London's best rooftop drinking
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By Zoe Kamen
Updated: Tue Apr 13 2010 -
Let Time Out steer you upwards towards the finest places in London for enjoying cocktails in the clouds
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Aqua Nueva & Aqua Kyoto
5th floor, 240 Regent Street, London, W1B 3BR
Visiting the terrace bars at either of the Aqua restaurants feels like walking into a set for a music video with a London skyline. The two ritzy roof terraces serve up exotic cocktails (from £9.50) to a well-groomed clientele. Kyoto's terrace bar has an extensive saké list, too. Read more
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Brera at Lyric Hammersmith
Lyric Hammersmith, 2 King Street, W6 0QL (8741 6853/ www.cafebrera.com). Hammersmith tube. 10am-11pm Mon-Fri; 11am-11pm Sat; open Sun during shows.
The Lyric Hammersmith has put a lot of effort into its roof garden. The large terrace overlooking hectic King Street is a haven of planters, foliage and comfy seating. Italian pizza chain Brera runs the café and bar, creating an alfresco continental flavour. Read more
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No. 5 Cavendish Square
5 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0PG (7079 5000/ www.no5ltd.com). Oxford Circus tube. 5.30-11pm (weather permitting).
The hoi polloi are now welcome in some areas of this members-only club. The lift stops at the second floor, where you walk up to the decked roof. A tiny bar serves a short menu of cocktails, including a mean mojito; there's also bottled beer, tapas and cigars. Read more
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Proud Camden
Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH (7482 3867/ www.proudcamden.com). Camden Town tube. 10am-1.30am daily (weather permitting).
This gallery, bar and club is the epitome of Camden style. Its large roof terrace is ideal for supping cocktails and observing both the art and the art crowd. Read more
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Queen Elizabeth Roof Garden Bar & Café
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX (7 921 0758/www.companyofcooks.com). Waterloo tube/rail. 10am-9 daily.
Planted as part of the Festival of Britain, with guidance from the Eden Project, and volunteers from St Mungo’s Charity, this rooftop has incredible views across the river. In addition to the Astroturf now familiar at the Southbank, there is a real lawn, large planters of vegetables and a wildflower ‘meadow’. The café is run by caterer Company of Cooks, so expect the same pastries and savoury snacks as the other Southbank kiosks, though there is a special English Garden cocktail – gin, lemonade, oranges and elderflower (£6.50). Read more
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Queen of Hoxton
1 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3JX (7422 0958/ www.thequeenofhoxton.co.uk). Liverpool Street tube/rail. Noon-10pm Mon-Fri; 2-10pm Sat.
The downstairs bit of this grungy bar and club is better suited to nocturnal drinking, but walk up to the expansive rooftop to find deckchairs, wrought-iron furniture and and benches filled with a sun-seeking crowd from the Shoreditch brigade. The ramshackle 'rum shack' serves bottled Beck's or Swedish Briska cider as well as mojitos. Read more
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Sky Lounge Tower of London
Mint Hotel, 7 Pepys Street, EC3N 4AF (7709 1043/www.minthotel.com). Tower Hill tube. 9am-midnight daily.
The view from the 12th floor roof terrace of this freshly-minted hotel takes in both the ancient majesty of the Tower of London and the Shard, the newest structure to pierce the motley London skyline. The view on the terrace is somewhat less diverse. The ubiquitous City uniform of grey jackets populate the tables, which are spaced out, no doubt, to allow sensitive talk of financial affairs. The drinks prices reflect the locale. Bottles of generic beer start at £6 and cocktails start at £10. Our drink – a Thames Timeout (the obvious choice) – was a heady mixture of bison grass vodka, muddled raspberries, bubbly and basil. Read more
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Vista
The Trafalgar, 2 Spring Gardens, London, SW1A 2TS (020 7870 2900). Noon-11pm Mon-Sat; noon-10pm Sun.
Perched on the top of the Trafalgar Hotel in Trafalgar Square, this smartened up bar has impressive views – Nelson's Column spears the skyline, plus there's the London Eye and Big Ben. The drinks are tailored for tourists and expense accounts, with cocktails more than a tenner. Read more
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10 comments
Feature of the Year
hah, wow thanks for that Dennis!
time for drink
The photo at the top is Aqua...
@Hudson - the very top right hand photo is Aqua mate, lovely rooftop terraces, 2 of them in total
I like feature films
Good but small selection, there's a photo at the top of the feature of a roof top terrace that looks great, but no details for where or which bar it is.
Will you tell me please Time Out?
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