It’s always good to get the inside scoop on Europe’s best beach clubs or the world’s most luxury private villas to book during this season. But summer in the city deserves its time in the sun, too. And with a skyline like The Big Smoke’s, there’s no better spot to soak it all up than a rooftop. So, this is the latest lowdown on London’s best rooftop bars and restaurants.
The Emory Rooftop Bar, Belgravia
Best for: 360-degree views.
The first thing to strike you on arrival at The Emory’s rooftop is its sleek design in 50 shades of brown. The second? The 360-degree views of The Big Smoke’s skyline – something it takes so seriously that even the indoor bar area has a glass ceiling for maximum exposure. Settle into a seat next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, order a seasonal cocktail shaken by legendary Argentinian bartender Renato Giovannoni, and watch the sun set behind the skyscrapers. You’ll feel like you’re floating.
the-emory.co.uk
Old Barrack Yd, SW1X 7NP
Flute, Soho
Best for: Champagne and caviar.
Flute is the crown jewel atop Broadwick Soho (quite the claim considering every nook and cranny of this hotel is filled with flamboyance). The cocktails subscribe to this more-is-more ethos, too – like ‘The 39 Steps’, made with SirDavis whisky, Noilly Prat vermouth, Palo Cortado, and salty maple syrup. To impress a date, take a table on the tiny wraparound terrace and kick things off with Flute’s Champagne & Bump (Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs & 5g Osciètre Caviar). Start as you mean to go on – you’re in Soho, after all.
broadwicksoho.com
20 Broadwick St, W1F 8HT
CLAP London, Knightsbridge
Best for: being transported to Tokyo.
CLAP – one of Knightsbridge’s best restaurants, known for its sensory Japanese dining – landed in London last year straight from its success on the UAE’s dining scene. Ascend to the seventh floor for its rooftop bar and terrace that soar above the Knightsbridge Estate. It’s a self-proclaimed ‘sensory wonderland that transports you to the vibrant nightlife of Tokyo.’ Start on the terrace, sipping cocktails and snacking on light bites, with 180-degree views, before slinking into the bar to dance to the beats of CLAP’s resident DJs until the early hours.
claprestaurant.com
12–14 Basil St, SW3 1AJ
Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell
Best for: art and architecture.
From its high-ceilinged, chipped-paint walls to its white-clothed, fine-dining tables, summing up the aesthetic at Sessions Arts Club is no easy feat. Its vibe is part private members’ club, part art gallery, part upscale eatery. And yet, among it all, the rooftop is refreshingly simple – think white Italian marble, cream parasols, and a garden terrace, all overlooking East London. Even the food takes its cues from the Grade II-listed building’s character, favouring simplicity, flavour, and texture – like smoked eel with crème fraiche or ricotta, speck, and white asparagus.
sessionsartsclub.com
24 Clerkenwell Grn, EC1R 0NA
SACHI London, Belgravia
Best for: after-work sundowners and cigars.
Winding your way up Pantechnicon (19 Motcomb Street) – past its other eateries: Amélie, LUUM, and Café Kitsuné – you’ll eventually arrive at a greenhouse-esque rooftop bar and terrace. This suntrap is SACHI, a contemporary Japanese restaurant with a focus on robata grilling, sushi, and sashimi. Swing by on weekday evenings for sundowners with a complimentary side of chef’s selection bites (Monday–Wednesday 4–7pm) and buy-one-get-one-free sake cocktails with a twist (Thursday 4–7pm). Oh, and if cigars are your thing, just ask for SACHI’s Cigar Sommelier.
sachirestaurants.com
19 Motcomb St, SW1X 8LB
Alto by San Carlo, Marylebone
Best for: a taste of la dolce vita in London.
Under a canopy of lemon trees (and stars on a clear night), Alto serves authentic Italian dishes on white tablecloths. It’s the closest thing to experiencing an Italian summer without actually hopping on a plane. Surprisingly, this experience is found on the Selfridges rooftop. But don’t panic – you’re not at the mercy of the department store’s opening hours. Alto is open late, seven days a week, year-round. It even has a retractable roof for when the British weather doesn’t live up to la dolce vita.
sancarlo.co.uk
400 Oxford St, W1A 1AB
ABar Rooftop at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair
Best for: a cocktail to suit every season.
