There’s nowhere like London in the summer, as capital-dwellers cascade out of their tiny flats and overheated offices in search of sun and reprieve after months of grey. While we’re all for spilling out of pubs for after-work pints and soaking up the rays on your local common, we’re also all for maintaining a regular rotation of top-tier drinking and dining out – preferably without overheating in a stuffy dining room. Enter: London’s rooftop bars, restaurant terraces. Below, we round up the ones to check out this summer.
Cafe Francois, Borough
It might be metres from the unceasing bustle of Borough Market, but the new Provence terrace at Cafe Francois is surprisingly transportive, thanks to a veritable grove of olive trees and jasmine bushes. Chef Matthew Ryle has designed a slate of small dishes for snacking en plein air, including escargot croquettes, crisp Provencale-style flatbreads, and courgette fritti. It’s in partnership with winemaker Chateau Leoube, and from 3pm to 5pm each day, diners can sip £8 glasses of rosé or £30 carafes with a selection of three snacks for £25.
cafefrancois.london
The Culpeper, Spitalfields
There are few rooftops as charming as The Culpeper’s, with its lush garden of wild strawberries, birch and hazel trees, and City views. The food is no slouch, either – think whipped cod’s roe with crudites harvested from its own Deptford farm, straight-from-the-grill octopus, and charred baby leeks.
theculpeper.com
Tiella, Columbia Road
Tiella is one of London’s hottest new restaurants – and we bet getting a table on its sun-soaked, 20-seat terrace is going to be one of east London’s most coveted reservations this summer. Framed by climbing honeysuckle, it’s the perfect spot to hole up with a plate of pasta and people-watch the Columbia Road passeggiata.<br< tiella.co.uk
Lardo, London Fields
The spirited Italian-inflected cooking (hello, giant potato- and cabbage-filled spring rolls and deconstructed lasagne) of Lardo’s new head chef Marta Sandini is reason enough to head to this rebooted diner. But if you need another, there’s its buzzing tree-framed terrace.
lardo.co.uk
St John Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden
It may be in the heart of Tourist London, but Neal’s Yard still feels like an escape – especially if you manage to nab one of the outdoor stools at the St John bar and bakery. It’s open till 10pm most nights, serving St John classics like welsh rarebit and madeleines, which go splendidly with a glass of the house crémant or rosé.
stjohnrestaurant.com
Kioku by Endo, Whitehall
Escape the wheeling and dealing of Whitehall and the crowds (oh, the crowds) of Trafalgar Square and zip to the new rooftop terrace at Kioku by Endo in the Owo hotel, which overlooks landmarks like the houses of Parliament. At lunch it does a £49 bento box that includes multiple courses of sushi and cooked dishes, as well as a glass of Minuty rosé.
kiokubyendo.com
Frank’s, Peckham
We hear you: “Frank’s, in the summer? Groundbreaking.” Sure, it’s been around since 2009, but this Peckham rooftop bar is as enticing as ever: summer-y cocktails like mango Margs and frozen G&Ts, simple dishes including aubergine parmigiana and chicken schnitzel on ciabatta, and that view, which even the most hardened Londoners can’t deny remains impressive after all these years.
boldtendencies.com
Wildflowers, Belgravia
Step away from the crowds and into the courtyard at Med restaurant Wildflowers for a menu made for eating al fresco. Get red prawn tartare with stracciatella and blood orange, or fior di latte gelato with olive oil and grape balsamic at lunch, then order snackier bits – Cantabrian anchovy with honey and Manchego atop focaccia – to go with a crisp wine in the evenings. Perfect long, hot summer night fodder if you ask us.
wildflowers.co.uk
Forza Wine Peckham, National Theatre and Soho
Forza Wine’s three outposts are ace propositions year-round – but in warm weather is when they really shine. In Peckham there’s the outstanding rooftop with City views, its National Theatre terrace is perched riverside – and you can settle in for snacks and a spritz – and its Soho al fresco dining area is perfect for £5 vermouth cocktails.
