Outdoor restaurants in London for idle afternoons

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. We take you from a garden in Hackney to a newcomer in Richmond in our guide to London’s leading outdoor restaurants.

Outdoor restaurants in 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 stellar 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 leeks 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 roasts 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.

The Culpeper, Aldgate East

Best for: Rooftop dining with homegrown produce
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 find a far greener scene. 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. There are also a handful of hidden, affordably priced rooms for those looking to stay the night.

Outdoor restaurants in west London

The River Cafe Cafe, Hammersmith

Best for: Riverside Italian and Damien Hirst art
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.

Tower House, Richmond

Best for: Richmond’s buzziest riverside terrace
Address: 11 Bridge Street, Richmond, TW9 1TQ

Tower House is the latest venture from the team behind Gold in Notting Hill, feeling like a natural next chapter for those who have traded W11 for Richmond’s riverside pace. Its impressive setting occupies a whitewashed Victorian building crowned by an Italianate clock tower. Waitstaff weave between trees in the indoor conservatory, but it’s the expansive riverside garden that is the real draw in summer, edging the Thames. Squid, sea bream and pork chops are cooked over an open flame, while a whipped ricotta salad hits right on a summer’s day. The restaurant buzzes from breakfast until evening with a well-heeled local crowd.

Mazi, Notting Hill

Best for: A hidden suntrap for modern Greek cuisine 
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.

Outdoor restaurants in central London

Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell

Best for: Summer skewers on 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. Choose from the new skewer menu, including beef, aubergine and sea bream, paired with a feta martini cocktail.

Toklas, Strand

Best for: Mid-century style and artistic flair 
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 with weekend DJs
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 hotdogs the rooftop food truck, with live DJ sets on weekends.

Outdoor restaurants in 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, Soho and the National Theatre

Best for: Aperitivo culture with a London view
Address: The Rooftop, 133A Rye Lane, London SE15 4BQ

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. You’ll also find Forza Wine on the National Theatre’s Brutalist riverside balcony and in Soho, where its 2026 opening brings the same aperitivo spirit to a leafy outdoor terrace.

Seabird, Southwark

Best for: Panoramic views and London’s longest oyster menu 
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 with peperonata is a standout, while small plates like charred squid and sizzling garlicky prawns are ideal for sharing. BBE Music soundtracks the rooftop every weekend with jazz and Balearic beats. Set your calendar for the closing party on 29 August, when DJs and live performances will play from 4pm until closing.

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