflower seeds. So I will be planting mine in the coming days as I love providing flowers for bees and butterflies.
Video insight to Jimmy’s
Verdict
The BBQ Club by Jimmy was a wonderful experience and certainly a very interactive one. It makes a big change to dining at a sit down restaurant.
What I love about Jimmy’s pop up BBQ Club is where it is located giving amazing views, the social aspect, the interactive experience, how everything is sustainable, and that the food is all locally sourced.
Another thing what I loved about Jimmy’s and what I discovered was anything that they could not forage or locally source they had herb walls around the venue which you can smell, and touch and are used in the dishes when required.
The BBQs they use are by The Big Green Egg. The charcoal used is supplied by The London Log Co. They only use surplus branches, pruned from Holm Oak thereby allowing the healthy trees to continue to grown.
The BBQ Club is great fun for a night with friends / family but particularly perfect for a romantic date night with your loved one as you cook along together and watch the sun go down over the Thames, so romantic.
Book now The BBQ Club by Jimmy Garcia
The BBQ Club
The Queen’s Walk
London SE1 8XX
Jimmy’s BBQ Club pop-up is back with the ultimate six-course menu, riverfront bar and even more experimental cooking techniques.
| BBQ Club Lunch Ticket6 course lunch booking in the riverside BBQ Club cabana | 13:00 – 17:00 | £59.00 |
| BBQ Club Sunday Lunch Booking3 course Sunday lunch menu booking in the riverside BBQ Club cabana | 13:00 – 17:00 | £49.00 |
| Staff ticketSouthbank staff entry. Weekend coronation only. | 10:00 – 23:55 | Free admission |
| BBQ Club Evening Booking6 course evening booking in the riverside BBQ Club cabana | 19:00 – 23:00 | £59.00 |
Click here to book.
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Thanks to Jimmy Garcia marketing team for the invite. I loved it. All views are my own honest opinion.
“I love going out discovering new and existing restaurants, theatres, immersive experiences and so much more but I also love staying in and discovering new gadgets, gaming and cooking.
