Rooftop bars

Now that (fingers crossed) the monsoon is apparently behind us, it's time to kick back and indulge in some serious alfresco drinking. Let Time Out's Simone Baird guide you through the finest places in London for enjoying cocktails in the clouds

Make mine a highball - or a cool chardonnay

At Proud
Camden’s full of indie boozers with sticky carpets, which makes this place all the more special. The Proud photographic galleries open up to an enormous roof terrace that gets a makeover every six months. The winter marquee has been removed, and it’s back to sun loungers, glassless brick windows, giant chess boards and colourful Ibizan sofabeds. This is still urban London, however, and the Euston mainline runs just metres away. Ben Sherman’s ‘Five Decades, Twelve Sundays’ tribute to British rock will be drowning out the trains every sabbath until August 26.
At Proud, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Rd, NW1 (020 7482 3867/www.atproud.net) Camden Town tube. Open Mon-Wed 11am-1am, Thur-Sat 11am-3am, Sun 11am-1am.

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The White House, Clapham

Rockwell, Trafalgar Hilton, SW1

Bar Aquarium
The two terraces of Club and Bar Aquarium are a welcome relief from the hectic Old Street roundabout. Open ‘whenever it’s not raining’, they promise, the mid-terrace holds around 60, while the larger one upstairs has room for more than 120. It no longer hosts barbecues, but you can order burgers from the kitchen and eat outside.
Club & Bar Aquarium, 262 Old St, EC1 (020 7253 3558/www.clubaquarium.co.uk) Old St tube/rail. Open daily 12noon-9pm.

Coq d’Argent
This swish French restaurant’s skyline views are splendid, particularly from the mini lawn that juts out over one end of the bar terrace. The clientele is largely male and besuited, while the 45-page drinks list is crammed with vintage French wines at City expense-account prices (a 1921 Château d’Yquem is a mind-blowing £5,170).
Coq d’Argent, 1 Poultry, EC2 (020 7395 5000/ danddlondon.com/restaurants/coq_dargent) Bank tube/DLR. Open Mon-Fri 11.30am-11pm, Sat 6.30-11pm, Sun 12noon-5pm.

Kensington Roof Gardens
As far removed from a couple of token pot plants as it’s possible to get, with one-and-a-half acres of Spanish and English woodland up on the roof of this former department store. It’s often hired out for events (check before you go during the week), but Friday and Saturday nights this summer boast a Tudor barbecue before the club.
Kensington Roof Gardens, 99 Kensington High St, entrance Derry St, W8 (020 7937 7994/www.roofgardens.com) High St Kensington tube. Barbecues Fri, Sat from 7pm. Club Fri, Sat 10pm-3am.

Rockwell
Being eye to eye with Nelson takes some beating, and the Trafalgar Hilton’s small roof terrace offers you the chance to do exactly that while reclining on a low, white sofa, looking out over Trafalgar Square. Open daily – weather and events permitting – and a perfect place from which to waterbomb tourists.
Rockwell, Trafalgar Hilton Hotel, 2 Spring Gardens, SW1 (020 7870 2959/www.thetrafalgar.com) Charing Cross tube/rail. Open Mon-Sat 5-11pm, Sun 5-10.30pm.

The White House
The roof terrace of this ever-popular bar, restaurant and party space has undergone a refurbishment and now is as snazzy as can be with plenty of sofas for couples; the wooden decor works a treat.
The White House, 65 Clapham Park Rd, SW4 (020 7498 3388/www.thewhitehouselondon.co.uk) Clapham Common tube. Open Tue-Fri 5.30pm-5am, Sat 6.30pm-5am, Sun 5pm-2am.


Felling flush?
These members’ bars all have fantastic outdoor spaces

Dex
Just opened and billing itself as a private members’ club with rooms for the music industry. We love the two-tiered rooftop bar with its hot tub and panoramic views over Brixton. Rock ’n’ roll, all night long.
Dex, 467-469 Brixton Rd, SW9 (020 7326 4455/www.dexclub.co.uk) Brixton tube/rail. Membership from £200 pa.

No 5
This boutique hotel has a roof terrace that, with its mirrors, enormous sofas and dining tables, looks more like a pretty Mediterranean house than a London bar.
No 5, 5 Cavendish Square, W1 (020 7079 5000/www.no5ltd.com) Oxford Circus tube. Membership on application.

Shoreditch House
The latest in the Soho House family opened on June 18 and its roof boasts a heated pool, white sofabeds, pink deckchairs and mind-blowing views across the City.
Shoreditch House, Ebor St, E1 (020 7739 5040/www. shoreditchhouse. com) Liverpool St tube/rail. Membership from £700. �