London’s best outdoor bars and drinking terraces

A longstanding al fresco spot on the banks of the Lea Navigation in Hackney Wick, this pizzeria and brewery is quite simply one of London’s most sublime spots in the summer. Sipping beer, crowds spill out on to the banks of the Lea, with families of fowl and narrowboats tootling past – this is proper East End bucolic.

Address: Unit 14, Queens Yard, White Post Lane, E9 5EN

Not only does Five Points Brewery make great beer, it also has an excellent place to drink it. There’s a cosy tap room for colder days, and a courtyard for sunny evenings, where you can get well-acquainted with their beers and sample some BBQ treats, with From The Ashes bbq masters now in permanent residence. And if that wasn’t enough, there are £5 Thursdays, where there are £5 drinks all day, including pints, spirit and mixers, house wines and Aperol Spritzes.

Address: 61 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 4RG

This easy-going neighbourhood drinking spot is big on vibes and low on unnecessary pretence. Sit under their glowing green sign and sip on potent £8 martinis while munching on paper-wrapped takeaway from the next door chippy. On a balmy summer’s night, their open front and pavement tables are a welcoming place to work your way through Ellie’s punchy cocktail list, from a pleasingly tart raspberry daiquiri to an always-welcome spicy marg.

Address: 428 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA

Half Cut Market, found in that no man’s land between Holloway, Kentish Town and King’s Cross is a perfect wine bar. It knows its target market; young and cool, with knowledgeable staff and good tunes, as well as tables outside for that final glass of chilled red. Their seasonal (and sizeable) small plates menu also makes this the kind of place you could spend many, many hours at.

Address: 396 York Way, N7 9LW 

We already know the views of the Thames and South Bank are great but the team behind the revamped terrace bar at Somerset House is equally eye-opening. James Dye of Bambi, Frank’s and the Camberwell Arms and Clement Ogbonnaya of the Prince of Peckham are behind the custom soundsystem as well as a full-throttle events programme. Food is also a strong point, with a focus on female chefs such as Opeoluwa Odutayo, Sophie Wyburd, and Terri Mercieca of Happy Endings. 

Address: Strand, WC2R 1LA

Peckham's al fresco drinking scene continues on apace with this spot that features an open fire BBQ grill and two (two!) cocktail bars. There's also a gallery, live music and regular DJs, making the 600-capacity garden terrace perfect for a rowdy al fresco summer.

Address: Peckham Arches, Blenheim Grove, SE15 4QN

The drinking-focussed offshoot of the boombastic, 1970s-styled Dear Jackie restaurant at the Broadwick Soho hotel, Bar Jackie’s terrace plops you pretty much in the middle of the pavement. Perfect then, for Soho people-watching while you sink yet another cocktail. There’s also an all-day aperitivi menu of snacks, pasta and Italian classics. 

Address: Broadwick Hotel, 20 Broadwick Street, Soho, W1F 9NE

An indie brewery and open air taproom which benefits no end from its next door neighbours – live fire restaurant Acme Fire Cult. They offer a short version of their menu, alongside cocktails, cans and 10 taps pouring fresh beer that's brewed on site. Try also its newer sibling, the 40FT Brewery Blackhorse over in Walthamstow, with its Acme Taco pop-up for excellent weekend Mexican food. 

Address: Abbot Street, Dalston, E8 3DP

The Black Eel – a reference to this building’s past as a cockney canteen – is a convivial and surprisingly cavernous bar with so many rooms that you might get lost, especially if you’ve been sipping Exale’s 5.8% Oona Neipa. There’s the exquisitely-tiled and elegant front room – a calling card for Art Nouveau ultras – as well as a Victorian side den, a sprawling main lounge, an area for darts and shuffleboard, and (this is what you’re here for) a huge beer garden, complete with a boat and pétanque court.

Address: 41 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, E8 2JP

The Hawk’s Nest has the biggest retractable sliding glass roof in the UK, ideal for London’s unpredictable summers. The garden has space for 300, so you'll be among friend in this plant-filled patch in Shepherd’s Bush. Sourdough pizza is on offer alongside picantes, fruity margaritas, spritzes, and an entire menu dedicated to G&Ts.

Address: Railway Arch 190 & Market Yard, Shepherd’s Bush Market, W12 8DF

Head deep into this Tottenham industrial park and find independent brewery Pressure Drop. The large warehouse has a compact bar and, out the front, rows of benches teeming with beer bods expounding their knowledge and imbibing the brewery’s best.

Address: Unit 6 Lockwood Industrial Estate, Mill Mead Road, N17 9QP

Into cycling? This vermouth-peddling/pedalling bar and all-day café in Coal Drops Yard is a mass of classic Italian bike memorabilia. Crucially, it offers a cute little terrace complete with heaters for chillier London nights. There’s no truer taste of summer than a spritz – and this bar does them by the dozen.

Address: 38-39 Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4DQ

A Hackney Wick bar and kitchen, Number 90 boasts a great canalside location. Expect DJ line-ups and craft beer from east London’s finest. As of summer 2026, Time Out hot chef James Cochran is in charge of the menu, with a buttermilk fried chicken burger, fried chicken, and a Sunday roast.

Address: 90 Main Yard, Wallis Road, E9 5LN

You might think that Gordon’s is all about exposed brickwork, flickering candlelight and low basement vaults, but in the summer, the stretch outside near-ish the river is just as charming. Sink wine in the sun as damn near close to the very middle of town as it’s possible to get.

Address: 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE