Behold an excellent reason to travel all the way from John Lewis’s Oxford Street window displays to its rooftop this weekend: Willows, The Festive Edition.
Yes John Lewis has taken its uppermost level, um, up a level by sprucing it up with lots of spruce, lights and Christmas cheer. On the menu? Pizza pies and ice cream sandwiches by surprising culinary duo Gizzie Erskine & Professor Green.
The forest of willow trees that was up there during the summer (when the space was taken over by the team behind Night Tales, who also run an excellent open-air food, drink & music-loaded terrace in East London) has been uprooted and replaced by more winter-appropriate foliage. There’s a huge, twinkling Christmas tree at the rooftop’s core, and the planters and hedges hemming in the space have been strung up with a dazzling array of fairy-lights.
They enclose a couple of different seating areas – there’s cosy tables for two; comfy sofas for bigger groups; picnic tables; and three heated chalets that you can privately book for you and up to eight friends.
The drinks have had a festive reboot, too – you can sip on a Gingerbread Sour (a kind of winter-spiced negroni), the White Old Fashioned and a Mulled Gin & Juice. And mentioned, G&G are still up their with their indulgent pizzas which uniquely combine the refined pleasure of slow-risen sourdough with the carnal satisfaction of stuffed crusts, all flash-cooked in a wood-fired oven. Toppings include all the classics (marg, pepperoni, Hawaiian) with house specials like meatball marinara or the ‘honey trap’.
Your move, House of Fraser.
NOTE: Willows is open daily, 12-10pm. You can check out their website, and make a booking right HERE.
Willows | John Lewis Rooftop, 300 Oxford Street, W1C 1DX
Like high altitude cocktails? Take a peek at our Winter Rooftop Bar Guide