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London's rooftop spaces are open for an alfresco season like no other. Here's where you can dine outside and get a great view at the same time.
Central and City
Alto
Oxford Street - 400 Oxford St, London W1A 1AB
The Selfridges rooftop has always been a great place to retreat to post or during shopping, particularly when the sun is shining and the roof is retracted. Alto is run by the people behind the San Carlo restaurants and it's all-Italian fare up on the roof here with plenty of pasta, pizzette and more on offer as well as a fairly affordable wine list given the location.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @alto_selfridges
Aviary
Where: Royal London House, 10th Floor Montcalm, 22-25 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1DX
With views over Finsbury Square, this City rooftop spot is perenially popular. This year, they're teaming up with Whispering Angel & Rock Angel for a terrace featuring lots of rosé and a special Whispering Angel pergola too. Food-wise, there are seafood towers and sharing boards.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @aviaryldn
Coq D'Argent
1 Poultry, London EC2R 8EJ
Taking up a huge space on the top floor, this is one of the City's most famous alfresco spots. If you can grab a space here on a busy weekday lunchtime, you've done a good job. Also, make sure to find your way onto the lawn out at the back with great views of the City.
Follow on Instagram: @coqdargent
Florattica
Canopy by Hilton London City, 11-15 Minories, London EC3N 1AX
Right at the top of this City hotel, you'll find a rooftop terrace with spectacular views leading down towards St Paul's. Food-wise, there's a pretty good value set brunch with options like lobster rolls on the menu and the cocktails are very on point too. It's also quite beautiful inside too, with the whole roof covered in floral arrangements.
Follow on Instagram: @floratticarooftoplondon
Kitchen at Holmes
Where: 108 Baker St, Marylebone, London W1U 6LJ
This roof terrace overlooking Baker Street is a rather well-kept secret. Once you've nabbed a space here, enjoy dishes like smoked burrata with endive, grilled sea bream and raspberry sorbet to finish. Or you can even have tea served in an antique chest - which also includes a mini mystery to solve (making the most of the location).
Check Instagram for the latest info: @kitchenatholmes
Madera and Nest at Treehouse London
Where: 14-15 Langham Pl, Marylebone, London W1B 2QS
This is a two-for-one. On the fifteenth floor, you’ll find Madera - a Mexican restaurant and bar with a terrace perfect for enjoying tacos and more on. But head upstairs and there’s another bar, The Nest, which does cocktails, small plates and sharing boards.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @maderalondon.
Mercer Roof Terrace
Where: Vintry & Mercer, 19-20 Garlick Hill, EC4V 2AU
This London rooftop space boasts quite the City view, taking in everything from The Shard to St Paul's. The food here is all about the best meat and fish from the British Isles with dishes including a Suffolk chicken scotch egg and cornish lamb Barnsley chops. Cocktails feature their own house-infused spirits and there's a good value set lunch deal here too.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @vintryandmercer.
Radio Rooftop
Where: 336-337 Strand, London WC2R 1HA
Up on the 10th floor of ME London, you’ll find this chichi rooftop lounge with views across central London including a sliver of the Thames. It’s an all-day affair, so particularly good for impressing clients at business breakfasts, or ordering one of their double magnums of rosé for sundowners.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @radiorooftoplondon.
