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Jason Allen 28/10/23


London’s Best Winter Rooftops

We Googled “how to warm up a rooftop in winter.”

Thousands of matches.

Luckily, the people behind these brilliantly toasty winter rooftops and terraces have all taken a slightly more forthright approach, cozying up their spots with the likes of open fire pits, heaters, blankets, greenhouses, and – most essentially – hot cocktails. So allow us to introduce…

…London’s Best Winter Rooftops & Terraces for 2023.


WINTER ROOFTOPS

Willows on the Roof | Oxford Street

willows on the roof

When you hit the peak of Christmas shopping insanity on Oxford Street, hit the peak of Oxford Street. See, crowning the John Lewis department store is a secluded, wintry rooftop idyll called Willows on the Roof. Here you can enjoy a restorative hot cocktail amidst twinkling lights and winter greenery, and there’s even heated chalets and private igloos that you can hire out for groups of up to 10.

Details: Open daily, 12-10pm (9pm Sun) 300 Oxford St, London W1C 1DX | Book here

Pantechnicon | Belgravia

pantechnicon rooftop

The Pantechnicon is a five-storey pantheon of Nordic & Japanese culture, and its crown is the roof garden sitting atop the whole thing. It’s got the look of a glamorous greenhouse, with a glass roof to peek up at the stars and a heated, covered terrace outside. The seats are draped in warming furs, and the menu has been designed with comfort in mind. That means grilled Dover Sole and mash to share; some excellent Sunday roasts; seasonal pastas; and indulgent puds like chocolate fondant. And to drink? You can get an array of interesting cocktails, craft beers, and even a tasting flight of whisky…

Details: Open daily | 19 Motcomb Street, London, SW1X 8LB | Book here

Ham Yard Hotel | Soho

ham yard hotel winter rooftop pop up

The Ham Yard Hotel’s gorgeous, lantern-lit rooftop isn’t usually open to the public… except in winter, when they open their pop-up bar serving hot cocktails. This year the focus is on toasty twists on martinis, from an orange-infused espresso martini to a ‘Beekeeper’s Martini’ finished with a puff of smoke.

Details: 15th November – 31st December | 1 Ham Yard, London, W1D 7DT | Book here

Boundary | Shoreditch

boundary rooftop bar shoreditch

By day, Boundary’s rooftop boasts a heated orangery filled with sparkly wintery trees, warming open-pit fireplaces and fur-lined seats, a menu with baked cheese and black forest gâteau, and some wintry cocktails to wash them all down. By night, it’s the same, just darker.

Details: Open daily 12-11pm | 2-4 Boundary St, E2 7DD | Walk-in only for drinks, book an orangery table here

Skylight | Wapping

skylight winter rooftop bar

Haydon Perrior

Skylight is taking things up a level once again. Not literally, of course, seeing as it’s already on the top floor of a carpark in Wapping. But metaphorically, because over the winter they enhance their unobstructed views of the London skyline with a real rooftop ice rink, mulled wine, raclette, DJs, and bookable private igloos…

Details: Open Thursday – Sunday | Penning St. Car Park, Wapping Lane, E1W 2SF | Book here

Lodge d’Argent | Bank

If you’re looking for a winter rooftop in the city, this is one you can bank on. Coq d’Argent has kitted out its two rooftop chalets with faux fur throws, cognac cocktails and a menu of suitably wintry fare featuring comté & truffle tarts, roast turkey, and crème brûlée.

Details: From 15th November No. 1 Poultry, EC2R 8EJ

The Culpeper | Spitalfields

culpeper rooftop cosy

The Culpeper’s dinky terrace is easily one of the cosiest winter rooftops in London, with signature cocktails, a garden supplying herbal tinctures for said cocktails, cosy blankets, and an impressive view of the City’s towering skyline.

Details: Open daily from 4pm | 40 Commercial Street, E1 6LP | Walk-ins only

The Trafalgar St. James | St James’s

After a multi, multi-million pound facelift a few years back, The Trafalgar added blankets and outdoor heaters to its rooftop space, so you can enjoy their cocktails, nibbles, and eye-level views of Admiral Nelson in the winter, too.

Details: Open daily | 2 Spring Gardens, Trafalgar Square, SW1A 2TS | Minimum spend £35-50pp, book here

Holmes Hotel’s Rooftop Cinema | Baker Street

winter rooftop cinema

Matthew Shaw

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a central London spot in possession of a good rooftop, must be in want of a festive cinema. So it makes sense that the Holmes Hotel’s bringing back its sky-high Christmassy screenings for another year, seating just eight audience members a night in cosy loveseats for two…

Details: 22nd November – 23rd December | 108 Baker Street, London, W1U 6LJ £70 for film, dinner & a cocktail

 

WINTER TERRACES

The Midland Grand Terrace | King’s Cross

midland grand winter terrace

The Midland Grand’s winter terrace has the holy trinity of warming ingredients: heaters, a cover, and a menu of cognac cocktails. And if you get a little peckish, you can enjoy some fantastic brasserie dishes and snacks courtesy of the brilliant Midland Grand Dining Room.

Details: Open from 5pm Mon, 12pm Tues-Sun St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, London NW1 2AR

Isla at The Standard | King’s Cross

The Standard hotel’s ground floor terrace restaurant is really anything but standard. The place looks like the cosy lair of a Bond villain who decided to throw it all in and enjoy the finer things in life, with a retro hanging-flue fireplace; sheepskin rugs; and a crowd-pleasing menu that will inevitably end the night with cinnamon-dusted doughnuts with espresso sorbet.

Details: Open daily 7am-11pm The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, London, WC1H 8EG Book here

Electric Winter at Between The Bridges | Southbank

between the bridges winter terrace

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. The Bridges: Hungerford and Westminster, next to the Southbank CentreThe Between: a raucous, covered, 4,000sq ft terrace packed with street food vendors, bars, live music, DJs, karaoke, drag brunches, craft markets, and dancing to Christmas anthems with a big brass band.

Details: Open Tues – Sun until 31st December | Queen’s Walk, South Bank, SE1 7PB | Free entry, book events here

Jimmy’s Fire & Fromage | Southbank

fire & fromage heated winter terrace

How much raclette is it humanly possible to consume? What happens when you add mulled wine to white chocolate ice cream? Is it wise to order a hot vodka and cider smash? Find out the answer to these and many other questions at this year’s offering from pop-up king Jimmy Garcia, who’s hosting private dining igloos and a bottomless raclette bar on the Southbank.

Details: Until 31st December Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | Book here

 


Looking for even more festivity? Check out our guide to Christmas in London 2023