It is par for the course in Barcelona, Naples and Porto, but eating al fresco in London is one of the city’s great joys, the rarity making it novel.
There is a reason why, at the first flicker of sun, offices drain at lunchtime, then bang on five o’clock. Doing it properly takes a little planning and an acknowledgement that dining outside follows its own shape. It’s not just the risk of being windswept or drowned, of sunburn or frostbite. Outside, service tends to be slower, and staff more likely to forget those they cannot see (order more drinks than you think you need). There seems to be an increased risk of lunch blurring into supper, too. Still, there is something ineffable about a meal with sunshine glinting off the glasses, when passing entertainment is never in short supply, when time slows.
The following list has al fresco in all its guises, from Michelin-bait rooftops to waterside pubs. But London is not short of options: this could have also hailed the brilliance of Acme Fire Cult, the timelessness of Rochelle Canteen, the peace and quiet of Plaquemine Lock, or the endless draw of the tables outside Primrose Hill’s Lemonia, still a beauty after all these years. Like the sun itself, terraces come and go every year. Explore — but use this as a starting point.
Barge East, Hackney Wick
Find this floating restaurant moored on a canal deep in Hackney Wick, with winding, graffitied streets to the west and the Queen Elizabeth Park to the east. It’s a 125-year-old Dutch barge: fairy lights illuminate old wooden interiors. Outside, in good weather, watch dog walkers and joggers sail by. The drinks list takes in craft beers, summer cocktails and affordable wines. To eat, there are dishes such as tuna tataki, ham hock croquettes and Cornish cod with clams in butter sauce. bargeeast.com
Towpath Cafe, Haggerston
The fact Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley chose this café to cater her wedding should be testament enough: this is an ultra-cool east London locale renowned for its cheese toasties, which were served alongside kegs of Guinness after Buckley tied the knot. She’s not the only star fan. Fergus and Margot Henderson visit each summer, while Keira Knightley once went so far as to proclaim the café to be “one of the reasons I live in London”. towpathlondon.com
The Dickens Inn, St Katharine Docks
A lot of London pub owners cite Charles Dickens as a historic regular. Only one was opened by his great-grandson Cedric: the Dickens Inn, in 1976. The building is believed to date back to the 1700s, when it was a warehouse of some kind, possibly home to imported tea. Today it revels in a fine wooden frontage and balconies draped in flowers beside a marina. It’s a charming place for pints of ale and glasses of prosecco, fish and chips and “dip and share” baked camembert. dickensinn.co.uk
The Gun, Docklands
The terrace at the Gun feels a little like one of many harbourside restaurants in Amsterdam. White beams keep glass walls in place; a black floor looks rakish below linen tablecloths. Views here are superb: they look out to where the river bends around the O2 on its way to the Thames Barrier. Share a bottle of rosé or two and feast on oysters, gildas and calamari. Come summer, a garden pizza menu also springs back into life. thegundocklands.com
Sushisamba, City of London
One of the city’s bougiest destinations, Sushisamba trades in Mayfair dishes — rock shrimp tempura, foie gras and duck harumaki, tuna taquitos with truffle and yuzu — in an east London postcode, high above the City’s skyscrapers. Outside, views are bracing, and for those with money to burn, the cocktails are fun and Japanese-Peruvian-Brazilian food breezy and satisfying. sushisamba.com
Orrery, Marylebone
There are numerous terraces attached to high-end restaurants. The most lauded example might be Trinity, Adam Byatt’s superb venue in Clapham. Orrery is the latest, a reimagining by Evolv in its new direction post-D&D. The refined French restaurant is star-searching under head chef Pierre Minotti, who joined after a stint at Hotel Café Royal. His food may be enjoyed on the rooftop terrace, bright in the day and warm and cosy by night. orrery-restaurant.co.uk
The Marksman, Hackney
One of London’s best-loved pubs, this is a landmark of a place, brown-tiled and full of classic British cooking from St John alumni. The terrace is small, but those organised — or lucky — enough to find a table are in for a treat. There’s a long and sumptuous wine list, with a decent bottle of house white for £38, alongside crab soup and saffron aioli; potted duck with pickled prunes; bacon, snail and wild garlic pie; and Hereford wing-rib with tomatoes to share. A glorious place. marksmanpublichouse.com
The Berkeley, Knightsbridge
The Berkeley rooftop is usually available only to hotel guests — but each summer, the palatial space opens to the public in the evenings. Inspired by the moneyed elegance of Capri, expect plush bottles of rosé, plenty of burrata, pizza, seafood pasta and asparagus, all to be had while gazing over Hyde Park, runners and pedalos casting shadows before the setting sun. Remember to bring your wallet — and perhaps a second just in case. Open to the public from 7.30pm. the-berkeley.co.uk
The Culpeper, Spitalfields
The downstairs bar gets mighty busy, especially after working hours during the week, but the rooftop garden is a sanctuary above the hubbub. Take a seat in the foliage-filled haven of tranquillity — with the Gherkin as a backdrop — and enjoy herbaceous cocktails full of rosemary and notes of marigold, citrusy white wines and chilled reds and a food menu that meanders from asparagus to hummus, octopus in romesco sauce to grilled pork neck with rose harissa. theculpeper.com
Padella, Shoreditch
Most of the Padella-based chat right now is centred on the new Soho outpost, where there’s some outside seating on Kingly Street. But it’s the terrace in Shoreditch, the second venue, that’s the biggest and most impressive. Padella is one of the pioneers of modern pasta dining in London, with hits such as pici cacio e pepe, tagliarini with Dorset crab and beef shin pappardelle. Affordable wines; notably good service. padella.co
Forza Wine, Soho
The rooftop terrace at Forza Wine in Peckham is fantastic indeed, as is the riverside balcony at the restaurant at the National Theatre, but here we’ll celebrate the new site in Soho, which has a leafy space down an alleyway just off Greek Street. Visit for long, boozy lunches, filled with orange wines, negroni slushies and custardos — Forza’s famous espresso-custard digestif — together with panzanella, mussels cooked in white wine and grilled chicken with olives and chilli. forzawine.com
Toklas, The Strand
There’s a reason Toklas is often full to the rafters: it’s a wonderful restaurant, with a simple, effective menu, fine service and accessible wines. The terrace is found above Surrey Street, which connects the Strand with Embankment. On colourful tables among potted plants, this is somewhere to drink coda di volpe from Campania and zingy glasses of refreshing verdejo, all the while nibbling prosciutto croquettes, fried feta with chilli and honey and English asparagus with mayonnaise. toklaslondon.com
Julie’s, Holland Park
This legendary west London bolthole reopened under new owners in 2024. In this newspaper was an interview with them with stories of the basement bar, the table dubbed the “G-spot”, Tina Turner’s heel marks in wooden fittings and Kate Moss’s 21st birthday. That’s all very well. Outside is an altogether more relaxed affair, less a hideaway, more somewhere to sip champagne rather than down it. It’s ideally suited to weekend brunches, where dishes include ’nduja scotch eggs, spider crab toast, house omelettes and smoked trout with brioche and hollandaise. juliesrestaurant.com
Parrillan, King’s Cross
An upmarket, sweeping al fresco space of blue and white striped cushions, dark wooden beams and herbal planting, Parrillan exists in Coal Drops Yard each summer, a place to revel in the warmth of Spanish outdoor dining. There are fig sours, vermouth spritzes and jugs of sangria to drink, as well as Estrella Galicia, one of the best lagers for summertime. Food is grilled on tables. Try the prawns, squid, lamb skewers and artichoke hearts. parrillan.co.uk
