The Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in London | 82 Al Fresco Terraces To Explore
If you accidentally spill someone’s pint, and that person politely asks you to step outside…
…the good news is that there’s a slim chance that they’re just keen to show you one of London’s many picturesque, verdant, and secluded al fresco dining spots. And now that the sun is deigning to make an appearance in our city once more, we’ve slapped a new layer of sunscreen on our guide to London’s best spots for a little outdoor dining.
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JUMP TO: EAST LONDON | WEST LONDON | NORTH LONDON | SOUTH LONDON
CENTRAL LONDON
Circolo Popolare | Fitzrovia
Jérôme Galland
Circolo Popolare comes to you from the people behind Gloria, and she mimics her big sister where it counts, bringing a maximalist, overstated, lavishly fun vibe to everything she does. And that includes her leafy Sicilian-styled terrace, which seats a mere 60ish people. No big deal.
Details: 40 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia, W1T 1HX
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Barrafina Drury Lane | Covent Garden
Set on the edge of Covent Garden, Barrafina’s only venue with bookable outdoor seating might just make it the best of the bunch. You’ll find all their delicious, top-quality tapas, plus sunshine.
Details: 43 Drury Lane, WC2B 5AJ | Book an outdoor table at Barrafina
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The Mandrake | Fitzrovia
The Mandrake hotel’s hidden courtyards are so beautiful, they’ve literally won awards. Set over two tiers, there’s the spacious courtyard, overhung with trailing vines and creepers, and the relaxed terrace bar above, both of which serve dishes from their South American-inspired restaurant YOPO, and ‘ethnobotanical’ cocktails…
Details: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PG | Book an outdoor table at The Mandrake
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Café Boheme | Soho
Café Boheme does not have a terrace. What it does have is an irresistible cluster of small tables wrapped snugly around its corner of Old Compton Street, where you can spend all day drinking wine and listening to the live jazz floating out through the bifold windows in quintessentially Parisian fashion.
Details: 13 Old Compton St, London W1D 5JQ
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Petersham Nurseries | Covent Garden
Given that this venue actually houses two restaurants, plus a bar, deli, florists, shop and wine cellar… it’s no surprise that they also found room for a sizeable, wonderfully secluded outdoor terrace, hidden just off Floral Street.
Details: Petersham Nurseries, Floral Court, WC2E 8JD | Book an al fresco table at The Petersham
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Milk Beach Soho | Soho
Tucked unexpectedly behind Soho’s Greek Street you will find the latest expansion of Milk Beach, where you can escape London life and manifest your Oz holiday dreams at this profoundly laid-back restaurant. Word tot he wise: your server will likely recommend the prawn toast (and you should definitely get it), the stracciatella with hot honey is absolutely delicious, and the mango chilli margerita is genuinely quite fiery. The first time you go will almost certainly not be the last.
Details: Unit 3, Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, W1D 4AL | Book an outside table at Milk Beach
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The Devonshire | Soho
Given the stratospheric popularity of this relatively new grill room from a trio of hospitality legends, you’ll be happy to get pretty much any table at The Devonshire. But if you can blag one of the tables up on their newly unveiled rooftop, you’ll be positively euphoric.
Details: 17 Denman Street, London, W1D 7HW | Walk-ins only, or make a request alongside your regular booking
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Bleeding Heart Bistro | Farringdon
Once the scene of an infamous 17th century murder, Bleeding Heart Bistro’s al fresco courtyard is now the picture of Provençal French serenity. Time has improved things, just like their selection of aged cheeses.
Details: Bleeding Heart Yard, EC1N 8SJ | Book a terrace table at Bleeding Heart Bistro
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The Chiltern Firehouse | Marylebone
When Chiltern Firehouse first opened with Nuño Mendes at the helm, getting a table anywhere within a mile radius of the kitchen was an achievement. And now that the celeb sheen of the place has died down just a little, you can afford to be a bit pickier – and make a beeline for the expansive, monochrome terrace.
Details: 1 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, W1U 7PA | Book a courtyard table at Chiltern Firehouse
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J. Sheekey | Leicester Square
Famous for its white glove service, exquisite seafood dishes and elegant interiors, J. Sheekey has been a theatre-land favourite for over a century. But with a terrace this inviting, there’s a very real danger of missing your matinee.
