Outdoor restaurants in London for eating alfresco

The sun is shining (maybe), you’ve got a chilled glass of wine to hand and you’re sitting beneath a parasol on a flower-festooned terrace: it’s officially alfresco dining season in London.

There’s something special about eating delicious food outdoors on a warm day and London’s line-up of outdoor restaurants does not disappoint. But not all spaces are created equal and a wonky table on a street corner just won’t cut it. Here we take you from a canal-side address in King’s Cross to an open-air rooftop in Peckham in our guide to London’s greatest outdoor restaurants.

East London

Rochelle Canteen

Best for: London’s greatest garden restaurant
Address: 16 Playground Gardens, London, E2 7FA

Occupying a former bike shed and hidden by the old red-brick walls of Rochelle School in Shoreditch, the courtyard at Rochelle Canteen is a plant-lined, sun-drenched oasis that feels a world apart from London’s grit and grime – and the food lives up to the promise. The kitchen is helmed by Margot Henderson, wife of Fergus (chef-proprietor of another of our favourite London restaurants, St John Bread & Wine), and there are shared influences when it comes to whole-animal dining and a focus on beautiful seasonal produce. If the pecorino, girolles and onion tart is on the menu, order three.

Acme Fire Cult, Dalston

Best for: Open fire cooking with great craft beers
Address: 40FT Brewery, Abbot Street, London E8 3DP

Outdoor dining and barbecues go hand in hand, naturally, and Acme Fire Cult restaurant at Dalston’s 40FT Brewery is a temple to fire cooking (not to mention a repository of great craft beers). Perch at a wooden communal table and enjoy old roast lamb from ethically minded Swaledale Butchers, served with trombetta courgettes, fennel, buttermilk and seasonal herbs, or coal-roasted leaks with pistachio cream. On warmer days, cooking takes place in the outdoor courtyard, while a rotation of local DJs provide killer sounds. On Sundays, smoked meat sharing platters are a generous showcase of Acme’s suppliers and sit somewhere between a British roast and a Turkish mixed grill.

Marksman Public House, Hackney

Best for: Sunday roast on a pub rooftop
Address: 254 Hackney Road, London E2 7SB

The Marksman on London’s Hackney Road has long been a favourite for piled-high Sunday roasts and upmarket pub grub. What is lesser-known is that it has a small rooftop terrace, perfectly positioned for enjoying British fare in the sunshine, while the hubbub of Hackney Road thrums below. Begin with a rhubarb margarita, followed by chicken and wild leek pie, mussels and chips, or a signature beef and barley bun. Head across the road to Equal Parts for cocktails and vinyl when you’re done.

Ombra, Hackney

Best for: Silky pasta by the canal 
Address: 1 Vyner Street, Bethnal Green, Hackney, London, E2 9DG

Anywhere that throws a mortadella party is alright in our books and Ombra, down near the canal in Bethnal Green, is well known for its seasonal celebration of the cured meat. Here it’s served draped over gnocchi fritto, but there’s plenty of other things to love here, too, like grilled squid with monk’s beard, sea beet and wild garlic, or rocket and ricotta ravioli with spinach, pomegranate and pine nuts. As for outdoor dining, there’s a spacious terrace overlooking Regent’s Canal, while its wooden mezzanine – originally built for the London Festival of Architecture – is wrapped with pendant lights, making a great spot to sink a spritz with friends.

The Culpeper, Aldgate East

Best for: A leafy rooftop on the edge of Spitalfields Market
Address: 40 Commercial Street, London E1 6LP

From the outside, The Culpeper looks like a classic City of London boozer. But walk through the ground floor bar and upstairs to the rooftop, and you’ll realise it’s anything but. Not only will you have a lovely spot to admire Spitalfields and the city’s skyline, but you’ll be sat beside the greenhouse that grows much of the kitchen’s ingredients – which should give you an inkling of how seriously The Culpeper takes its food. A short set menu is served on the roof, with dishes like wild garlic hummus flatbread, herb-marinated pork steak with salsa verde and a top-notch salted caramel chocolate brownie.

