Endless parties, countless art shows, exhibitions, concerts and festivals - the British capital has it all. To make things even better, there is also a rich list of London rooftop restaurants.
We have gathered a full selection of the very best and sky-high venues to mix some great food with some great views. Due to the somewhat irregular weather, pretty much all rooftop restaurants London has seating both outside and under cover. So you can visit for sunny rooftop lunches, but also more cosy gatherings when the weather is less fantastic.
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Here's our list of the 18 best rooftop restaurants in London.
Found on the 38th and 39th floor of the Heron Tower, SUSHISAMBA is one of the highest rooftop restaurants and bars in all of Europe. The panoramic glass elevator ride up to the reastaurant is in itself worth the visit.
Up here you find a very stylish indoor dining room with floor-to-ceiling panoramic glass windows, as well as two outdoor terraces, offering amazing 360-views over the London skyline.
The rooftop restaurant serves a menu with a fusion of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian food. Here you can indulge in everything from small plates and raw-food, to samba rolls and sashimi omakase.
Open for sunny lunches, intimate dinners and drinks and bites anywhere in between, SUSHISAMBA comes with quite high prices, but this trendy venue is really something special, so it is well worth every penny.
SUSHISAMBA
Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London
Japanese / Brazilian / Peruvian
Small plates: ~£15 / Large plates: ~£45
Found on the 7th floor of the fantastic The Trafalgar St. James, The Rooftop is truly a prime spot to enjoy alfresco drinking and dining with a view.
Surrounded with panoramics over the London skyline, The Rooftop St. James has both indoor and outdoor seating, and the terrace comes with heaters so it is available year-round.
The rooftop menu is filled with pan-Asian plates, taking inspirations from Japan, Korea and more, served as nibbles, small plates and larger dishes from the grill. There is also a rooftop brunch available during weekends from 12pm-3pm.
For one of the most special experiences among the rooftop restaurants London has to offer, The Rooftop St. James also holds a private dining space called ROOM. A glass enclosed and private 'dining-box' for up to 14 people, with spectacular views over Trafalgar Square.
Found on top of the 5-star hotel Vintry & Mercer, the Mercer Roof Terrace is an elegant and sophisticated, as well as stylish and beautiful rooftop restaurant and bar.
Up here, a cosy indoor restaurant with floor-to-ceiling glass doors opens up to an open-air terrace, where you get some truly amazing views over the London skyline.
Among the rooftop restaurants London has to offer, this is the place to go for a taste of the best of modern British cooking. Available for lunch, dinner and weekend Afternoon Tea, the menu includes both meat and fish from the British Isles.
MERCER ROOF TERRACE
20 Garlick Hill, City of London, London
British
3-course dinner: £35
On the 8th floor of the superb boutique hotel The Londoner, an urban resort on the south west corner of the iconic Leicester Square, 8 at The Londoner invites to an elegant and elevated Japanese rooftop experience.
Divided into a striking bar, a chic, sleek and minimalist Shima Garden, and a Japanese-inspired minimalist lounge and terrace with panoramic city views, 8 at The Londoner offers several spaces to enjoy the best of London from above.
Reimagining the traditions and informal style of Japanese drinking establishments, here you can experience the izakaya style of drinking and dining. Innovative cocktails and fine Japanese spirits are blended with modern Japanese cuisine.
The simple yet elegant plates are perfect to share, and range from 'Sea Bass Carpaccio', 'Gyoza Tacos' and 'Lobster Tempura', to a selection of meat, fish, seafood and vegetarian options from the Robata grill.
At one of London’s most iconic address – 1 Leicester Square - the LSQ Rooftop offers food and drinks with amazing skyline views, from early morning to late at night.
Both rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant, this modern and trendy venue comes with both indoor and outdoor seating, and thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, the views over London are prime everywhere.
Starting with a daily £20 per person breakfast, the rooftop restaurant continues the day by offering a European-style á la carte menu with starters, mains and desserts, as well as a selection of smaller bites made perfect to share. All complemented with a full bar menu, with everything from fine signature and classic cocktails, to champagne, wine and beers.
The Rooftop is a new and modern addition to the London rooftop scene, opening in May 2022.
Perched on top of the lovely hotel One Hundred Shoreditch, the rooftop takes inspiration from Palm Springs, and it feels like a stylish Californian escape high above Shoreditch.
Here you find an interior lounge dressed with pink decor, marble, terrazzo, and plenty of cacti, combined with a beautiful outdoor terrace and panoramic views over East London.
A perfect spot to enjoy signature margaritas, a glass of rosé or a bottle of Champagne, but The Rooftop also offers a tasty selection of food. Described as modern Californian plates with a retro American twist, the dishes are made perfect to share.
Indulge in everything from Cured Salmon Tostadas, Grilled King Prawns and Devilled Eggs, to Sticky Jackfruit & Barbeque Beef Rib Taco. Served with a backdrop of Latin dance music and the views, here you find all the ingredients needed for a night to remember.