Details: 28-35 St. Martin’s Court, WC2N 4AL | Book a terrace table at J. Sheekey
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Kioku by Endo | Westminster
Westminster isn’t exactly spoiled for restaurants, let alone ones with al fresco terraces. So the latest addition to The OWO is a coup on all fronts: it’s a stellar Japanese restaurant headed up by third generation sushi master Endo Kazutoshi – and it has a pretty special roof terrace attached.
Details: Raffles The OWO, Whitehall, SW1A 2BX
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Ham Yard Hotel | Soho
The Ham Yard Hotel is designed to a tee, with sumptuous furnishings, vibrantly papered walls and its own 1950s bowling alley… So it’s quite something that the best part is actually the outdoor terrace, which feels a million miles from the rest of Soho in its own sheltered courtyard. And this summer, they’ve even got a bespoke oyster cart parked up.
Details: Ham Yard Hotel, 1 Ham Yard, W1D 7DT | Book a terrace table at Ham Yard Hotel
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Mercato Metropolitano | Mayfair
A huge, free-to-enter food market inside a historic, Grade I listed church, whose dazzling interiors are capped off – both literally and figuratively – by a rooftop terrace hugging the bell tower. With a dozen food stalls, everyone in your group’s guaranteed to get something they like. And if it rains? Well, you’ll just have to go down to the crypt, which naturally is stockpiled with gallons of craft beer, wine, and artisanal gin…
Details: 13a North Audley Street, W1K 6ZA | Book for larger groups, or just turn up
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Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill | Mayfair
Bentley’s is one of London’s very best seafood spots. And hell, even if you don’t like shellfish, it’s worth going and ordering the steak just so you can live it up on their covered backstreet terrace.
Details: 11-15 Swallow Street, London W1B 4DG | Book an outside table at Bentley’s
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Moro | Farringdon
Unfortunately, you can’t book any of the tables outside Moro and Morito on Exmouth Market. Fortunately, however, you’re on one of the city’s most atmospheric semi-pedestrianised stretches, so you can probably get an outside table somewhere else in a pinch (and save Moro’s fantastic Northern Spanish dishes for another, rainier day).
Details: 34-36 Exmouth Market, Farringdon, EC1R 4QE
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Café Laperouse | Westminster
Café Laperouse might be one of the most striking restaurants in the whole of London. Big words, we know, but if you wander into the stately & palatial central courtyard of the Old War Office you’ll find a modern marvel nestled within the historical grandeur—a restaurant encased in a gleaming silver structure that almost looks like it was airlifted from a sci-fi movie set. Inside, it’s a rather elegant French restaurant, with rather elegant French food to match. On a sunny day or a balmy evening, you can’t do much better than puling up to one of the scattered tables out in that courtyard and diving into beef tartare with matchstick fries, grilled lamb chops with niçoise ratatouille, or classic Dover sole with meunière butter.
Details: Raffles The OWO, Whitehall, SW1A 2BX | Book a table
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Dinner | Knightsbridge
A more relaxed affair than his madcap, time-travelling, Michelin-starred eatery inside, Heston Blumenthal’s garden restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental offers native lobster rolls, oysters and ice cream overlooking Hyde Park. And yes, ‘relaxed’ is a relative term here.
Details: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA | Book a garden table
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Bubbledogs | Mayfair
We need to address what’s happening at 45 Park Lane. Because this summer, the luxury Mayfair hotel is giving over its parkside terrace for a pop-up incarnation of Bubbledogs, the former restaurant dedicated to hot dogs and little-known Champagnes, from a Michelin Star-winning team…
Details: Until 29th September | 45 Park Lane, London W1K 1PN | Book a Bubbledogs terrace table
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EAST LONDON
London’s premier Portuguese piri-piri chicken purveyors have a lovely restaurant in Shoreditch, and that lovely restaurant spills out onto the street, and under the convenient shelter of the huge railway bridge passing overhead which, given the capricious nature of the weather, is very welcome indeed. Plus, you can get the goods from their new menu, including 10-day-aged pork shoulder with red ‘pimentão’ sauce, and a hearty plateful of mushroom à brás. Oh, and you’ll want one of their off-menu frozen margs & pina coladas too…
Details: 2 King John Court, EC2A 3EZ | Book a table at Casa Do Frango Shoreditch
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Pavilion | Victoria Park
Sure, you could just take one of Pavilion’s freshly baked pastries for a walk in the park. But if you want to settle in for one of their famous Sri Lankan breakfasts, you’re just going to have to park yourself at one of the café’s sun-dappled tables overlooking the lake.
