Bermondsey Bubble Tea Shop Crawl for a Rainy Afternoon

A Bermondsey bubble tea shop crawl is the answer to a grey London afternoon when the rain will not stop. The neighbourhood is threaded with Victorian railway viaducts, and the arches beneath them have become workshops, bakeries, breweries and cafes, which means you can hop from one dry pocket to the next with only short dashes through the drizzle. The twist on this route is temperature: two of the three cups are ordered hot, because warm milk tea on a wet day is one of the most comforting drinks the city has to offer.

Many people only ever drink bubble tea over ice and are surprised to find it served warm. Hot milk tea is closer to the drink's roots in Taiwanese tea shops, and in cold weather it makes a lot of sense. Warm tea releases more aroma, so a roasted oolong or a black tea smells richer, and the pearls stay soft and chewy for longer instead of firming up in the cold. It is also far kinder to your hands than a sweating plastic cup full of ice.

Not every topping suits heat. Tapioca pearls and brown sugar syrup work beautifully hot, as do red beans and grass jelly. Popping boba, fruit jellies and cheese foam are better cold, so save them for the iced cup on this route. When you order, ask clearly for a hot drink and a lid; some counters make them in sturdier cups, and a lid matters when you are dodging puddles.

Begin at Bermondsey station on the Jubilee line and walk toward the old market streets. The first cup should be the warmest and most comforting: a hot brown sugar milk tea with pearls, ordered at half sugar because the syrup is already sweet. Drink it under cover if you can, under the awning of a shop or in a cafe doorway, and let it warm you up before the walk begins.

Bermondsey Street itself, running north toward London Bridge, is a handsome mix of old warehouses, galleries and small restaurants. On a wet day the pavements are quieter than usual, and the street has the cosy feel of a neighbourhood where people know each other. It is a pleasant place to walk slowly with a hot cup, even in a light drizzle.

The railway viaducts that carry trains in and out of London Bridge run right through Bermondsey, and their arches are the backbone of this crawl. Many have been converted into small businesses, with brick vaults, high curved ceilings and warm lights glowing from inside on a dark afternoon. Walking along the lines of arches lets you stay under shelter for long stretches, and you will pass bakeries, coffee roasters and other small producers along the way.

On weekends, parts of the arches host food stalls and a busy market atmosphere, especially around Maltby Street and the Ropewalk. On a rainy weekday they are quieter, with a few workshops open and the sound of trains rumbling overhead. Either way, the arches are the place for your second stop: duck in, find a warm drink or a snack, and let the worst of a shower pass while you sip.

For the second tea, order cold, even in the rain. It sounds odd, but a contrasting iced fruit tea, a passion fruit or lemon green tea with popping boba, cleans up the palate after a rich brown sugar drink. Drink it somewhere indoors and dry, at a cafe table or a bench under a covered arch, rather than while walking, because cold hands and a cold cup in wet weather is the least fun way to drink bubble tea.

This is also the cup to share. Pass it round the group so everyone gets a few sips, and nobody has to finish a large iced drink on a chilly afternoon. Splitting means you can try toppings that would be wasted on a hot cup, like jelly or popping pearls, without committing to a whole drink.

The final cup is another hot one, this time a roasted oolong or a classic black milk tea, and the walk ends near London Bridge, where the arches give way to the bustling area around the station and the river. On a clear evening you could carry it down toward the Thames path and the views of Tower Bridge, but in the rain it is better enjoyed in the covered spaces near the station.

London Bridge is an easy place to finish because it connects to so many lines, so the group can disperse quickly when the crawl is over. If anyone still has energy, Borough Market is a short walk away, though it is often crowded and best treated as a separate outing rather than squeezed onto the end of this one.

Wear waterproof shoes, because the cobbles and arch entrances collect puddles. A hood is easier than an umbrella when you are holding a cup, and an umbrella under a low arch is simply in the way. Pack a small bag for empty cups so you are not carrying sticky plastic around. If the rain becomes heavy, shorten the route to the arches section only and save Bermondsey Street for a drier day.

Skip slushies and smoothie-style drinks on this crawl, they are cold, sweet and heavy, and on a wet afternoon they are the drink most likely to be abandoned half-full. And if a counter does not offer hot drinks, do not force it. Order a small iced tea, or move on to the next stop where you can warm up properly.

Before setting off, open Karpo APP and search for bubble tea shops around Bermondsey and London Bridge. Compare the options, save two or three that sit close to the railway arches so your dashes through the rain are short, and share the list with whoever is coming. Saving the list in advance means fewer minutes standing in the rain trying to decide where to go.

Hot brown sugar to start, a shared iced cup in the arches and a warm oolong to finish turns a dreary day into a cosy afternoon. Bermondsey's brick vaults, rumbling trains and quiet old streets make a fine backdrop for a crawl that celebrates the forgotten pleasure of a warm cup of bubble tea.