Department of Good Cheer, Southbank Centre

Show your love of cocktails with the Department of Good Cheer's thematic residency at Southbank, as part of the Festival of Love

What’s love got to do with it? Well, if you’re in the vicinity of the Southbank Centre this summer, love has got a lot to do with it, as the Festival of Love , which sees hundreds of artists, foodies and bars spring up, all with one thing on their minds.

As well as a whole host of performances, talks and outdoor art installations, one group plans to bring a smile to your face through drink— The Department of Good Cheer . 

Don’t be suspicious of the slightly Orwellian name, or the fact it’s located in the Southbank’s Heartbreak Hotel; this really is a place with pleasure on the agenda. The team behind it—three musicians and an artist, who bonded through their love of a well-mixed, non-sickly sweet cocktail—have created a bespoke drinks menu spanning pop culture from the 1950s right up to the present day. 

According to them, the idea is to blend the spirits perfectly—you’ll find no flashy shaking here—and not to mask them with syrups, citrus or fruit juices. Plus, the venue itself has been kitted out with neon sign, copies of Jackie magazine and a dress-up karaoke lounge—an ideal way to while away an evening kicking back with some loving nostalgia.

If you’d like a little more definition to your good cheer, the Department is running a series of tasting and food-pairing master classes from 23 July. We’re planning to get booked in to the gin tasting with the London Distilling Company on 13 August, but there are also two dates where you can sample a three-course meal matched perfectly to three cocktails. 

But if you miss out on the food there, never fear—it’s being cooked up by The Bloody Oyster team, who also have their own pop-up restaurant (alright, it’s more of a bus) at the Festival of Love, where they’ll have shakes and shucks aplenty. Further seafood is on offer at B.O.B.’s Lobster right next to the river, while the city’s trendiest bike shop-cum-café, Look Mum No Hands , also has a pop-up shop under the Hungerford Bridge. 

And after all that love, why not pop along for a bit of a Snog —the frozen yoghurt seller also has a pop-up home during the festival along the Southbank.