West London

The River Cafe Cafe, Hammersmith

Best for: Italian riverside dining
Location: Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, London W6 9HA

The River Café has drawn a high-brow crowd for pasta and prosciutto on the banks of The Thames for more than four decades. Steps away from the original restaurant is the more casual The River Cafe Cafe, which opened in 2024. Damien Hirst’s studio is next door and a painting from his Cherry Blossom series hangs on the wall, while the riverside terrace blends concrete and greenery to create a cool, serene space. Start with coffee and pastries in the morning; slow roast Sicilian tomatoes and creamy rigatoni pasta for lunch and aperitivi in the evening as the sun goes down.

Petersham Nurseries Café, Richmond

Best for: Slow living in a verdant greenhouse setting
Address: Off Church Lane, Petersham Road, Richmond TW10 7AB

Petersham Nurseries is worth the pilgrimage to Richmond to dine amongst the vines at this greenhouse restaurant and garden centre. The kitchen holds a Green Michelin star for its Italian-leaning menu, with many ingredients sourced from the beautiful walled garden. Slow living sits at the heart of Petersham Nurseries and guests are encouraged to linger over plates of Hague Farm beef with foraged mushrooms or roasted cauliflower with miso, cannellini beans, wild garlic and chimichurri. The restaurant’s crockery and glassware can be purchased in the shop, as well as planters, ceramics and candles.

Mazi, Notting Hill

Best for: Modern Greek cuisine in Notting Hill
Address: 12-14 Hillgate Street, London, W8 7SR

Small in size but large in ambition, Mazi in Notting Hill has long turned heads for its contemporary take on the flavours found in a traditional Greek taverna. House-baked breads, grilled aubergines and lobster orzo are just a few favourites on the menu. The back patio in the sunshine is a taste of pure escapism that will transport you to a rugged Greek island. And if it doesn’t, the expertly researched wine list brimming with Grecian bottles should help. Mazi has outposts in Abu Dhabi and Morocco, too.

The Princess Royal, Notting Hill

Best for: Moorish-influenced cooking in a leafy garden
Address: 47 Hereford Road, Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5AH

Following a sensitive refurbishment by the design masters of Cubitt House group back in 2022, The Princess Royal was reborn as a grown-up gastro pub with the addition of four individually designed bedrooms. The kitchen is captained by chef Ben Tish (formerly of Norma in Fitzrovia) and includes a raw bar with fresh oysters. Dip focaccia in whipped ‘nduja butter, followed by a flat-iron fiorentina steak or half-chicken from the grill. As for the interiors, a green and glorious theme is traced throughout, from its bottle-green facade and printed wallpapers to an outdoor courtyard that feels somewhat reminiscent of a botanical garden – all overgrown plants, pristine planter boxes and white benches lined with pinstriped cushions.

SACHI at Pantechnicon, Belgravia

Best for: Upscale Japanese on a west London rooftop
Location: 19 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8LB

Pantechnicon is a multi-storey behemoth in Belgravia, which blends restaurants, bars and London’s only Café Kitsuné outpost. SACHI sits at the top, presenting an extensive menu of contemporary Japanese fare. Choose from sashimi, nigiri and maki rolls, alongside robata-grilled chicken, wagyu beef and vegetable sliders. The outdoor rooftop, decked out with comfy cushioned furniture and potted greenery, looks out across the neighbourhood’s stucco-fronted Georgian buildings. On ground level, restaurant Amélie draws on the flavours of Provence and Mediterranean, and also has an outdoor terrace on pedestrianised Motcomb Street. Order small plates such as garlicky snails on melba toast or grilled octopus and watch the area’s smart set stroll by.

Central London

Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell

Best for: Long lunches on the rooftop of a Grade II-listed building
Address: Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Green, London, EC1R 0NA

Housed in England’s oldest courthouse, Sessions Arts Club is one of London’s most atmospheric dining rooms, mixing soaring arched windows with stripped-back plaster walls hung with contemporary art curated by co-owner and artist Jonny Gent. It’s the small touches that we think you’ll love the most, from hand-illustrated menus to a pop-up poetry library and regular art installations, this place is just as much a creative hub as it is a neighbourhood restaurant. Dine alfresco at the parasol-clad rooftop, where lime-green banquets and rattan chairs make for an idyllic lunch spot.