Pantechnicon is found in a beautiful 19th-century building in London's Belgravia neighbourhood, offering several floors of Nordic and Japanese creativity and craftsmanship.
This includes shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, where the most elevated destination is the third floor Roof Garden restaurant and bar. Mixing a botanical-filled outside terrace and a glass-covered interior, this is a stylish yet relaxing rooftop hideaway to enjoy no matter the season.
The rooftop restaurant serves a produce-led menu influenced by Japanese and Nordic cooking and prepared with seasonal ingredients. The food menu is available dayily as lunch and dinner, but there are also weekday breakfast and weekend brunch menus, including 'Whipped berry porridge' and 'Shokupan French toast'.
Complementing the food, the Roof Garden bar offers crafted cocktails and spritzes created by the expert head mixologist, along with Danish and Japanese beer on tap, and a carefully sourced international wine list.
Truly a stylish and beautiful rooftop oasis, filled with a sophisticated yet relaxing ambience, Roof Garden at Pantechnicon is a great London rooftop restaurant for any time and any day.
12th Knot is an elegant and eclectic rooftop playground, perched atop the fantastic Sea Containers London.
Located at the South Bank of river Thames, the rooftop blends a stylish interior with panoramic windows, and a lovely outside terrace, surrounded by iconic views of the London skyline and the river.
Mostly famous for offering a curated selection of wines and drinks that celebrates seasonal and fresh ingredients, 12th Knot also serves a nice array of seasonal plates made perfect to share.
From 'Irish Rock Oysters', 'Sebass Ceviche Tacos' and 'British Cured Meats', to 'Ham & Cheese Croquettes' and 'American Beef Sliders', the dishes pair great with some of the crafted cocktails, and also keeps the belly happy for an evening of rooftop fun.
And fun is easy to find at 12th Knot, where the buzzing and vibrant atmosphere is complemented with Rooftop Disco nights and weekly live music session.
With the slogan 'Here for a good time, not a long time', the London Bridge Rooftop was really one of the elevated hot-spots in London during 2021. And it looks all set to continue into 2022 and onwards.
Perched on top of the Colechurch House on London Bridge Walk, the grey and casual urban rooftop terrace mingles with mint green pergolas, fairy lights and green plants, all surrounded with panoramic 360° over the London skyline and close-ups of The Shard just next door.
The perfect spot to grab a few (or many) friends and enjoy some some sun, some local drinks and tasty street food. The menu includes everything from Smash Burger and e Vegan Slaw Burger, to Chicken Tenders.
Apart from food and drinks, London Bridge Rooftop also serves a large slice of vibes and daily DJs on rotation. And a Saturday bottomless rooftop brunch.
Just as the name hints, Garden Rooftop is a lush and botanical inspired rooftop bar and restaurant, surrounded with amazing panoramic views over the London skyline.
Found on the 10th floor of the Assembly Hotel, located just behind Leicester Square, this is a top rooftop venue for many occasions.
While you can visit for a quick pint after work or just a refreshing cocktail, it would be a shame to miss the Garden Rooftop food offerings. Perfect to share, here you can enjoy a large selection of tapas and boards, as well as cicchetti, which are savoury snacks or small side dishes, typically served in Venice.
During weekends, the rooftop also offers a vibrant bottomless brunch, including unlimited prosecco and rose wine for 90 minutes, two delicious courses, and live musicians. On Saturday's, the party also continues with Supper Club, where DJs and live entertainers are complemented with 2 courses from a delicious Italian-inspired menu and 60 minutes of Bottomless Prosecco or Rosé wine.
GARDEN ROOFTOP
31 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0LS
Tapas / Cicchetti / Brunch
3 tapas for £18
Covering the top floors of the fantastic Novotel London Canary Wharf, Bōkan offers industrial dockyard sophistication overlooking the London skyline.
With the Bars 38|39 on the top floors, where indoor / outdoor seating are mixed with fantastic cocktails and a few bites, the more filling option is the 37th floor Bōkan 37 Restaurant.
Offering a warm, inviting and relaxed dining experience, here you can enjoy a menu filled with contemporary European cuisine. Made for locally sourced, seasonal British ingredients, and created by Executive Chef Guillaume Gillan.
Surrounded with panoramic views over the UK capital, you can choose from a 2-coure meal up to a 7-course tasting experience, or visit for a weekend rooftop brunch.
Combined with a pre- or post dinner cocktail at the 39th floor rooftop terrace, a night at Bōkan is sure to be a memorable one.
BOKAN
40 Marsh Wall, Isle of Dogs, London E14 9TP
European
2-course: £39 / 3-course: £45 / 7-course: £79
A Michelin star rooftop restaurant, located on top of the fabolous South Place Hotel in the heart of London.
While it might not be the London rooftop restaurant with the best view, Angler still has so much to offer, and it is a unique location from the moment you walk inside.
Modern and stylish, Angler offers both indoor and outdoor seating options, where the indoor dining room comes with a slanted row of windows and a silver ceiling, and the outdoor terrace is heated and has a retractable roof, making it available no matter the weather.