Hampstead Heath to the London Eye. That’s as far as the views stretch from Akira Back’s rooftop bar atop the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. Whilst The Aubrey (the hotel’s izakaya restaurant) created the UK’s first cocktail omakase, ABar Rooftop takes seasonal cocktails to new heights (it’s simply split into four sections: spring, summer, autumn, and winter). In winter, perch on a red velvet bar stool to watch the mixologists at work. In summer, groove to music from DJs, saxophonists, and more. It’s a sexy, sleek, and sophisticated spot for all seasons.
mandarinoriental.com
22 Hanover Sq, W1S 1JP, UK
JOIA Rooftop, Battersea
Best for: getting up close and personal with Battersea Power Station’s turbines.
Battersea Power Station is London’s latest landmark to have a facelift. And JOIA is just the spot to see its new look first-hand – with a cocktail in hand. Finding this alfresco terrace is on a strictly IYKYK basis – you’ll glide through the glass doors of the art’otel and zoom up 16 floors in the lift, before coming face-to-face with two towering turbines. Once seated, sip on signature cocktails inspired by the Iberian region (squid ink and Gamoneu cheese, anyone?) and dine on traditional Portuguese tapas. Joyful.
joiabattersea.co.uk
15th Floor, 1 Electric Blvd, Nine Elms, SW11 8BJ
Brooklands by Claude Bosi, Belgravia
Best for: motorsport and aviation enthusiasts.
Chef Claude Bosi’s rooftop restaurant on the eighth floor of The Peninsula takes its style cues (and name) from Surrey’s iconic racetrack, Brooklands. From the vintage, record-breaking race car in the entrance to the sky-high terrace that mimics the sense of being airborne, this two-Michelin-starred spot is a must-visit for all food-loving motorsport and aviation enthusiasts. Book a table on the terrace for views over Hyde Park and arrive at lunchtime to try the Concorde menu – three courses speedily served in under 60 minutes.
brooklandslondon.com
1 Grosvenor Pl, SW1X 7HJ
Yasmin, Soho
Best for: a long lunch that turns into an impromptu night out.
This intimate rooftop restaurant and terrace on the sixth floor of 1 Warwick’s members’ house is a tale of two halves. By day, it’s a secret suntrap serving small, seasonal plates inspired by executive chef Tom Cenci’s adventures in Istanbul – like whipped sheep’s cheese, hot honey, and Isot Biber. By night, it’s an adults-only carousal that comes alive with killer cocktails – like the Moonlit Wave (Duppy Share White, Everleaf Marine, St Germain, cucumber).
yasminsoho.com
1 Warwick St, W1B 5LR
The Berkeley Rooftop Bar, Belgravia
Best for: taking a plunge in the pool.
Every summer, The Berkeley flings open the doors to its rooftop for everyone (not just hotel guests) and transports us to a faraway land. This year, it’s Capri in the City. Bright yellow lemons – scattered around the stripy sun loungers, glistening pool, and marble bar – set the stage for a sun-soaked, Italian Riviera-style escape. Order an ice-cold Amalfi Gin Granita, share a lemon sorbet (served in the lemon with a splash of Limoncello), take a plunge in the pool, and behold the hazy horizon beyond Hyde Park.
the-berkeley.co.uk
Wilton Pl, SW1X 7RL
Sweeties Bar at The Standard London
Best for: dancing till the early hours.
Rooftops and The Standard go hand in hand. Its excellent Spanish Mexican restaurant, Decimo, is on the eighth floor, and there’s a bar with lurid green astroturf and espresso martinis on tap on the roof. However, after the sun goes down on a Friday night, Sweeties on the tenth floor is our favourite of the lot. The drinks are playful, the DJ line-up is killer, and you can dance under a giant disco ball until gone 2am. Sweet.
standardhotels.com
