London’s relationship with its rooftops has always been complicated. The city gets, conservatively, about three weeks of genuinely warm weather a year, and yet has built an entire industry around drinking and eating in the open air above the skyline. Optimism is apparently a core part of the London personality.
The result, though, is genuinely impressive: there are now rooftop bars and restaurants covering just about every price point, neighbourhood, and ambition level. From two-Michelin-star dining above Hyde Park to Campari at sunset on a Peckham car park. Some require booking months in advance. Others are walk-in only. A few are technically free. Most will reward the effort with views that remind you why, despite everything, this city is extraordinary.
The Serious Restaurants (Where the Views Match the Food)
Kioku by Endo — The OWO, Whitehall
The Old War Office on Whitehall is one of London’s most dramatic building conversions — a Raffles-managed transformation of the building where Churchill planned D-Day into a hotel of pointed ambition. Kioku by Endo sits on its rooftop, and the 55-seat wrap-around terrace has arguably the most staggering panorama of any restaurant in the city: Whitehall, The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Trafalgar Square, and the Houses of Parliament in one unbroken sweep. The food is from third-generation sushi master Endo Kazutoshi, Michelin-starred and technically meticulous, blending Japanese and European fine dining with a theatre-style tuna trolley and a dedicated sake bar that deserves far more of your evening than you’ll probably give it. The interior design alone is worth the trip. So is the bar downstairs, which is quietly one of the most beautiful rooms in London — a genuine listening bar with a turntable and the kind of attention to detail that makes you want to sit there until they ask you to leave.
The OWO, Whitehall, SW1A 2EU; raffles.com/london/dining/kioku-by-endo
Brooklands by Claude Bosi — The Peninsula London, Belgravia
Two Michelin stars, a rooftop terrace with views over Hyde Park, and a concept built around British aviation and motorsport history: Brooklands is the kind of restaurant that exists at the apex of London’s dining scene and is entirely relaxed about it. Chef Director Claude Bosi applies French technique to the best of British produce — Lake District lamb, Cornish squid, the kind of ingredient sourcing that happens when someone has this level of budget and this level of care. The 26-seat terrace is the right size: intimate enough to feel exclusive, generous enough to actually be used. For summer, the space transforms into Soleil by Claude, a Mediterranean pop-up with a lighter menu designed for the season. Either version is worth the booking.
The Peninsula London, Belgravia, SW1X 7PB; brooklandslondon.com
Seabird — The Hoxton, Southwark
The 14th floor of The Hoxton in Southwark is where you go when you want seafood to be the event rather than the excuse. Seabird holds London’s longest oyster list — which sounds like a marketing claim until you see it — alongside a marble raw bar, an impressive wine list that leans coastal and southern European, and views north across the Thames towards St Paul’s and the City. The food is genuinely good, the cooking confident without being precious. Weekly DJs mean it has energy in the evenings without tipping into the territory where you can’t actually talk to the person you’re with.
The Hoxton Southwark, 40 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8PB; seabirdlondon.com
Angler — South Place Hotel, Moorgate
A Michelin star, a retractable roof (which, in London, is not a small thing), and a kitchen that takes seafood seriously: Angler sits on top of South Place Hotel in the City and has been one of London’s more reliably good rooftop restaurants for several years. The removable roof makes it a credible year-round option, the views look out over EC2, and the food — particularly since the arrival of Craig Johnston, the youngest-ever winner of MasterChef: The Professionals — is getting more interesting. Book the terrace in warm weather; the interior is a perfectly good fallback.
South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, EC2M 2AF; southplacehotel.com
The Height of It: Bars That Go High
GŎNG Bar — Shangri-La at The Shard, Level 52
Western Europe’s highest hotel bar, on the 52nd floor of The Shard, and the views are — as you would hope at this altitude — extraordinary. The city stretches in every direction with the kind of clarity that makes you want to point at landmarks. GŎNG’s cocktail menu is more interesting than it needs to be: Asian-inspired, rooted in single ingredients from forests, tea gardens, and spice markets, genuinely worth reading rather than just ordering a gin and tonic. Dress accordingly. The crowd does.
Shangri-La The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU; gong-shangri-la.com
SushiSamba — Heron Tower, City
On the 38th and 39th floors of Heron Tower, SushiSamba operates what it claims are the highest outdoor dining terraces in Europe, combining Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian influences in a 360-degree setting above the City. It’s theatrical — the food, the service, the views, all of it — and intentionally so. The cocktails are creative and slightly excessive. The robata grill is the thing to order. The terrace, particularly at dusk when the City lights start appearing, is one of the more cinematic dining experiences London has to offer. Book well ahead.
Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY; sushisamba.com/locations/london-heron-tower
Madison — One New Change, St Paul’s
Madison is the sleeper hit of London’s rooftop bar scene. Most visitors to One New Change are there for the shopping centre below, which means the penthouse terrace — with some of the most direct, close-up views of St Paul’s Cathedral you can get from anywhere with a drink in your hand — is less heaving than it deserves to be. Steak-focused menu, decent cocktails, live DJs on weekend evenings. Aperol sponsors the summer takeover, which means there are spritzes to go with the view. Avoid Friday night if suits and hen parties aren’t your preferred company. Walk-in only for drinks.
Rooftop Terrace, One New Change, EC4M 9AF; madisonlondon.net
The South Bank Cluster
Three of London’s best-value rooftop spots sit within walking distance of each other on the South Bank. If you’re doing it properly, you do all three in an afternoon.
Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden — Southbank Centre
The big yellow staircase leads you to one of the best free spaces in London: a Brutalist rooftop garden maintained by Grounded EcoTherapy, a non-profit that helps people experiencing homelessness and addiction through horticulture and gardening. Over 200 varieties of plants, flowers, and fruit trees; deck chairs; a bar with reasonable prices; and views across the river. It’s the kind of place that makes London feel generous. Open from April, with the bar operating Tuesday to Sunday. Free to enter.
Southbank Centre, Festival Pier, SE1 8XX; southbankcentre.co.uk
Forza Wine at the National Theatre — South Bank
Forza Wine’s original Peckham location established one of London’s best wine-bar-meets-rooftop formulas; the National Theatre outpost brings it to the South Bank with a river-facing terrace and views that include the Thames, St Paul’s, and more of London’s skyline than anyone really needs while trying to focus on their pét-nat. Italian-ish small plates, creative cocktails, and one floor below on the Weston Terrace, Forza Taps serves wine on tap for warm afternoons that require something simpler and more al fresco. The crowd is a good mix of post-theatre and pre-theatre, and people who just live nearby and know a good thing.
National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX; forzawine.com
Setlist at Somerset House — Strand
The riverside terrace at Somerset House has been relaunched for 2025 as Setlist, and the team behind it — James Dye of Frank’s and the Camberwell Arms, alongside Clement Ogbonnaya of the Prince of Peckham — have built something with a proper identity. Live music, DJ sessions on a custom sound system, and a drinks programme that leans creative (the Somerset Spritz: Lillet Blanc, Suze, and Somerset cider, which is exactly as good as it sounds). The views take in the river and the South Bank. Food from rotating guest chefs with a focus on female talent. Don’t come here for a quiet evening; come here for a very good one.
Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA; setlistlondon.com
The East London Scene
Flute — Broadwick Soho, Soho
On the seventh floor of Broadwick Soho hotel, Flute is the city’s most enjoyably camp rooftop bar. Animal print. An onyx bar. Cork walls. Cocktails named after films shot in Soho. It pays tribute to a flute maker who lived on Broadwick Street in the 19th century, and the result is something that feels more Soho than most things currently operating in Soho. The 39 Steps cocktail — Remy Martin VSOP, Noilly Prat vermouth, palo cortado, salty maple syrup — is the order. Prices are steep (£21–24 for cocktails) but you’re paying for the experience. Worth it once.
7th Floor, Broadwick Soho, 20 Broadwick Street, W1F 8TH; broadwicksoho.com
The Standard Rooftop — King’s Cross
The Standard’s 11th-floor terrace above King’s Cross is a different kind of rooftop: AstroTurfed, DJ-heavy, with an up-close view of the Gothic spires of St Pancras International that feels like a film set. Afrobeats and house DJs run through the afternoon and evening, the frozen paloma is very good, and for 2026 they’ve added a hot dog food truck and — in an unexpected move that endears them greatly — dogs are now allowed on the roof. Opening from April 9.
The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG; standardhotels.com/london
Kaso — One Hundred Shoreditch, East London
The rooftop bar and kitchen at One Hundred Shoreditch has Miami energy: pink marble, plants, chef Ilknur Celik’s Istanbul-inspired food, and cocktails that take the Eastern Mediterranean as their starting point. The Margarissa — tequila, harissa, lime, agave — is an excellent argument for fusion cocktail menus. Terrace tables are first come, first served. Friday and Saturday evenings only, which gives it a weekend-treat feeling that suits the vibe. Get there early.