Sabine
Where: 10 Godliman St, London EC4V 5AJ
Perched on top of the Leonardo hotel in the heart of the City, Sabine rooftop bar and restaurant has one huge USP - its amazing views over St Paul's. There are two outside terraces and one has a handy retractable roof for dealing with the British weather.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @sabinerooftopbar
Wagtail
Where: 68 King William St, London EC4N 7HR
It's fair to say that this newish City rooftop spot created quite the stir on social media when it first opened. It looks amazing with two floors of restaurant and terrace space. The food features classic British dishes and there's a bottomless brunch available. The cocktail list is strong too, with cocktails like the Maracuja - vodka, vanilla grass, stone fruit nectar and passion fruit kombucha.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @wagtailldn
North
Booking Office 1869 Roof Garden
King's Cross - St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, Euston Rd., London NW1 2AR
You may know Booking Office 1869 mainly for the hugely impressive dining room - but they also run an extra space on the top of this St Pancras hotel. Once up there, you can expect flatbreads and snacks like corn “ribs” and smoked chilli yoghurt.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @bookingoffice
The Lucky Club
Where: The Terrace, Horse Hospital, North Stables Yard, London NW1 8AH
With a Mayfair club under their belt, the Lucky Club team picked Camden for their second opening - a rooftop bar across the Chalk Farm entrance to Camden Market. Think tacos and margaritas for the food and drink side of things - so cheeseburger tacos, frozen Naranjaritas and spicy Guajillo Palomas.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @theluckyclubcamden
Big Chill
Where: 257-259 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9NL
Food at this King's Cross rooftop bar is courtesy of residency Chuck Burger. They also do a very popular weekend bottomless brunch. The good news is there's also a retractable roof here should it be needed.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @bigchillbar
South
Joia Rooftop
Where: 16th Floor, 1 Electric Boulevard, London, SW11 8BJ
One of the newer rooftops on the guide, this overlooks Battersea Power Station and comes from the same people behind Joia, the Portuguese restaurant by Henrique Sá Pessoa just a few floors below. Alongside cocktails, there are snacks, petiscos and tapas on offer, including croquetas, Iberico ham, tuna tartare and a prego steak sandwich.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @joiabattersea
Bussey Rooftop Bar
Where: Fifth Floor Roof, Unit B, Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, London SE15 4ST
Bussey's rooftop scene matches a big cocktail list led by their Uptown Margs, featuring Ojo de Tigre Mezcal and Cointreau and some jalapenos if you're feeling up for it. Alongside the drinks, you'll find great pizzas from Share A Slice who are back for 2023 (with lots of plant-based and gluten-free options on there too). Events at the Peckham bar include a regular rooftop club and film nights.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @busseyrooftopbar
CLF Art Lounge
Where: 4a Station Way, Peckham, London SE15 4RX
The rooftop bar at this Peckham bar and lounge features live music, cabaret and comedy sessions and, handily, is also weatherproofed for the British summer. The food is traditional Caribbean - they do excellent Dominican-style fried chicken - and the cocktails are strong. The terrace bar is sponsored by Hennessy and offers table service only.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @theclfartlounge.
Forzawine
Where: The Rooftop, 133 Rye Ln, Peckham, London SE15 4BQ
Forzawine vie with Bussey over who has the highest rooftop space in South London. Food is a range of snacks and small plates with options including deep-fried spuds or cauliflower fritti. Given the name, the wine list is carefully put together with a focus on natural wines (and with some on offer for a fiver a glass). Classic and house cocktails are available, including a frozen paloma or daiquiri.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @forzawine.
Lost in Brixton
Where: Brixton Village, Coldharbour Ln, SW9 8PS
This hidden rooftop space above Brixton has a retractable roof, DJs and plenty of space. Best of all, you can use their app to get food sent up to your rooftop table from some of the traders below like Three Uncles, Rudie's Jerk Shack, La Nonna and more. Cocktails are all about a Latin American vibe.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @lostbrixton.
Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden
Where: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX
This secret rooftop garden at the top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank is a real hidden-away gem. Open from lunchtime to early evening there's a cafe and bar which serves up cocktails and has a particularly interesting gin collection that covers the whole of the UK. It's also a partnership with The Eden Project so there's a big focus on native plants up here.
Seabird
Where: 14th Floor, 40 Blackfriars Rd, South Bank, London SE1 8NY
If it wasn’t for the London backdrop, this rooftop terrace looks like a little slice of Miami in the sky. They have some particularly tropical drinks on offer and if you're in a group there's a big fishbowl sharing cocktail too. Look out for the oyster happy hour as well as their classic dishes like the octopus roll.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @seabirdlondon.
East
Bōkan
Where: 40 Marsh Wall, London E14 9TP
Running over three floors at the top of a Canary Wharf tower, Bōkan's rooftop terrace is on the 39th floor. There's a covered bar inside for cooler times but when the temperatures heats up the terrace, with its amazing views over the city, is where the action is at. Up here there's a specialist gin bar, rooftop daybeds and a food menu that includes British cheese and charcuterie along with a Rhug Estate burger and Hereford salt beef brisket tacos.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @bokanlondon
Boundary
Where: 2-4 Boundary St, London E2 7DD
The rooftop space here is beautifully done with topiary and full-grown 100-year-old olive trees to transport you from Shoreditch to somewhere closer to the Med. Head chef Roberto Branca Mediterranean menu features grilled meats and fish cooked over charcoal, including grilled chermoula prawns with sesame mayonnaise or a 45-day aged 850g T-bone steak.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @boundaryldn
The Culpeper
Where: 40 Commercial St, Spitalfields, London E1 6LP
The Regen rooftop space in this City pub is all about sustainable and regenerative farming which is what inspires the menus here - and there are some great set lunches, with dishes like grilled pork neck, honey and harissa crumb appearing on the menu. After 3pm, it's for walk-ins only for drinks and bar snacks. The drinks list continues the theme with a focus on biodynamic winemakers.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @theculpeper.
Jin Bo Law
Where: 14th floor Dorsett City, 9 Aldgate High Street, London EC3N 1AH
High on the 14th floor of the Dorsett City Hotel, this bar has properly jaw-dropping views over the City of London. It’s all about drinks here - there are a few snacks - so choose from an interesting cocktail list or go with the magnums section of the drinks list. Weekends feature DJ sessions and parties.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @jinbolaw_skybar.
Laurel's On The Roof
Where: 45 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT
With a view of their rooftop pool, this slide of California overlooking Shoreditch is inspired by LA pool parties. Enjoy dishes like Malibu shrimp cocktail and cobb salads along with frozen spicy margaritas and Canyon Cobblers. There's also a brunch on the roof at weekends with brunch specials being given a Californian twist.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @laurels.ontheroof
Netil 360
Where: 1 Westgate St, Hackney, London E8 3RL
If you're not the most organised person, then the good news is that you can't book ahead for this marvellous rooftop, it's a first-come, first-served affair. It styles itself as an alfresco izakaya so food focuses on sushi while, drinks-wise, there’s a strong leaning towards local beer and liquor. They do have heaters and some cover, so it's good too when the weather isn't all that great. There are also, randomly, four Finnish saunas up on the roof too.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @netil360.
Savage Garden
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Tower of London, 7 Pepys Street, London, EC3N 4AF
This city space has not one but two rooftop terraces giving 360-degree views over London. Expect jaw-dropping cocktail concoctions, with sharing platters the big draw featuring crispy squid sticks and sliders.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @savagegardenldn.
Skylight Tobacco Dock
Wapping - Pennington St. Car Park entrance, London E1W 2SF
If you fancy really relaxing on a rooftop then this space at Tobacco Dock is billed as London's biggest outside venue. The activities include croquet and petanque and a food menu featuring Mexican bowls, burgers and fried chicken. If rain stops play there's a covered bar down on level 9 but if the weather's good, the view here is amazing.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @skylight_london.
TT Liquor
Where: 17B Kingsland Rd, London E2 8AA
This surprisingly capacious rooftop bar is very handy to know about when you're after a drink away from the madding crowds at ground level in Shoreditch. There are also covered and heated booths for cooler days and nights. Food is pizzas and garlic knots on the side and - best of all - they take bookings.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @ttliquor
West
Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor
Knightsbridge - 109-125 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RJ
Long a refuge of a tired Knightsbridge shopper, the terrace on the Fifth Floor of Harvey Nichols is an oasis in the store. The look and feel of the terrace changes with the seasons and at the moment, there's a terrace takeover by Discover Puerto Rico with plenty of run cocktails and Caribbean-inspired bites.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @harveynichols
Pantechnicon
Belgravia - 19 Motcomb Street, London, SW1X 8LB
The roof garden space at the top of this building in Belgravia is quite beautiful. South facing and with most of it protected from the elements, it's a great place to people-spot and enjoy a brunch. The menu is a European affair with dishes like wagyu beef tartare and pulled pork croquettes on offer.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @_pantechnicon
Studio Frantzen
Knightsbridge - 5th floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL
Björn Frantzén's restaurant at the top of Harrods brought with it something the store has never had before - a rooftop bar and restaurant. It's the most impressive part of the restaurant, overlooking much of west London. You can either have a full meal here or cocktails and snacks. If it's the latter, then you definitely want the croissant-style milk bread and miso butter.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @studiofrantzenlondon
The Broadcaster
White City - 89 Wood Ln, London W12 7FX
This White City bar comes from the same people as another great alfresco space, The Lighterman in King's Cross. With a retractable roof, this offers views across White City and the old Television Centre. Food includes snacks, flatbreads and larger dishes and there's a brunch up here at the weekend which comes with its own Bloody Mary menu.
Check Instagram for the latest info: @thebroadcasterlondon
See also:
Roof East in Stratford features burgers and Turkish pide on the menu as well as cocktails and more. It's also available for private hire.
Queen of Hoxton is not open at the time of writing but it has a different theme every summer (cherry blossom was the last one). One to watch.
The Rooftop is One Hundred Shoreditch's rooftop bar with tacos and cocktails on offer (and a good view of East London)
The Rooftop of The Hippodrome Casino on Leicester Square is a good way to escape the crowds in this busy part of town and it's made even better with Max Halley's sandwiches.
Amano Covent Garden is the first UK branch of a German boutique hotel chain. Their Skybar features an inside bar along with a decent size roof terrace.
The Corin is newish to Tooting and raises South West London's rooftop game.
More alfresco
The Hot Dinners guide to summer
Royal Festival Hall photo: India Roper Evans
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