Yes it’s cold, grey and rainy sometimes but London’s allowed rooftops too. And with one of the most iconic skylines in the world, it’s not a bad place to enjoy a tipple on the terrace.
London being London, there’s a rooftop bar for every kind of person and every kind of occasion. From the shabby chic dive bars of Hackney, Brixton and Peckham, to smart casual affairs in St Paul’s, Spitalfields and Clerkenwell, there’s a rooftop for you, whoever you are.
Here are 10 of the best rooftop bars in London.
Sessions Art Club
24 Clerkenwell Green, London
Image credit: Sessions Art Club | Instagram
Sessions Arts Club is located in the old judges' dining room at Sessions House, a grand Grade II listed building in Clerkenwell. Climb to the top and you’ll find an intimate roof terrace with an adventurous menu and gluggable cocktails.
The Queen of Hoxton
1 Curtain Road, London
Image credit: The Queen of Hoxton | Instagram
Anyone who’s ever gone looking for a watering hole in Shoreditch will have heard of this one. The Queen of Hoxton is an East London staple, with a sprawling rooftop deck overlooking the inner city concrete jungle. They’re also known for hosting themed evenings, transporting patrons to everywhere from Gothic Venice to 2030-themed Vegas.
Netil360
1 Westgate St, London
Image credit: Netil360 | Instagram
The clue’s in the name: Hackney’s rooftop bar and pizza restaurant Netil360 offers immense 360 degree views of East London. And you’ll be thirsty by the time you get there, too: to reach the top you need to climb no fewer than nine flights of stairs. But you’ll be handsomely rewarded with stunning sunset panoramas and made-to-order pizzas—plus a healthy choice of drinks to top-up your fluids.
Frank’s Cafe
7th-10th Floor Multi Storey Car Park, 95A Rye Ln, London
Image credit: Bold Tendencies | Instagram
If you ask a Londoner south of the river to name you a rooftop bar, chances are they’ll say Frank’s. In true Peckham style, this famous venue is cheap, gritty, and chucked on top of a multi-story car park. It’s been serving up drinks since 2009, and has since added brunch, lunch and dinner to its repertoire too. Expect lots of dogs, lots of concrete and sprawling industrial vistas—what could be better?
The Culpeper
40 Commercial Street, London
Image credit: The Culpeper | Instagram
Wedged somewhere between the glass towers of Liverpool Street and the biryani houses of Brick Lane, sits The Culpeper. In spitting distance of the famous Spitalfields Market, this rooftop bar is set amongst an urban garden that grows food for the restaurant below. The bar, unsurprisingly, dishes out great homegrown food, and peers out over some of London’s most famous buildings.
The Rooftop at The Standard
10 Argyle Street, London
Image credit: The Standard | Website
Floating 11 stories up, the rooftop atop The Standard hotel in King’s Cross is one of the highest on this list. It also means its got one of the best views too, with practically uninterrupted panoramas in every direction, with a spectacular close-up look of the nearby St Pancras Clock Tower. Only open seasonally, the place serves up cocktails, street food and bubbles on tap (not kidding).
The Faltering Fullback
19 Perth Rd, Finsbury Park, London
Image credit: The Faltering Fullback | Website
Finsbury Park’s favourite local The Faltering Fullback is more than your run-of-the-mill Irish pub. As well as running the area’s most popular pub quiz, serving sumptuous Thai food seven days a week, and hanging everything from musical instruments to vintage prams from its ceiling, it also has a killer treehouse-esque beer garden. It’s multi-storey deck, adjoined by winding staircases, may not boast the horizon-scanning views of some on this list, but it might be the most quaint and cosy.
Sabine
Unit 7, 10 Godliman St, London
Image credit: Sabine | Instagram
Perched on the seventh floor at the Leonardo Royal hotel, peering across the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral, Sabine’s rooftop bar is a tranquil oasis above the bustling city centre. As well as towering views and tasty botanical cocktails, this tropical rooftop is London weather ready too, with a weather-resistant conservatory featuring a retractable roof, plus two al fresco sun terraces.
Upstairs At The Department Store
248 Ferndale Road, Brixton, London
Image credit: Upstairs Brixton | Instagram
Yes, this one’s a member’s club. But it’s not quite as snooty as it sounds. Over the road from Brixton station, Upstairs At The Department Store is a bit cheaper, younger and more chilled than its traditional counterparts. It’s got ping pong, table football, and a rooftop garden, and you can simply buy a guest pass for the evening if you don’t fancy the full membership.
Forza Wine
133 Rye Lane, Peckham, London
Image credit: Forza Wine | Instagram
Frank’s really put Peckham on the rooftop bar map, and cult Peckham restaurant Forza Wine duly picked up the mantle. They’ve opened a sister space Forza Wine on the top floor of Market Peckham, with a revolving menu of Italian snacks, sumptuous cocktails served in tumblers and terrace views over the surrounding South London cityscape.
If you're deciding where to head next on your London adventure, check out: