With Allegra at The Stratford getting such good reviews, the owners of new Stratford spot The Gantry London will be hoping for similar success.

They're planning on opening their new hotel, complete with sky bar, later this year, which will be part of the Curio Collection (a Hilton offshoot that also includes The Trafalgar and Lincoln Plaza). The 18 storey building, which was built by Ardmore who also did The Ned and Corinthia

Leicester Square's food and drink scene gets an injection of cool with this upcoming hotel promising a rooftop bar with firepits, two Odeon luxe cinemas and a signature all day restaurant.

We head up to the 14th floor of the Hoxton Southwark and fall hopelessly in love with this high rise seafood spot where the decor is pure Miami but the vibe is all London.

We've done the legwork for you with everything you need for a great summer from the new alfresco spots for eating and drinking, great takeaway picnics and ice-cream specials to look out for on sweltering days.

Summertime is here and with it, London's rooftop spaces begin opening for the season. Here we've rounded up some of the best seasonal spaces to enjoy a cracking view of the city. Oh and the chance of a breeze on a sultry summer's day or night too.

If you’re a regular shopper at London’s Brixton Village, from August you might notice party-goers heading towards a secret staircase in one of its previously unloved corners. They’ll be heading up to ‘Lost in Brixton’, a new light-flooded terrace space, designed to represent a concrete jungle, complete with a retractable roof. But they’re not necessarily leaving the gourmet delights of the market behind.

Apart from offering space for 440 revellers

With 12 traders, four bars and space for 800 diners, this new food hall on Oxford Street is the UK's largest.

Despite the recent chill, London's summer plans are well underway and the latest spot to reveal their colours for the season are John Lewis. They're bringing in My Million Pound Menu winners BBQ Dreamz for their rooftop space this summer. The newly titled Filipino concept, Bong Bong’s Manila Kanteen will serve up all manner of treats. Here's the menu: 

• Lechon Kawali - Crispy fragrant pork belly, with pickled papaya salad and a Filipino lechon

Those who are fans of South Kensington’s The Ampersand will want to make a note of this one - the City's newest hotel Vintry & Mercer boasts multiple places to eat and drink, including a rooftop restaurant where you can enjoy the view along with your charcoal-grilled meal.

The Bourne & Hollingsworth group are behind London's latest high rise opening. Garden Room at the Assembly Hotel promises amazing views over London with plants involved in the decor, food and even the cocktails.

If you don't have the budget or enough days holiday to take to do a gastro tour of Italy this year, an upcoming event at Selfridges will do the job instead.

The newly-opened rooftop restaurant Alto by San Carlo is throwing one heck of a dinner in June where the chefs from five top Italian restaurants are popping up for just one night. All in all, there'll be seven Michelin-stars at the restaurant that night who have been gathered together by the Italian

It's that time of year where the summer plans for London's rooftops are being unveiled, and latest among these is the John Lewis rooftop - which is becoming Summer of Sound On The Roof. That's because this year, it's all about music. So expect live gigs, DJ sets and acoustic music on their rooftop all summer long.

But frankly, it's more about the food for us - and there's the great news that

Building on their partnership in other stores, Selfridges' Oxford Street store is the latest to get into bed with the San Carlo restaurant group who'll be launching Alto in the store's iconic rooftop space.

We head up on the festive rooftop at John Lewis to check out a Bristol-based popup

Those who’ve been entranced by the sound of Bristol’s charming walled garden restaurant The Ethicurean, but haven’t made it over yet, will soon be able to try their menu when they pop up on the John Lewis rooftop.

It’s the latest restaurant to set up in the department store’s rooftop pop-up space, The Gardening Society.

Although famous for charmingly British food with a