From riverside to rooftop dining, here’s our pick of London’s very best outdoor restaurants.
With the summer solstice officially marking the start of the new season in just a few days, there’s no better time to head outside for some fine drinking and dining — and there’s choice aplenty in the capital.
1. The rooftop restaurant: Seabird
Just south of the River Thames, on the 14th floor of The Hoxton Southwark, is Seabird. From this rooftop restaurant you can gaze over the landscape of London, with a clear view of The Shard, while slurping down fresh oysters. The greenery and palm trees adorning the interiors and roofed terrace makes you feel more like you’re in a beach club than 14 floors high in central London.
The menu is inspired by the cuisine of the Basque Country, with tapas and large plates to share. Among the small plates you’ll find sea trout ceviche, octopus rolls in brioche and dressed Brixham crab, while the larger plates offer up whole boneless seabass, Cornish mussels, whole lobster rice and asparagus paella. As you can see, it’s made up largely of seafood, with oyster and chilled seafood platters being the star of the show. For drinks you’ll find all the usual suspects — cocktails, wines, beer — as well as magnum bottles available, too.
2. The garden restaurant: The Ivy Chelsea Garden
Found on West London’s famed King’s Road, The Ivy Chelsea Garden leans into its theme with kitsch wallpaper and furniture adorned with flowers covering the art deco designs. The restaurant opens up to a quaint and quintessentially English-style garden, which you can nestle into for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or even afternoon tea while immersed in foliage and flowers — with an orangery for the inevitable rainy days.
The extensive menus at The Ivy Chelsea Garden have been created by the Ivy Collection’s executive chef, Sean Burbidge, and are designed to offer an eclectic mix of modern British comfort food and international dishes. The plates consist of modern takes on Asian dishes, including blackened cod fillet baked in banana leaf, Malaysian monkfish curry (with a plat-based version, too) and tempura prawns, as well as English classics like fish and chips, haddock and salmon fishcakes and shepherd’s pie.
You’ll find classic cocktails alongside The Ivy’s own concoctions, and the mocktails are equally as impressive with the angelic ameretti sour a close contender of the original ameretto sour. Another favourite is the cos-no-politan, which includes Seedlip Grove 42, an alcohol-free citrus distillate.
3. The city centre terrace restaurant: Coppa Club
Wander through a tunnel of flowers onto the sun-kissed terrace of the Coppa Club, and you can enjoy views across the River Thames and of London’s Southbank. It’s the perfect spot for after-work drinks, brunch dates with mates and celebrations of all kinds. Next to Tower Bridge and opposite The Shard, Coppa Club is adorned with bright pink flowers and palm trees. From breakfast to late night bites, there’s even a dedicated pizza and nibbles menu for those looking for something a little more casual.
The all-day menu, on the other hand, has a wide-ranging European menu includes pizza, pasta, small plates and grilled mains — the buttermilk fried chicken, wild prawn spaghetti and spice-roasted cauliflower being just a few of the standout dishes. Mocktails are also impressive: the popstar martini comes close to its boozier original (pornstar martini), with a fizzy water alternative to the shot of prosecco.
Coppa Club in Tower Bridge is a safe bet whatever the weather thanks to its igloos. Redesigned this year in floral hues of pink and yellow, inspired from the classic rhubarb and custard sweet.