Toklas, Strand

Best for: Spritzes and small plates from the founders of Frieze art fair
Address: 1 Surrey Street, Temple, London WC2R 2ND

Just a short stroll from 180 Strand, Toklas is a peaceful retreat from the fast pace of central London. It is owned by the founders of the Frieze art fair and magazine and interiors mix modern concrete with seventies-suffused decor, while potted plants border the tables on the terrace. Order the white negroni sbagliato and pick from small plates such as courgette fritti and mozzarella arancini. The main restaurant is on the same level and on warmer days the doors are flung open to create an expansive indoor-outdoor space. Downstairs, Toklas bakery offers freshly baked sourdough, pastries and a fine selection of sandwiches.

The rooftop at The Standard, Kings Cross

Best for: A hip hangout in Kings Cross
Location: 10 Argyle Street, London WC1H 8EG

Atop The Standard, London’s iconic Brutalist structure lies a hidden gem: the hotel’s casual outdoor restaurant on the roof, with the Renaissance architecture of St Pancras Station practically within touching distance. Centrally located, head here for sundowners and pizza slices from the rooftop food truck, with live DJ sets on weekends.

South London

Garden Café at the Garden Museum, Lambeth

Best for: Seasonal cooking in a museum garden
Address: Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB

This award-winning cafe has interiors inspired by the Garden Museum’s leafy surrounds – but spring is when it comes into its own, when you can sit in the beautiful verdant courtyard while eating an equally sublime meal. Chef George Ryle cut his teeth at Primeur and Padella, whose influences can be seen in the cafe’s seasonal menu. Top seasonal picks include a delicate salad of artichoke, ricotta and courgettes, mushrooms with polenta or rabbit with beans and pancetta in a mustard sauce – not forgetting the house-made raspberry ripple ice cream.

Forza Wine, Peckham and the National Theatre

Best for: Casual drinks and rooftop views
Address: The Rooftop, 133A Rye Lane, London SE15 4BQ

Among our nominations for the best rooftop bar in London, Forza Wine sits atop Market Peckham – the plant-filled co-working space that’s been a melting pot for London’s creatives since 2019. A concise menu of Italian-leaning grazing plates and flatbreads is accompanied by an excellent selection of aperitivo-style cocktails and wine, to be enjoyed as you gaze over South London’s crane-peppered rooftops. The team’s equally brilliant sister restaurant, Forza Win, is based in nearby Camberwell, while a recent opening at the National Theatre has seen Forza Wine taking over the iconic brutalist riverside balcony – a spot that becomes a sun-trap in the evening.

Seabird, Southwark

Best for: London’s longest oyster menu and an unmissable happy hour
Address: The Hoxton, South Bank, 40 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NY

There are sunset views – and then there are sunset views at Seabird – perched on the rooftop of The Hoxton in Southwark. Menus here look to Spain and Portugal for their bold flavours: the grilled octopus on a bed of saffron, potato pureé and jalapeños is a standout, but small plates like sea trout ceviche and dressed crab on toast are ideal for sharing. Visit at 5pm for the oyster happy hour, before tucking into your food as golden light basks the terrace and surrounding skyscrapers at sunset.

North London

Parrillan, King’s Cross

Best for: Spanish cooking by the canal 
Address: Coal Drops Yard, Stable St, London, N1C 4AB

The sibling restaurant to London’s best-loved Barrafina, Parrillan is slap bang in the centre of the hot-and-happening Coal Drops Yard. Forty covers are split between canal-side seating and a sun-dappled pergola that offer a welcome retreat from the summer sun. Serving up an authentic taste of Spanish cuisine, each dish is carefully cooked over a wood fire or grill, resulting in succulent beef sirloin, spice-topped oysters and premium lamb cutlets. If you’re after something lighter, an impressive small plates menu is on standby.

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