Details: Victoria Park, E9 7DE | No bookings
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Dusty Knuckle | Dalston
The al fresco seating at this Dalston bakery is way bigger than the bakery itself (though that’s not difficult, seeing as it’s stowed away inside a 40ft shipping container). Since opening in 2013 they’ve drawn crowds for their fresh bakes, brick-thick sarnies and quality pizzas – and now they have almost the entirety of their car park home to accommodate them.
Details: Abbot Street Carpark, E8 3DP | No bookings
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Five Points Brewery | London Fields
Yes, technically this is a taproom. So yes, technically the main attraction here is the beer. But given that BBQ maestros From The Ashes have pretty much become permanent residents of the brewery’s massive courtyard, you now have several more (deliciously smoky) reasons to visit.
Details: 61 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 4RG | Book a courtyard table at Five Points
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SMOKESTAK | Shoreditch
SMOKESTAK takes its BBQ seriously. In fact, the rusted, industrially hard-edged restaurant itself seems to resemble the inside of a BBQ oven, even extending to the rolling shutter that leads to the terrace outside. And it’s that terrace that we’re concerned with today. It’s got a decent number of tables, well-heated, adequately spaced, and you can enjoy the likes of a USDA brisket bun with pickled red chilli, thick-cut pork ribs with pickled cucumber, and crispy ox cheek with anchovy mayo. And they have a house-label wine to wash it all down…
Details: 35 Sclater St, E1 6LB | Book an outdoor table at Smokestak
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Jones & Sons | Dalston
A Dalston loading yard transformed into one of the most charming outdoor dining spots in London, with bundles of greenery, parasols, and globe-trotting seasonal menus (including their famous all-you-can-eat brunch).
Details: Stamford Works, 3 Gillett Street, N16 8JH | Book a courtyard table at Jones & Sons
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Crispin | Spitalfields
The only thing lovelier than Crispin’s seasonally changing menu (currently boasting gorgonzola & radicchio salad; cime di rapa pasta and plum & brown butter pudding) and its cellar full of natural wines is its outdoor seating, set out under brollies to shelter you come rain or shine.
Details: Pavilion on The Corner, White’s Row, Spitalfields, E1 7NF | Book an outside table at Crispin
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ACME Fire Cult | Dalston
Dalston’s Acme Fire Cult was, hands down, one of our favourite 2022 restaurant openings for a wide number of reasons: live-fire cooking, low waste principles, cocktails (like a michelada made with their own hot sauce), wine (the list curated by Holly Willcocks; once of Noble Rot, now of Half Cut Market) and locally-made beers (some in collaboration with 40FT Brewery next door, coincidentally also one of our favourite London breweries). Oh, and having a 60-seater al fresco terrace didn’t do any harm either…
Details: Abbot Street Car Park, E8 3DP | Book a terrace table at ACME Fire Cult
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Towpath Café | Haggerston
Towpath is almost exclusively outside, so an al fresco table is pretty much guaranteed. That’s if you can get one at all, of course. Open only for the warmer months, this cult café draws the crowds like nobody’s business, so if you want mouthwatering brunch dishes or Modern British small plates by the canal, better sharpen those elbows…
Details: 42 De Beauvoir Crescent, London N1 5SB | No bookings
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My Neighbours the Dumplings | Homerton
If you wanted to get some fresh air in the area around Victoria Park, you could, of course, go to Victoria Park. But an alternative option – no less appealing – would be to make yourself at home in the lantern-lit courtyard of MNTD, which unlike the park, boasts prawn har gau and crispy potsticker dumplings…
Details: 178-180 Victoria Park Road, London, E9 7HD
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Luca | Clerkenwell
Luca by name, looker by nature… this Michelin-starred Italian restaurant doesn’t just offer some of most exquisite pasta in london (made in a dedicated pasta-making room, no less), it offers it in a cobbled garden courtyard with olive trees and jasmine plants, and with an open fire for whenever it does get a bit cold.
Details: 8 St. John Street, EC1M 4EH | Book a terrace table at Luca
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Pophams | London Fields
Sure, you could just pop in to Popham’s for your flat white. Or, you could commandeer one of their outdoor tables for a breakfast, lunch or dinner time feast (featuring beautifully laminated pastries, molten toasties and freshly rolled pasta respectively).
Details: 197 Richmond Road, Hackney, E8 3NJ | Book a terrace table at Popham’s
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Barge East | Hackney Wick
The restaurant aboard this 114-year old Dutch cargo barge has proved so popular that they’ve had to spill out onto the banks they’re moored on. And what started out as a casual picnic spot has since become a fully fledged operation, with shaded tables and chairs for groups, miniature plant beds growing ingredients for the kitchen, and even a vintage airstream caravan serving a street food menu.
Details: River Lee, Sweetwater Mooring, White Post Lane, London, E9 5EN | Book a garden or terrace table at Barge East
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Bar Douro | The City & London Bridge
Bar Douro is much more than just upmarket Portuguese dining in the city, it’s upmarket Portuguese dining in the city with an azulejo-tiled al fresco terrace out front. Transform your working lunch into a miniature holiday with salt cod fritters, garlic prawns and pastel de nata (with cinnamon ice cream)… and a couple of white port & tonics depending on how many emails you have to send when you get back to the office.
Details: 1 Finsbury Avenue, EC2M 2PF | Book an outdoor table at Bar Douro
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Los Mochis London City | The City
Sure, some people reading this can lunch al desko and enjoy 9th floor views of the City. But Los Mochis’ new Liverpool Street restaurant is a much more pleasant place to do it, with a huge 3,000 sq ft terrace featuring skyline views, Japanese-Mexican dishes, and a Champagne trolley…
Details: 100 Liverpool Street, EC2M 2AT | Book a rooftop terrace table at Los Mochis City
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Boundary | Shoreditch
Shoreditch has seen it all: nuns, factory owners, criminals, and prostitutes. Now it boasts a roof terrace with 360-degree views across the chimneys of the East End. And hipsters.
Details: 2-4 Boundary Street, E2 7DD
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Dishoom Shoreditch | Shoreditch
Dishoom’s eclectic East London verandah is home to a jumble of vintage furniture, salvaged architecture and familiar-feeling bric-a-brac – as well as, crucially, a retractable roof. (Dishoom King’s Cross has a pretty great outdoor terrace too).
Details: 7 Boundary Street, E2 7JE | Terrace walk-ins only
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The Culpeper | Spitalfields
Some of the finest outdoor seating London can offer, The Culpeper’s rooftop has its own bar serving signature cocktails, a garden supplying herbal tinctures for said cocktails, a menu of sprightly modern British dishes from the restaurant downstairs, a view of the City’s towering skyline, AND, an intimate, 12 – 14 seater glass Greenhouse. Just in case.
Details: 40 Commercial Street, E1 6LP | Book a rooftop table at The Culpeper
WEST LONDON
The River Cafe | Hammersmith
It’s called The River Cafe because it’s next to the river. And if you open a restaurant next to the river and don’t provide a little outdoor seating for people then, quite frankly, you’re not going to be open for three decades. Which the River Cafe has been.
Details: Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, W6 9HA | Book an outdoor table at The River Café
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The River Café Café | Hammersmith
It’s called The River Café Café because it’s next to The River Café – and it has its own terrace. It’s walk in only, but comes with the significant benefit of serving a more reasonably priced menu than the mothership next-door.
Details: Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, W6 9HA | Walk-ins only
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Julie’s | Holland Park
Ever since opening in 1969, the heart of West London institution Julie’s hasn’t been the cosy, flamboyant interior or the softly-lit basement with its intimate booths. It’s always been the terrace out front, where a canopy of festoon lights twinkles overhead and the clientele clink wine glasses over platters of oysters. And now that chef Owen Kenworthy’s calling the shots in the kitchen, you have twice the reason to go.
Details: 135 Portland Road, Holland Park, W11 4LW | No outdoor bookings
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The Ivy Chelsea Garden | Chelsea
Technically speaking, The Ivy Chelsea Garden doesn’t have an al fresco area. It IS an al fresco area, with an indoor bit attached. Because they have a 3,500 square foot outdoor terrace and paved garden, filled with stone-clad water fountains; sandstone firepits; marble tables; mosaic chairs; and balustrade pergolas covered in creeping wisteria and red rose vine.
Details: 195 -197 King’s Road, SW3 5EQ | Book a table at The Ivy Chelsea Garden (inside/outside allocated on arrival)
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Scott’s Richmond | Richmond
With jaw-droppingly glitzy interiors decked out with Venetian glass chandeliers, mirrored ceilings and a centrepiece raw bar, Scott’s Richmond would have to pull something pretty spectacular out the bag to lure you outside. Which is why their version of al fresco dining is a raised riverside balcony garden, with sweeping views and flower-laden tables that bask in the sunshine.
Details: 4 Whittaker Ave, Richmond TW9 1TH | Book an outdoor table at Scott’s Richmond
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Peggy Jean | Richmond
PJ is a beautifully restored barge which features a cosy dining room below deck; two al fresco dining terraces and a pair of clay-baked pizza ovens, Peggy and Jean. And with views over the Thames and the grassy knolls of Richmond, it’s like a little slice of the Riviera in West London…
Details: The Boat, Bridge Boathouses, Riverside, Richmond TW9 1TH | Terrace seating walk-in only
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The Bingham Riverhouse | Richmond
Detectives among you will have already sussed that Bingham Riverhouse… is right by the river. And they’re making the most of that location by tacking a gorgeous raised al fresco terrace onto their elegant Modern European restaurant, which looks out over the gardens and the Thames itself.
Details: 61-63 Petersham Rd, TW10 6UT | Book here & request terrace in the booking notes
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The Cheese Barge | Paddington
You know how it is with barges: you wait ages for one… then two show up with al fresco tables perched on their roof. The key difference with The Cheese Barge being that it almost exclusively serves a menu of British cheese dishes.
Details: Sheldon Square, Paddington Central, London, W2 6HY | Roof terrace walk-in only
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Kricket White City | White City
Overlooking the redeveloped BBC Television Centre, Kricket’s sprawling al fresco dining in London’s White City terrace is a delightfully peaceful spot to overdo it on Chaitinis and gorge on every one of their Anglo-Indian small plates.
Details: 2 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, W12 7FR | Book an outdoor table at Kricket
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No 197 Chiswick Fire Station | Chiswick
Chiswick Fire Station’s jaw-droppingly suave interiors (pink velvet loveseats, beautiful artwork and cacti of an Arizonan scale) are matched only by the breezy courtyard, with its vine-entwined pergola and brilliant white furnishings.
Details: 197-199 Chiswick High Road, W4 2DR | No outdoor bookings
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High Road Brasserie | Chiswick
Justin De Souza
Taking the high road always works out in the long run – see The High Road Brasserie; a Soho House-run restaurant where you’ll want to accommodate yourself for as long as possible on their awning-shaded al-fresco terrace, while enjoying elevated, crowd-pleasing fare.
Details: 162-170 Chiswick High Road, W4 1PR | Outdoor seating walk-in only
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Carmel | Queen’s Park
Carmel comes from Berber & Q head chef Josh Katz and serves his signature fluffy flatbreads and superlative Middle Eastern small plates. That’s probably all you needed to hear to make the dash out to Queen’s Park, pronto, but just in case, it has a canopy-covered outdoor dining terrace out the front too…
Details: 23-25 Lonsdale Road, Queen’s Park, NW6 6RR | Book a terrace table at Carmel Queen’s Park
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Polpo Chelsea | Chelsea
If Polpo Soho‘s secret weapon is a subterranean Campari bar, then the Chelsea follow-up’s is the al fresco terrace where you can elope after a mooch around the Saatchi Gallery for cicchetti (Venetian-style small plates) and spritzes under shaded parasols in Duke Of York Square.
Details: 81 Duke Of York Square, London, SW3 4LY
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Maria G’s | Kensington
Maria G’s Kensington location recently drifted from its Italian upbringing towards a more British-led menu populated with brassiere classics. Don’t worry though, this change in food direction has had absolutely no impact on their secluded outdoor space, with wicker chairs, shady umbrellas and a manicured lawn. And it’s worth knowing that Maria G’s Fulham has a lovely al fresco terrace overlooking the river, too.