forzawine.com
Oranj, Shoreditch
Oranj’s sun-drenched terrace is home to a brand-new pintxos menu from chef Elies Salvà Ruiz de Villegas – think loads of delicious ingredients (anchovies, peppers, tomato) on bread, Basque-style. It’s best combined with a chilled low-intervention red or a vermouth soda.
oranj.co.uk
La Petite Maison, Mayfair
La Petite Maison brings coastal French flair (and celebrity clientele) to a quiet corner of Mayfair – and in summer its terrace helps it feel more like you’re by the Med than usual. Pull up a wicker chair, order a Tomatini (a savoury-yet-refreshing tomato cocktail garlanded with pepper at the table) and be sure to order the lemon-y prawns.
lpmrestaurants.com
Sabine, Holborn
You don’t need us to tell you that London’s weather is notoriously unpredictable. So a rooftop bar with a retractable roof will always get our stamp of approval. Sabine Holborn – the follow-up to the almost-in-St-Paul’s-Cathedral original – will take you from sunshine to rain thanks to its electronic roof, and gets bonus points for its spritzes and a menu that includes chicken skewers and lamb kofta.
sabinelondon.co.uk
Joia, Battersea
Joia had us at Yuzu and Basil Smash slushy cocktail. And then again at lobster hot dog. Head to the 16th floor of Battersea’s Art’otel, which overlooks the monumental chimneys of Battersea Power Station, and you’ll be rewarded with snacks and a slate of frozen cocktails to enjoy while basking in the sunshine.
joiabattersea.co.uk
Royal Horseguards Hotel, Whitehall
Step out of the inner-London chaos and into this serene garden-side oasis replete with wicker chairs and plenty of greenery. It has a new summer menu to match its al fresco surrounds, including burrata with heritage beetroot, beer-battered fish’n’chips and prawn linguine. It’s also big on spritzes – our pick is the Pimm’s number that gets extra oomph with lemon tonic.
royalhorseguardshotel.com
La-Yam, Holborn
Right on top of Holborn’s underground station is La-Yam, which has views galore – think the Shard and the City – and a Med-hopping menu. On Sundays, it combines two great London traditions: drinking on a rooftop and a roast, with bottomless slow-roast beef short rib and harissa chicken, as well as veggies including grilled smashed potatoes and tahini cauliflower.
la-yam.com
Toklas, Temple
The Toklas terrace is as good as a summer holiday. Perch up among the lush greenery for dishes that are all about making the most of ace produce. The current menu is a cornucopia of summer-friendly dishes, including raw courgettes with pecorino; spaghetti with datterini, basil and ricotta; and Amalfi lemon sorbet. Its Marmalade Spritz is the perfect foil to long lazy lunches under the sun.
toklaslondon.com
Nobu, Marylebone
The leafy terrace at Japanese stalwart Nobu Portman Square is an all-day affair this summer. At breakfast it’s serving salmon donburi and matcha and pistachio croissants, then later in the day there’s lobster salad, tuna tacos and a range of sushi. Beyond food, select from a warm weather-friendly drinks list, including a zesty spritz of Pomelle, Amante 1530, Aperol, coconut and lime.
nobuhotels.com
Trivet, Bermondsey
Not many two Michelin-starred restaurants can boast an al fresco dining space as peaceful and charming as that down the backstreets of Bermondsey at Trivet. While away an afternoon or evening with its seasonal menu and co-owner Isa Bal’s outstanding wine list.
trivetrestaurant.co.uk
The River Cafe, Hammersmith
It may serve Italian cuisine, but sitting in The River Cafe’s garden is a quintessentially London experience. Ultra-seasonal food – right now, think white asparagus with bottarga butter, and ricotta ravioli with courgette flowers – plus an outdoor table set among the trees make for a perfect summer experience. Or, head next door to The River Cafe Cafe, which is directly riverside and offers a more approachable menu of pasta, antipasti and pane with various toppings.
rivercafe.co.uk
