The best rooftop restaurants in London to book right now

What is it? Peckham’s perfect sky-scraping wine bar and Italian-ish restaurant.

Why we love it: The only way is up at this much-loved Italian rooftop restaurant in Peckham. Soak up outragegous panoramas, irresistible vibes and crowd-pleasing aperitivo sharing food and the best negronis in south London. A sleek, high-perched oasis where dinner is as good at the views. Cauliflower fritti and aioli never leaves the menu and is a must-order, but go for something fishy as well: butterflied mackerel, fennel, mustard and dill, or hake croquettes with tartar sauce. There’s now a branch a-top the National Theatre on the South Bank, too. 

Time Out tip: You can order the whole menu (plus four Custardos) for £130. If you’re in a big group, this is a no-brainer, as you’ll get about 10 dishes to devour between you all. 

Address: The Rooftop, 133A Rye Lane, SE15 4BQ.

Opening hours: Daily, 12pm-midnight.

Expect to pay: The sizeable small plates range from about £9 to £14. Cocktails are around £10-13.

What is it? One of the best gastropubs in Hackney.

Why we love it: A spruced-up roof terrace on the first floor of this cherished east London 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. Then watch those envious eyes glaring from the top of the number 55 bus as it rolls past.

Time Out tip: The epic two course Sunday lunch is £38, or £42 for three. Pricey, but this is an elite roast experience.

Address: 254 Hackney Rd, E2 7SB.

Opening hours: Tue 4pm-midnight, Wed-Sun 12pm-midnight.

Expect to pay: Starters around £12, mains from £25-30. 

What is it? A Mediterranean seafood menu on a hotel rooftop by the river.

Why we love it: Southwark’s Hoxton Hotel is home to sea-to-table restaurant Seabird, which has a delightful terrace and indoor tables with a view – plus sunny California vibes aplenty. A Med-influenced all-day menu includes the likes of dressed crab, fried calamari and whole tiger prawns with aioli. And it would be rude not to order from an oyster list claiming to be London’s longest.

Time Out tip: Make sure you catch the oyster happy hour from Mon-Fri 3-6pm where you can nab £3 oysters and £7 martinis. 

Address: 14th Floor, South Bank, 40 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8NY.

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 12-11.30pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-midnight.

Expect to pay: Small plates around £20, large plates £25-60.

What is it? A mini rooftop kebab escape on Camberwell’s main drag.

Why we love it: Camberwell’s premiere Turkish joint has a hidden secret. No, it’s not the recipe for the lumunious onion dip that they bring out to start every meal with the warm, meat juice-soaked bread – but rather a special, teeny tiny rooftop balcony. On a hot summer’s night, there’s nowhere better to get stuck into FM Mangal’s majestic platters of barbecued meat; go for the house special with lamb, washed down with a bottle of ice-cold Efes. 

Time Out tip: Sorry, but we will mention it again; order the special onion dip or live a lifetime of regret, 

Address: 54 Camberwell Church St, SE5 8QZ.

Opening hours: 12pm-midnight, daily.

Expect to pay: Mains are around £15. 

What is it? A truly great Greek-ish restaurant in Borough.

Why we love it: So we might be stretching the definition of rooftop here, but it'd be a crying shame not to direct you to the al fresco-ish terrace that's just opened up at Oma – one of London's best new restaurants. Gaze down upon Borough Market from this first floor spot while devouring a glorious, menu that begins on the Ionian islands before skipping off to the Levant by way of the Balkans, with a short south American stop-off. Don't forget to order the divine dips, namely a rich pool of labneh topped with crispy, oozy salt cod xo sauce, which may be the best £6 you can spend in London right now.

Time Out tip: Start your meal with a teeny, tiny clementine gimlet. You can plump for a smaller £5.50 glass rather than the full cocktail.

Address: 3 Bedale St, SE1 9AL.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 12-3pm, 5.30-11pm, Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12-10pm.

Expect to pay: Small plates are £10-15, while claypot and grill dishes range from £26-55. A perfectly decent meal can be built up from the smaller dishes and dips, however. 

What is it? A suntrap with a menu inspired by exec chef Tom Cenci’s travels in Istanbul. 

Why we love it: On the sixth floor of 1 Warwick members club – which also includes bistro Nessa on the ground floor – you'll find Yasmin, a cosy spot that pops you among the rooftops of Soho. The summer terrance is open from April and offers a menu of Middle Eastern sharing plates, which includes whipped sheep's cheese with hot honey and buttermilk and harissa bavette steak, all served under the sun – if it happens to grace you with its presence. If not, large retractable shades will keep out the rain, and there are heaters if things get a little chilly. Puddings are pretty punchy too, with giddy glass bowls of turkish delight cheesecake and baklava with pistachio ice cream.

Time Out tip: For £60 a head you can order the feasting menu, which includes 12 dishes; from hunkar begendi (slow braised lamb with charred aubergine) to taze fasulye (lemon green beans and flaked almonds).

Address: 1 Warwick St, W1B 5LR.

Opening hours: Tue-Wed 12-11pm, Thu-Sat 12pm-12.30am.

Expect to pay: Small plates are £6-13, and mains are £22-28.

What is it? Forza Wine’s first central London spot, perced on the top floor of the National Theatre.

Why we love it: There’s a wonderful wraparound terrace with space for a whopping 70 guests, ideal for gazing at the Thames while working your way through the menu of small plates, including golden cauliflower fritti nuggets and a bounty of fresh and field-grown flavours spanning bitter leaves, lightly dashed with a muscular anchovy dressing, to lamb shoulder with salsa verde, pumpkin with pearl barley and burrata with beetroot. 

Time Out tip: Come summer there’s also Forza Taps: an alfresco terrace just beneath the top floor Forza. An outdoor, walk-ins only spot, it offers a snacky menu ithat ncludes a cavalcade of crisps and skewers. Wine is, of course, on tap, with bubbly Frizzante and a Grenache-Syrah rosé. It’ll be serving until September. 

Address: National Theatre, SE1 9PX.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-11pm.

Expect to pay: Sharing plates range from £4-20. Order the whole menu for £152. 

What is it? The London outpost of a populat New York resto. 

Why we love it: The first Llama Inn opened in Brooklyn in 2015, and this followed in the summer of 2023. On the top floor of Shoreditch's Hoxton hotel (they love a rooftop, do the Hoxton lot), here you can take your pick of modern Peruvian dishes such as lamb empanada with aji chimichurri and slow cooked chicken skewers or cod with yuca cream. This glammy space is all Ibiza-by-way-of-east-London, with plenty of cocktails to suit the party-ready atmos; from guava sours to a Chiri Colada with rum, palo cortado sherry, pineapple, coconut, and coffee bean.

Time Out tip: As befitting a Peruvian spot, the cocktail menu is all about the pisco sours. You can even order it by the jug. 

Address: 1 Willow St, EC2A 4BH.

Opening hours: Sun-Mon 12-10pm, Tue-Wed 12-11pm, Thu-Sat 12-midnight.

Expect to pay: Small plates are around £15, with mains anywhere from £18 to £40. 

What is it? A super sleek sushi spot atop the OWO: Old War Office. 

Why we love it: At Kioku, sushimaster Endo Kazutoshi is ‘culinary director’ – a Martin Scorsese of the menu - for this 6th floor stunner. Here, his Japanese technique is filtered through all the lovely trips Endo’s been on in the Mediterranean. Dine inside, or, during the summer season plonk for the rooftop terrace for tummy-tingling views of Nelson’s Column, Horse Guards Parade and the London Eye. Flavours here are impeccable. Top dishes include a giddy starter of smoked yellowtail, with crisp batons of apple, aged caviar and crunchy buckwheat sobacha guanciale, as well as chashu pork ramen ravioli, a one bowl ballet of creamy meat packed into tiny pockets of pasta.

Time Out tip: It's a pricey spot, but if you come for the set lunch it's a little more reasonable; three courses for £55 and four for £65.

Address: 6th Floor, The OWO, 2 Whitehall Place, SW1A 2BD.

Opening hours: Tue 6-10pm, Wed-Sat 12-2.30pm, 6-10pm, Sun 12-2.45pm, 5.30-9pm.

Expect to pay: Starters are around £20, mains £30, and sushi selections £50.  

What is it? A boutique hotel with an all-day bar and grill and rooftop dining space. 

Why we love it: The Boundary offers year-round panoramic city-wide views even in unclement weather (thank goodness for that glass orangery extension). Food here leans toward the Mediterranean, with grilled chermoula prawns with sesame mayonnaise, lamb köftes, octopus with sundried tomato and even a vegan moussaka.

Time Out tip: Keep an eye out too for regular chef pop-ups, with recent supper clubs from the likes of Diarmuid Goodwin (Cafe Murano, Trullo, Sager + Wild). 

Address: 2-4 Boundary St, E2 7DD.

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 12-11pm.

Expect to pay: Starters arond £10, mains £19-35. 

What is it? A two Michelin star restaurant from Claude Bosi.

Why we love it: It scooped two Michelin stars mere months after opening, so you don't need us telling you how exceptional the cooking at Brooklands by Claude Bosi is. What we can tell you is that there's a terrace at the very top of the The Peninsula, a very posh hotel by Hyde Park, which Bosi's restaurant spills out onto, with space for 26 covers. Views of Knightsbridge and Belgravia are served alongside turbot with wild sea leeks, Cornish squid with artichoke and Lake District lamb with mint and pastrami. In case of weather emergencies, staff are more than happy to move you to a table back inside and out of the rain. 

Time Out tip: The three course set lunch menu is £65, a pretty good deal - and you are much more likely to sit in the sunshine if you go at midday.

Address: The Peninsula, 1 Grosvenor Place, SW1X 7HJ.

Opening hours: Tue-Wed 6-9.30pm, Thu-Sat 12-1.30pm, 6-9.30pm.

Expect to pay: Tasting menus vary in price from £165 to £205, with equally expensive wine flights.

What is it? A modern pub in King’s Cross.

Why we love it: Sat on the corner of Granary Square (a 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.

Time Out tip: The sharing Sunday lunch comes with a 12-hour roasted pork belly served with heritage carrots, buttered cabbage, duck fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, Suffolk chorizo mac & cheese, apricot & herb stuffing and apple cider sauce. Gosh. 

Address: 3 Granary Square, N1C 4BH.

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 12-11.30pm, Fri 12pm-midnight, Sat 10am-midnight, Sun 10am-10.3pm.

Expect to pay: Starters and salads £11-19, mains £19-35. 

What is it? A gastropub meets Disneyland for Guinness drinkers.

Why we love it: There are space for 40 covers on the third floor of Soho’s most hype-y gastropub and steakhouse-style restaurant. Bookings for this seasonal rooftop aren’t available, so you’ll just have to chance your luck when it comes to getting a table.

Time Out tip: Entertain yourself with the bar snack menu on the ground floor pub while you wait for a table. You can snaffle sausage on a stick, cheese and ham toasties and chips with hollandaise. There’s also a bacon sandwich made with pigs reared by Brett Graham, the chef/owner of three Michelin starred Notting Hill restaurant, The Ledbury.  

Address: 17 Denman St, W1D 7HW.

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10pm.

Expect to pay: Sunday lunch is £29.50. Otherwise starters are £9-16, and mains from the grill range from £24-39.