We may not be known for always having good weather but one thing London does quite well is having a good terrace (rooftop or normal) – whether the sun decides to shine or not. The perfect setting for some al fresco dining, we’ve got both the rooftop views and the citsyscape and greenery to ensure that ambience is on par with the food and drink our diners will consume.
As always, we’ve gone about doing the ‘hard’ work for you; trying out the latest terraces in the city – so that you can make your most informed decision next time the temperatures hit anything worthy of leaving you big coat at home. With a few sunny days and warmer temperatures than the Baltic ones we’ve ‘enjoyed’, here are our top terrace recommendations for 2024.
Spitalfields Market, East London
Summer seems to be here and Spitalfields E1 is here to make sure you make the most of it – starting with a wonderful weekend of events. If you’re in East London until June 4th, you can experience the newly-opened Lamb Street market which features delicious dishes from all your favourite cuisines. We were lucky enough to get a sneak preview and had both our tummies and tastebuds hugely satsifed by the jerk chicken and curried goat from Rudie’s Jerk Shack (don’t worry, there was plenty of plantain plus rice and peas). We’ll see you back there for some birria tacos from Dos Mas Tacos, halloumi fries from Ebby’s Kitchen and duck wraps from The Duck Truck – and much, much more.
If you download the Spitalfields E1 app, you can grab yourself some of those halloumi fries for free when ordering from Ebby’s – plus there are other deals to be scooped up.
Wagtail, City of London
Enjoy a gorgeous steak dinner (or whatever other tasty morsels from the menu that take your fancy) and then head out to the terrace to enjoy some gorgeous, panoramic views of London. Alternatively, be boujie and book one of Wagtail’s igloos for your own private dining and soak up the views throughout your meal. We enjoyed a beautifully zesty ceviche, along with super succulent scallops – and we know our scallops. We did opt for a tender and flavoursome rib-eye but if you’re not huge on meat, there’s roasted monkfish and risotto (and more) to choose from, too. Finish off with the pumpkin crème brûlée of your dreams.
Audrey’s, South London
Though not a rooftop terrace, this unsuspecting spot tucked away near London Bridge station is a gem you’re going to want to bookmark. With a cute café style interior, there’s outdoor seating for when the sun decides to (more permanently) shine. But let’s get onto the food. We were seriously impressed. From steak sandwiches to miso-glazed aubergine, this place can do it all. The fish pie was pretty phenomenal, while the creamy mushrooms on toast was another favourite. The standout, however? The goats cheese and courgette tart – trust us, it’s not to be missed.
In Horto, South London
Known for its wood-fired cooking (in a pizza oven, yet there is none on the menu), In Horto is “where rustic dining meets the botanical”. With snacks such as chorizo bites in a honey and mustard dressing and burrata drizzled with caponata and smoked white balsamic dressing, it’s a strong start to the meal – but don’t forget to leave room for your main course. It was a hard choice to make, with dishes such as wood-fired rice with baby globe artichoke tempting us, but we finally decided on slow roasted braised lamb with harissa vegetables and cod filet with fire-roasted ratatouille to share. Everything had a home-cooked meal sense to it – in the best way – and with the shutter windows open for summer, this is certainly the spot for a lowkey, relaxed night out to enjoy good food and a glass (or bottle) or wine.
Ekte, City of London
With multiple varieties of smørrebrød on the menu, you’d be forgiven for ordering one of each topping and leave it there. However, while these are all incredibly delicious (we’d strongly recommend the curried herring, Danish blue cheese with pear and the roas beef), we would say you’d be sorely missing out should you opt to not progress to the rest of the menu. The crispy sardines with pickled egg mayo was seriously special, while the duck salad was also very tasty – though guaranteed you’ll be fighting over those delicious duck pieces. The frikadeller (meatballs) with creamy mash, gravy and pickled cucumber was the ultimate comfort dish but as we head into summer, you might decide to go for the equally satisfying herb-crusted lamb chops or grilled halibut.
Cavo, Central London
The newest roof terrace to hit London, Cavo is located within The Outernet complex in central. With Mediterranean dishes such as octopus carpaccio and seafood stew, there’s a huge menu to absorb here. Some dishes (the black truffle taglioni) were more to our liking than others and we had hoped for the Josper grill to give our main courses a bit more of a tasty charcoal flavour than it did, however for some light bites and cocktails, it could be the city’s new summer hotspot.
Shiro, East London
Knowing that Shiro London is part of the popular Aqua Group, there’s definitely reason to go into this restaurant with high hopes – and boy, did it not disappoint. From a surprisingly delicious avocado tempura to both tasty and well-presented salmon and tuna tartare (complete with lotus root chips for serious scooping), the menu impressed from the start. The crystal sushi personally wasn’t for us – but an innovative venture, all the same. We preferred the classic dishes – particularly enjoying the chutoro (fatty tuna belly), unagi (grilled eel) and hamachi (yellowtail) nigiris. A lowkey but ambient atmosphere, Shiro Sushi is one to book this year.
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