Details: Coe House, 2-4 Warwick Ln, W14 8FN
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Bluebird Chelsea | Chelsea
An impressive old Grade II listed, Art Deco garage in the heart of Made In Chelsea country, this is a solid option for all of those times that you fancy heading down the King’s Road with Ollie, Binky & Spencer (they’re still in it, right?) for a glass of bubbles and a spot of alfresco dining in London.
Details: 350 King’s Road, London SW3 5UU | Courtyard walk-ins only
NORTH LONDON
Parrillan | King’s Cross
Run by the team behind Barrafina, Parrillan doesn’t just boast a sprawling, heated, covered terrace. It also has a chef who knows exactly how you like your food. Because it’s you who’ll be tossing their impeccably sourced Spanish ingredients onto your own tabletop grill…
Details: Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, N1C 4AB | Book a terrace table at Parrillan
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Casa Pastor | King’s Cross
That rambunctious covered terrace you just passed on the way up to Parrillan? That’s the colourful, tequila-soaked annexe to Casa Pastor, here for all your all-weather outdoor taco needs. Set underneath an archway, it’s always shaded, providing a little respite from the scorching British weather – plus, there’s DJs Thurs-Sat.
Details: Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4DQ | Book a terrace table at Casa Pastor
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Lina Stores King’s Cross | King’s Cross
The second restaurant from the iconic 75 year-old Soho deli that has all the charms of the first. Fresh crab linguine. Pear bellinis. More gelato than you can shake a cannoli at. All enjoyed on one sweetly shaded terrace.
NOTE: Lina Stores South Kensington and Lina Stores Clapham also have a couple of terrace tables available for walk-ins.
Details: 20 Stable Street, King’s Cross, London N1C 4DR | No outdoor bookings
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The Standard | King’s Cross
The Standard hotel in King’s Cross has an exceptionally beautiful ground floor terrace, which is wisely fitted with a retractable roof so you can feel tropical whatever the actual weather. The menu has a suitably holiday feel to it too, from panzanella salads to crab bruschetta.
Details: The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG | Book a table at Isla
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Caravan King’s Cross | King’s Cross
Set in the industrially grand Granary Square, Caravan not only has a huge outdoor seating area, but stellar coffee ground in-house; a cornucopia of dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner; and cocktails. For breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Details: 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AA | No outdoor bookings
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Tranga | Newington Green
It’s not like there are any bad seats at Tranga, a gem of a local on Newington Green, repping Northern Spanish fare. But when the sun’s out and the sky’s blue, there are particularly good seats; outside, before the entrance, and under the black and white striped awning where a cluster of al fresco tables command the street.
Details: 61 Newington Green, N16 9PX | Book an outdoor table at Tranga
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Coal Office | King’s Cross
100 years ago, the people inside these buildings were in charge of managing the flow of coal and fish deliveries into London. Now, they’re in charge of combining coal and fish (and meat, and veg) and delivering it straight to your table. And happily, you can enjoy Assaf Granit’s lauded Middle Eastern cooking on their rooftop space overlooking the canal.
Details: 2 Bagley Walk, Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4PQ
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Common Ground | Finsbury Park
They want brunch with miso mushroom double-cheese toasties and dulce de leche brownies, while you just want to sit in a sun-drenched (but also shaded) backyard with loads of plants and an alligator sculpture. Go to Finsbury Park, find Common Ground…
Details: 49 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EF | No bookings
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Smokehouse | Islington
Islington’s critically acclaimed gastropub dedicated to smoking, grilling & roasting takes up a kind of awkward stretch of land at the tip of a triangle. So they’ve done what any right-minded eatery would do, and turned it into a hedge-lined, chiminera-smoking, utterly glorious pocket of outdoor drinking & dining.
Details: 63–69 Canonbury Rd, London, N1 2DG | Book an outdoor table at Smokehouse
SOUTH LONDON
Trivet | London Bridge
Jodi Hinds
A double Michelin starred restaurant? Serving mains from £14? On a peacefully shaded, secluded terrace? We’re not sure what kind of alternate universe Trivet has sprung from, but it’s one you’re going to want to visit. Soon.
Details: 36 Snowsfields, Southwark, SE1 3SU | Book a table (then ask to move to the terrace when you arrive)
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OMA | London Bridge
New Greek restaurant OMA is pretty much one of the hottest places to eat in London right now. So cool off with a couple of grilled skewers and a cocktail on their rooftop terrace which, while not strictly outside, does allow you to look over the bustle of Borough Market.
Details: 2-4 Bedale St, SE1 9AL | Book a terrace table at OMA
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ArcadeX | Battersea
Yes, ArcadeX sounds a bit like Elon Musk’s latest space mission – but it’s going to be even more stellar than that. It’s an al fresco pop-up for Arcade at Battersea Power Station, spilling onto the boardwalk jutting out over the Thames and overlooking the iconic building itself. Four street food traders will be on hand – including Solis, BAO and Manna (who make some of our favourite burgers in London) – alongside three well-stocked bars, DJs, and a retractable roof.
Details: The Riverwalk, North Entrance, Battersea Power Station, SW11 8DD | No bookings
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Le Pont De La Tour | Shad Thames / Tower Bridge
Literally only just realised that Le Pont De La Tour is French for “Tower Bridge”.
Essentially this is a pretty old school French restaurant by D&D that’s been around forever featuring white table cloths, a pricey menu (asparagus for starters with a main course of a side of french beans will set you back £19), but also – crucially, given that we’re here to talk about alfresco dining – a lovely terrace on the river, with live jazz on Thursday evenings and a Grade A view of Le Pont De La Tour.
Details: 36D Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE | Book a riverside table
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JOIA | Battersea
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say, unless there’s another rooftop on a powerstation with an infinity pool somewhere in the world, Joia is one-of-a-kind. Mix soaring views of the Battersea Power Station itself with Portuguese snacks from star chef Henrique Sá Pessoa and mandatory jugs of sangria, and you’ve got the recipe for one of the best alfresco dining experiences in London…
Details: art’otel Battersea, 1 Electric Boulevard, Nine Elms, London SW11 8BJ | Book a rooftop table at Joia
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The Laundry | Brixton
Hang yourself out to dry at The Laundry, whose home in a grand Edwardian laundrette is fronted by a sprawling outdoor terrace with plenty of space to spread out. A great choice whether you’re popping by for brunch, or to peruse The Cleaner’s Diary – a little black book of their cellar wines.
Details: Walton’s Lodge, 374 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PL | Book a terrace table at The Laundry
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Kudu | Peckham
You couldn’t design a lovelier back garden, Kudu? And aside from being a total suntrap with lush greenery and pretty wrought iron seating, it also allows you to enjoy the team’s Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning South African braai dishes while you’re at it.
Details: 119 Queens Road, Peckham, SE15 2EZ
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Seabird | Southwark
Seabird has a wonderful sense of occasion right from the outset; to find it, you’ll head to the lobby of the mid-century chic Hoxton Hotel, and find a large gold plaque with a single button marked ‘Seabird’. This summons an elevator that’ll whisk you up to the 14th floor. Seats on the terrace are rarer than hen’s teeth, but you might just get lucky… occasionally.
Details: 40 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8PB | Book a table
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Llewelyn’s | Herne Hill
If there’s one thing you have to do in your life in the next, hmmm, lets say, day? It’s prioritise getting down to Llewelyn’s (preferably for lunch running through to dinner) and snatching a seat on their front terrace, for some of the best seasonal small plates merged with outdoor dining that London has to offer.
Details: 293-295 Railton Road, London SE24 0JP | Book an outdoor table at Llewelyn’s
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Sharkbait & Swim | Deptford
With its jugs of cocktails, exceptional seafood and the mass of al fresco seating spilling out from its revamped railway arch, Sharkbait & Swim makes Deptford Creek feel like the Spanish riviera.
Details: Arch 11, 4 Deptford Market Yard, London SE8 4BX | No outdoor bookings
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Tavolino | London Bridge
By rights, an affordable Italian restaurant with views over one of London’s most famous landmarks should be an absolute tourist trap. And yet somehow, Tavolino manages to just be a really, really wonderful spot for fresh pasta, negronis, and al fresco dining.
Details: 2 More London Pl, London SE1 2RR
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Brunswick House | Vauxhall
A lot’s already been said about Brunswick House’s antique-heavy interior (where the ceiling is covered in chandeliers), but more needs to be said about the walled-in, wisteria-laden garden, which allows one to dig into lunch & brunch in and amongst statues, sculptures and pot plants, courtesy of highly-skilled chef-patron Jackson Boxer.
Details: 30 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2LG | Book an outdoor table at Brunswick House
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Milk | Balham
The tables spilling out of Milk almost double the capacity of this modestly-sized corner eatery. And as one of the most popular brunch spots in South London, it’s not so much a luxury as an absolute necessity…
Details: 18-20 Bedford Hill, SW12 9RG | No bookings
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Parrillan Borough Yards | London Bridge
Graciously providing ample shade thanks to enormous parasols and the sweeping railway arches overhead, Parrillan Borough Yards is the perfect choice for when you want to eat outside, but don’t want to get as scorched as the BBQ dishes on your table.
Details: 4 Dirty Lane, SE1 9PA | Book an outdoor table at Parrillan Borough Yards
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Fish, Wings & Tings | Brixton
London’s weather might not match up to the Caribbean, but the flavours on your plate will: Trinidadian-born Brian Danclair draws on his grandmother’s cooking as well as his training in ‘nouvelle cuisine’ to create mouthwatering dishes, served exclusively on picnic tables spilling out of Brixton Market.
Details: 3 Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PR | No bookings
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Forza Wine | Peckham & Southbank
From the team behind lots of pop ups, a rambunctious pizza, pasta & cocktail joint inside an old Peckham cash & carry, and a bunch of other things we can’t remember is this little gem of an Italian & snack house perfect for anyone who’s keen to enjoy some very light Italian dishes as an accompaniment to their main course of booze. The first edition is located on a beautiful rooftop terrace right by Peckham Rye station; the second occupies two terraces at the National Theatre, looking right onto the Southbank.
Details: 5th Floor, The Market, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST | Book a terrace table at Forza Wine
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Little Kudu | Peckham
Tucked into a railway arch, Little Kudu is, understandably, tiny. What’s not so tiny is the foliage-filled al fresco terrace, where you can knuckle down with some of their ‘modern South African tapas’ – Kalahari-spiced biltong; pig’s head croquettes decorated with dollops of wild garlic aioli; and braai-grilled courgettes served with ricotta and cashew dukkha, among others – paired with a nice bottle of wine from the Western Cape…
Details: 133 Queens Road, SE15 2AY | Book an outdoor table at Little Kudu
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Wright Brothers | Battersea
Toby Keane
Battersea – it’s pretty much the perfect place for a seafood spot; especially when it’s the third in a family of well-established eateries, and comes with its own festoon-lit verandah overlooking the river…
Details: 26 Circus West Village, Battersea Power Station, SW8 4NN
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Vinegar Yard | London Bridge
Taking over a formerly disused patch of land, Vinegar Yard is now a very used piece of land, full to the brim with street food traders like Baba G’s and the Untitled Sandwich Shop, outdoor bars and picnic tables.
Details: 72-82 St Thomas St, London SE1 3QU | Book a table (only for big groups of 10+)
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Berberè Pizza | Clapham
Berberè Pizza has 17 pizzerias in Italy, which should tell you something about the quality of their output. And their South London spot pays tribute to the birthplace of al fresco dining with colourful tables and chairs spilling onto the pedestrianised street.
Details: 67 Venn Street, Clapham, SW4 0BD
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400 Rabbits | Herne Hill
Sure, there are a couple of these spots across South London now. And sure, they all do great sourdough pizzas. But only one of them spills out onto the patio of a Grade II listed art deco swimming pool…
Details: Brockwell Lido, Dulwich Road, SE24 0PA
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The Crown & Greyhound | Dulwich Village
Always nice to recommend a lovely local pub, particularly when it’s located in the sort of London neighbourhood that you may (particularly in summer months) wish to spend some time pootling around one lazy Sunday afternoon. Dulwich, which combines a quaint village and beautiful park (boating lake, check) with the shops and restaurants of Lordship Lane in East Dulwich, just a short walk away, is one of those places.. and the Crown & Greyhound, located in the heart of the village itself, is a nice place to go for lunch or dinner.
And most importantly – for this article, at least – it has a large outdoor courtyard complete with a retractable roof & plentiful heaters (as and when required) plus, beyond that, a large paved garden with lots of additional space for alfresco dining.
Details: 73 Dulwich Village, Dulwich SE21 7BJ | Book a table (ask for an outdoor table in the special requests box)
Loving the sun? Check out our pick of the best things to do outside in London. And you might want to take a look at these rooftop bars and waterside restaurants, too.