The best rooftop restaurants in London

A smart bar-restaurant perched ten floors up at Finsbury Square’s Montcalm Hotel, Aviary’s got city views to die for. You can drink in the skyscraping panorama all year round – there are fire pits and heat lamps a-go-go to keep you warm in winter months (though you could just work through the cocktail list). The restaurant’s better set up for eating, but you can still snaffle the short bar menu alfresco if you prefer – think padrón peppers, Lindisfarne oysters, shorthorn cheeseburgers, duck-fat chips and so on.

Open year-round.

Although there are only a few floors between the frenetic Shoreditch streets and Boundary’s inviting rooftop restaurant, the two seem worlds apart. Getting in was always a bun fight when the restaurant opened only seasonally – now, with a clever removable glass roof and wall panels in the orangery-style dining room, it pulls in the punters all year round. The Mediterranean menu heightens the holiday vibes: order grilled lobster with aioli fries to accompany your sundowners in summer or share a decadent raclette in winter.

Open year-round.

As a one-storey Islington gastropub, the Castle doesn’t boast the highest rooftop in London (views are limited to the other low-rise buildings flanking Pentonville Road), but that doesn’t stop locals competing for a place when the sun comes out. The partially covered terrace has everything that hardcore all-weather diners require: heaters and blankets for winter (place your order inside); a Burger Shack and table service when the warm days begin. You must book a table here – and that’s not as easy as you might think.

Open year-round (weather permitting).

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to Coq d’Argent’s four view-tastic terraces – just like every other City slicker in town. Book lunch on the restaurant terrace for a side of sunshine with your dover sole or roast rack of lamb. Otherwise, keep the bills in check by snacking on a cheeky miniature croque monsieur or some garlicky escargots from the bar menu on the garden terraces. There’s also an alfresco lunchtime grill – all the better for emptying your wallet and filling up on steak in the open air.

Terrace open year-round.

Sat on the corner of Granary Square (a foodie hotspot that’s also home to Caravan, Dishoom and so on), The Lighterman is an airy bar and gastropub with an even airier first-floor wraparound terrace overlooking the plaza and bordering the canal. It’s not technically on the roof, but it’s as good as – and an ideal place to hack through a lovely-sounding menu of modern British plates. Expect anything from pea-and-mint croquettes, flatbreads and salads to beer-battered fish and hunks of charred flesh sizzling from the wood-fired grill.

Open year-round.

A spruced-up roof terrace on the first floor of this cherished Hackney gastropub entices drinkers from its cosy interior out into the sun. On bright days, there’s space for around 20 on a first come, first served basis. Those lucky enough to bag a spot can enjoy booze and bar snacks or a full Marksman meal – try one of the much-lauded savoury buns, mussels with kohlrabi and wild fennel or a chicken, leek and tarragon pie (to share). Then watch those envious eyes glaring from the top of the number 55 bus as it rolls past.

Open year-round (weather-dependent).

No 32’s first-floor terrace (or honorary rooftop, as we like to think of it) has a relaxed, social feel thanks to its communal tables, tranquil views of Clapham Common and an indulgent menu that sees courgette crostini and crispy polenta squid lining up alongside burgers and kimchi fried rice. Try to time your visit for a bloody mary-fuelled breakfast, lazy Sunday roast or sundowner cocktails with sharing platters.

Terrace open March to November.

Here’s some good news for anyone partial to a central London rooftop: Orrery’s chic, sleek terrace, hidden from Marylebone’s madding crowds, is an all-weather zone. The long, narrow alfresco space with its bright yellow awnings offers a lunchtime carte full of delicate Modern European dishes such as seafood ravioli or Jerusalem artichoke risotto. Not hungry? Just enjoy a cocktail or two as the sun goes down.

Open year-round.

Offering three floors of fun and games in the City, Smiths of Smithfield has been given a bit of a freshen-up by its current owners Youngs Brewery – and it looks tickety-boo. Those hankering for a singular rooftop experience should bypass the ground-floor bar and head up to the Number 3 restaurant on the top floor, with its lovely outdoor terrace and views of London’s towering landmarks. Eat from a menu of well-crafted modern Brit dishes featuring plenty of prime red meat from the nearby market and gussied-up ideas such as lemon sole with cockles, preserved lemon and charred romanesco.

Open year-round.