Cider, despite its popularity, is a bit of a maligned drink in London’s pubs. In many establishments, there is little more than one cider on tap and a couple of bottles to choose from in the fridge. If you’re lucky (relatively speaking), they might have some old-school locally-made cider in box-in-a-bag situations. Largely, though, there isn’t much choice. But that’s all changing with the opening of a ‘cider house’, courtesy of the team behind some of London’s best bars.
You’ll find the Umbrella Cider House just around the corner from Bethnal Green station. Tucked away from the main road, it’s a cider-fuelled oasis with an al-fresco terrace area and more drinks than you can shake a stick at. The venue hosts live comedy, music, sports screenings, and cider tastings, and inside you’ll find games like pool and darts.
As a functioning cider house, the venue also houses a production facility, which makes some of the drinks they serve. So you could enjoy a totally unique drink, in a sun-dappled terrace, steps away from where it was made.
The Umbrella Cider House is just a short walk away from the legendary Sun Tavern, which is also owned by the Umbrella Project team. As well as the Umbrella Cider House and the Sun Tavern, they also run the speakeasy bar, Discount Suit Co and the teensy-tiny Umbrella Workshop cocktail bar. All that to say, the team knows what they’re doing when it comes to London drinking venues. (They also recently opened Parasol – a subterranean cocktail bar soundtracked by 80’s NYC Disco.)
Okay, but what about the drinks?
If you frequent some of London’s more craft-y establishments, you might have already come across the Umbrella ciders. You’ll find them in cocktail bars, craft beer taprooms, and bottle shops of note. They come in apple, rhubarb, and blackcurrant flavours. The Umbrella Cider House also serves its own Umbrella London presses, which are brewed and blended on site.
But there’s more than just cider here. Punters can enjoy local beers, wine, and bottled cocktails from sibling venue The Umbrella Workshop. There’s also a rotating selection of guest food from local food traders and purveyors.
All that to say, regardless of whether you’re a cider drinker or not, Umbrella Cider House is just the type of ‘in-the-know’ drinking venue that you’ll want to check out when the sun is shining.