There's no need to schlep to the Alps for a lively aprés-ski experience and a feast off-piste. The Montague on The Gardens brings snow-season vibes to London with its atmospheric annual pop-up cheese fondue experience.

Where is it?

Right in the heart of Bloomsbury, London, about a five-minute walk from the British Museum.

What's all the fuss about?

There are so many cosy winter pop-ups dotted around London, but what sets this one apart is its location. Situated in a quieter part of town, tucked down a pretty Bloomsbury street, it's still close enough to all the action, making it a perfect stop off after a day of festive shopping or before a theatre show across the winter months. 

What's the place like?

Spanning nine connecting Georgian townhouses, The Montague on the Gardens has a distinct luxe British feel, but the minute you step inside the pop-up winter chalet, you feel as though you've been teleported to another time and place. The team has done a sterling job of bringing scenes from a retro Alpine postcard to life – think vintage skis, wooden snowshoes, plush sheepskins, wooden surrounds, twinkling lights, reindeer antlers and faux snow. And by sticking to an authentic fondue recipe, the room is filled with the kind of aromas you usually only come across at higher altitudes.

What did you eat and drink?

There's only one thing on the menu here and that's fondue. While waiting for the familiar black pot of molten Swiss cheese to arrive, we get into the sharing mood with a charcuterie board and a cocktail from the bar's creative menu – a smoky bourbon, maple syrup and bitter concoction for me and a classic negroni for my partner. Our seven-year-old son can't believe his luck when a gigantic creamy hot chocolate, topped with a mountain of marshmallows, is put before him. 

The fondue, when it arrives, is exactly what you want from a the Swiss classic – oozy and boozy and served with an array of traditional foods to dunk into the melting pot. There are chunks of crusty bread, buttery skin-on new potatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, tangy gherkins and pickled onions. 

We add some sides of grilled bratwurst sausages and pretzels and are very glad we did. While the sausages are a bit meh on their own, they are utterly transformed after a satisfying dunk in the fondue pot. The pretzels, meanwhile, are salty, firm and spherical in shape rather than knotted, so they're spot-on for spearing with a fondue fork and dipping in the pot. They are easily the best accompaniment on the table, and we have to stop ourselves ordering more. 

Your verdict?

The Cheese Fondue Experience at The Montague on the Gardens is a fun way to kickstart the festive season and extend the fun in the bleak winter months that follow – what could be more sociable that sitting around a fondue pot in an alpine-style lodge while Christmas tunes play softly in the background? While the hotel itself is fancy, the lodge is more relaxed. The staff are super-friendly and not one person batted an eyelid when my son, buzzing on marshmallows, leapt to his feet for a festive boogie when his favourite jingle started up in the background.