Up here, Executive Chef Gary Foulkes showcases a seasonal menu featuring locally sourced ingredients and flavors, with a focus on seafood, but also with options for the vegetarians and carnivores.
While the outdoor terrace has its own smaller menu, lunch and dinner can also be reseved out on the terrace upon request.
ANGLER RESTAURANT
South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, London
Seafood / British
Main: ~£40
Location wise, this rooftop restaurant London is hard to beat. Found right on Oxford Street, and more so, right in top of the classic and famous Selfridge department store, Alto by San Carlo really is any shoppers dream. But it's also a lot more.
Set up as a beautiful Italian garden, Alto rooftop restaurant offers a day-to-night menu of seasonal Italian dishes, from the finest seafood and pasta to grilled specialties. Most dishes are made perfect to share.
The main restaurant and bar comes with a fully retractable roof, so you can dine in the sun or under cover year-round and no matter the weather. There is also an al-fresco dining terrace and lounge bar, with amazing and uninterrupted views of the London skyline.
Open until late seven days a week, Alto by San Carlo is the obvious choice for a rooftop-break while shopping in the heart of London. But it is well worth a visit on it's own, for an upscale lunch or dinner and cocktails with loved ones.
Seabird is a stylish rooftop seafood restaurant and bar, taking you on a trip to southern Europe, without having to leave London.
Perched 14 floors up at the fantastic hotel The Hoxton in Southwark, this outdoor/indoor rooftop comes with a beautiful coastal inspired decor and some amazing views over the London skyline.
Up here you can indulge in a large selection of Mediterranean flavours, which is mostly served as seafood, but also as some vegetarian and more meaty options. This is also where you find London’s longest oyster list.
Open for weekday lunch, all week dinner and drinks, as well as a weekend roftop brunch, Seabird mixes a fantastic setting with fantastic service, and it is a prime rooftop restaurant London for any special occasion.
Located in Farringdon, opposite the Smithfield Market, Smiths of Smithfield offers four floors of fun, dining and drink.
From the first floor SMITHS Bar, through the second floor SMITHS Restaurant (serving prime cuts of meat and locally sourced seasonal produce), all ends with the top floor SMITHS Rooftop Bar and outside terrace.
With panoramic windows inside, and heaters on the outside terrace, this is a year-round venue to enjoy stunning London panoramas, along with of food and drinks.
The Smiths rooftop menu includes a selection of both smaller and larger plates, with everything from Oysters and Lobster, to Dry aged beef tartare and Ricotta gnocchi. There is also a large selection of wines, as well as classic coktails.
On Saturday's, the rooftop usually also invites to a popular and bottomless brunch, with plenty of juicy dishes and 120 minutes of free-flowing Champagne, Prosecco, Mimosa or Bloody Mary’s.
SMITHS OF SMITHFIELD
67-77 Charterhouse St, London
Modern British
Main: ~£18 / Small plates: ~£10
Located in the heart of Shoreditch, The Boundary Rooftop Bar & Grill is a lush and stylish venue, offering spectacular views over the City and East London.
With both inside restaurant and a lovely rooftop garden, surrounded by shrubbery, Boundary also has a heated rooftop orangery. So you can enjoy the fantastic views whatever the weather.
The rooftop menu changes a bit with the season, with a focus on grilled meats & fish alongside fresh salads and southern French delicacies during summer, and tastes from the Alpine regions, like cheese fondue and melting raclette during winter.
Comfy and charming, Boundary Rooftop is an oasis above the hustle and bustle of the busy streets below. A perfect rooftop restaurant London to impress a date.
Set on top of the One New Change building, right across St. Paul, Madison offers a great mix of rooftop restaurant and bar, as well as indoor seating with panoramic windows, as well as sevaral outdoor terraces.
Open from midday until late, this London rooftop restaurant serves a range of steakhouse inspired dishes, like grills from the wood fired Josper oven, slow cooked classics, burgers and salads. And a Saturday brunch.
Inside you can indulge in a full all-day á la carte menu, as well as both lunch and dinner set menus, while the outdoor terrace and lounge has a lighter menu, including a few sharing dishes and mains.
With several 'venues-in-the-venue', amazing St. Paul views and a trendy atmosphere, it is pretty much always a great idea to head up to Madison: come for a business lunch, a fun weekend brunch, a stylish dinner or late night vibes with great cocktails and music.
80ft above the ground and a drink away from pure happiness. Coq d’Argent is an elegant French restaurant with a beautiful terrace and rooftop garden, located right in the heart of the Square Mile London.
Mixing an elegant dining space with a green and lush rooftop terrace, Cog d’Argent is a great choice for a special day or night out, offering both great views and a great service.
The rooftop restaurant is open for weekday lunch and dinner, weekend brunch and Saturday dinner. Here you can indulge in everything from Escargots de Bourgogne to Caviar and Filet de Baeuf.
Apart from a stylish lunch and dinner, Coq d’Argent is also available for relaxing cocktails, wine, spirits, cigars and bites with a view. It is alos open year-round, with heaters and plaits of wool making for a cosy terrace experience during winter.
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