Picnic food and drink deliveries to London parks, from tapas to cocktails

What’s easier than picking up a pizza on the way to the park? Having it delivered straight to your picnic spot!

The start-of-lockdown days of cold outdoor takeaways are over: it’s week 11 and the smartest establishments are dispatching your alfresco dinner (and cocktails) direct to your WhatsApp pin.

Start your dial-a-picnic escapades in Hackney, where neighbourhood bar Ombra is sending its famous negronis to picnic blankets anywhere within a 1.5-mile radius. Just share your location on WhatsApp. You can ring for your supper, too: the restaurant’s order-to-the-park menu includes anchovies, meaty Puglian olives and a picnic basket for two featuring focaccia, olives, giardiniera, burrata, salame, oranges and beers — all the ingredients of an Italian-inspired picnic without having to lug a heavy hamper to the park.

If you prefer a Portuguese feast, Ilford's Capricho Portuguese Kitchen will send Sangria, seafood and contemporary Lisbon-inspired small plates to Wanstead Park via Uber Eats, while Leon’s offering will help you recreate a summer’s evening in San Sebastian in your local park. The natural fast food favourite has partnered with tapas guru Brindisa to offer a new charcuterie deli picnic box featuring aged Manchego, hand-carved Jamon Iberico, serrano ham, chorizo, Empeltre olives and picos de pan. All you need is a bottle of rioja to go with it.

For lunch, Dalston’s Dusty Knuckle Bakery is delivering its signature artisan sandwiches to parks anywhere within a 1.5-mile radius, or simply dial-a-pizza to your chosen spot. Sacro Cuore in Kensal Rise is shipping its Neapolitan pizzas to Queen’s Park — just call ahead and meet your rider at the park gate 10 minutes later. Meanwhile Kennington hotspot The Collective is delivering its organic sourdoughs to anyone dining in Kennington Park.

Get your sundowners delivered too — Three Sheets, Hawksmoor, Callooh Callay and Coupette are among London bars shipping their bottled cocktails to picnickers through shopcuvee.com — just select “park delivery” and they’ll be in touch via WhatsApp.

And Ladies & Gentlemen Bar’s Kentish Town outpost has a popular new cocktail delivery service for Hampstead Heath. Choose from its signature bottled Quarantini or its rum-based Zombie concoction — each bottle contains booze for you and four friends.