One Hundred Shoreditch, 100 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JQ; onehundredshoreditch.com
Queen of Hoxton — Shoreditch
One of the originals, open since 2009, and still one of the most reliably enjoyable rooftop bars in the city. Every summer the rooftop gets a themed takeover — this year it’s a Caribbean BBQ concept with a Rum Shack, frozen daiquiris, and Bajan kitchen Barbs serving roti wraps, fishcakes, and sweetcorn fritters. In winter, the terrace stays open with heaters and a festive market. Year-round, reasonable prices, a crowd that’s actually fun to be around. Entry is free.
1-5 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3JX; queenofhoxton.com
Netil360 — Hackney
Nine flights of stairs, no lift. If this puts you off, Netil360 isn’t for you. If it doesn’t, you’ll find one of London’s most genuinely 360-degree rooftop views in Hackney, a bar with reasonable prices, saunas (yes, rooftop saunas), DJs, and the kind of crowd that prioritises having fun over being photographed having fun. Panoramic indoor areas open October to March. Free entry. It’s one of the better-kept secrets in east London, which is a relative term at this point but still broadly true.
1 Westgate Street, Hackney, E8 3RL; netil360.com
The Peckham Rooftop Crawl
South-east London’s multi-storey car parks are, inexplicably, some of London’s best entertainment venues. If you’re going to commit to a rooftop afternoon, Peckham is where to do it.
Frank’s Cafe
Every summer since 2009, Frank’s opening has functioned as an unofficial announcement that the season has arrived. Operated by Bold Tendencies, a not-for-profit arts organisation, the bar sits on the top of a car park on Rye Lane and combines a strong drinks selection (Campari-heavy), decent prices, art installations, and a Barbie-pink staircase that has generated an amount of Instagram content disproportionate to its literal function as a staircase. Free entry. Open May to September. Go at sunset and stay until it gets dark. Opening 15 May 2026.
95a Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4ST; frankspeckham.com
Forza Wine Peckham
The original Forza Wine sits one roof along from Frank’s and is where the bar snacks get serious. The wine list is exceptional — natural, independent, intelligently chosen — and the fritti are not something to ignore. It’s open year-round, which makes it the most reliable member of the Peckham rooftop triumvirate. The full food menu available for groups at £130 is a genuinely good deal.
Rooftop, 133A Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4BQ; forzawine.com
Bussey Rooftop Bar
The tropical-themed third leg of the Peckham crawl offers a big cocktail menu, bottomless brunch at weekends, and pizza with conscience: for every pizza ordered, one is donated to someone in need. Happy hour runs Sunday to Thursday from 5–7pm. The vibe is looser than Forza Wine, more party than wine bar, and the combination of all three in an afternoon is one of the more dependable London summer experiences on offer.
Roof B, Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST; busseyroof.com
One Worth the Journey
Roof East — Stratford
Roof East is less a bar than a rooftop amusement park with drinks: mini golf, batting cages, lawn bowls, rotating street-food vendors (Cheeky Burger, Turkish pide from Piddaji), and outdoor film screenings on summer evenings. The rooftop film club has shown La La Land, Interstellar, and Call Me By Your Name in recent years, which is the right selection. Reopening Spring 2026, worth the short Overground ride from anywhere in east or central London.
Stratford Multi-Storey Car Park, Great Eastern Road, E15 1XE; roofeast.co.uk
A Few Notes Before You Go
Book early for the serious spots. Kioku, Brooklands, and Seabird operate in a different league from the bar-first venues. Tables on the terrace particularly go fast. For Kioku and Brooklands, booking weeks or months ahead is not excessive.
Check seasonal opening dates. Frank’s opens in mid-May and closes in September. Roof East reopens in spring. The Standard’s rooftop opens in April. The Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden runs April to October. The year-rounders (Forza Wine Peckham, Queen of Hoxton, Netil360, Madison, GŎNG, SushiSamba) are your reliable fall-backs.
Go at the right time. Most of these venues are more enjoyable in the 90 minutes before sunset than at any other point. Plan accordingly. London’s golden hour takes some planning but rewards the effort.
The weather is the weather. Any good rooftop spot will have heaters. Some have retractable roofs (Angler) or covered areas (Netil360 in winter). None of them can prevent a thunderstorm. This is London. Come prepared for both the best and worst of the British summer, preferably on the same evening.
