Seven great hidden picnic spots in London parks

For the ultimate countryside picnic in London, there’s no better place than Europe’s largest urban wetland. There are plenty of grassy nooks here for a secluded snack, and E17’s industrial past gives a quirky aesthetic to the greenery with an old metalworks and gunpowder mills among the reservoirs. Delis and bakeries are few and far between here, so it’s best to come picnic-ready. However, the onsite Engine House Café serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. With 211-hectares of green space, it’s a prime wildlife-spotting site, so keep an eye out for swans, kestrels and geese while you’re munching. It’s a strictly alcohol-free zone, so leave your tinnies at home – but if you fancy a post-picnic pint, Beavertown (closed for now, as of Jan 2022) and Pressure Drop breweries are both a short walk away with taprooms full of quirky craft beers. Hoppy days! 

Nearest station: Tottenham Hale tube

Nestled next to the Thames, this is one of the best spots to catch the Boat Race in the spring, but don’t just save it for the Oxbridge action. On a sunny day, it’s the perfect spot for a picnic. Grab one of the benches along the Lower Mall for the best views of the river, or fling a blanket on the grass near Rutland Grove for a more secluded lunch. Conveniently, the place is surrounded by pubs. Go to The Dove for a classic duck-your-head heritage pub experience, or visit The Rutland Arms and The Blue Anchor, which usually allow you to pour your pints into plastic cups that you can take to the riverside. Haven’t packed a picnic? Honest Burgers is a ten-minute walk away and lets you order via Deliveroo. Pick up a fine flat white and fresh sandwiches from Artisan Coffee (also ten minutes away), or load up on street eats at the food market in Lyric Square on Thursdays and Fridays.   

Nearest station: Hammersmith/Ravenscourt Park tubes

From nature reserves to community plots, we’ve uncovered some of the city’s best-kept secret gardens

While Victoria Park may seem like the most obvious place for a picnic in Hackney, its smaller cousin packs just as much charm. Partly walled in, giving it an air of secrecy, it contains a community orchard, a conservation area, table tennis tables and a public toilet (very important after an afternoon sipping on tinnies). On your way there, pop in to A Portuguese Love Affair, a deli-café that serves up some of the city’s best pastels de nata, and The Laughing Heart for takeaway wine before heading in and parking your picnic blanket down by the pond (both are a convenient three-minute walk away if you run out of sweet treats and/or wine, and need to replenish your supplies). Once you’ve polished up all the crumbs, pay a visit to Hackney City Farm next door to continue the wholesome vibes.

Nearest station: Cambridge Heath rail

Built in the early twentieth century by millionaire soap magnate Lord Leverhulme to hold ‘Great Gatsby’-style blowouts, today this gorgeous but faded pergola has swapped parties for picnics. As long as Canary Wharf tower is tall, there’s plenty of space to sit down beneath the stone pillars and arches tumbling with vines. There’s no need to lug a heavy picnic basket from home – head there via Hampstead Village and load up on cakes and pastries at coffee shop Ginger & White or pick up a pizza from L’Antica Pizzeria. It’s a 15-minute walk from Hampstead tube station to the Pergola, so stop by brilliant gelato spot Oddono’s for a cone to keep you entertained on the walk. Want the really lazy option? You can pre-order ready-made picnic hampers from cute deli Melrose and Morgan filled with scotch eggs, wine, cheese and other treats if you’re willing to splash a bit of cash – it’s what Lord Leverhulme would have wanted.

Nearest station: Hampstead tube

Sir David Attenborough once described Richmond as his favourite place on earth – and after spending a day sunning yourself on the riverside here you might agree. The sloping patches of green are the perfect spot to lay out a picnic blanket and gaze at the beautiful view of rowing boats beating down the Thames and swans nudging close to the banks, all set against the arches of Richmond Bridge. Whole Foods, Gail’s Bakery and Hummingbird Bakery are on the way if you’re coming from Richmond station, so you can stock up on supplies. The fairytale-esque Hollyhock Café is a ten-minute walk away, for fairtrade, organically sourced grub. Gelateria Danieli – which served vanilla ice cream to the queen on her eightieth birthday – is five minutes away, if you fancy finishing your lunch off with a sweet treat. 

Nearest station: Richmond tube

This oasis in central London is the perfect spot for some tranquil lunch-hour sarnie scoffing. One of the seven original Covent Garden community gardens, not only can you picnic among sprawling raised flowerbeds and open ponds (and their resident frogs), you are right next to Soho and Covent Garden, meaning your culinary options are limitless. Try fried chicken joint Chick ’n’ Sours, at Seven Dials, with its very tempting takeout menu. Or find delicious coffee (and tea) from Rosie & Joe, two minutes away in the nearby courtyard of the St Giles-in-the-Fields church. 

Nearest station: Tottenham Court Rd tube