The Best Rooftop Venues in London

When it comes to a skyline which is recognisable throughout the world, London is always up there with the best. From the banks of the River Thames with The Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, The London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral & Tower Bridge through to the City with The Gherkin & The Shard & then further east to Canary Wharf & The O2, London showcases the architectural styles throughout the ages.

To take full advantage of this historical skyline, London is home to some of the world’s best rooftop bars & restaurants, whether it’s team drinks or a more exclusive event, there really is something for everyone & for all occasions.

We will start off with SushiSamba located on the 38th & 39th floors of the Heron Tower, one of London’s tallest buildings, located at 110 Bishopsgate, in the heart of the City. The main dining room has floor to ceiling windows with outstanding views across London. Sushisamba also features the highest outdoor dining terraces in Europe with 360-degree views of the City. With two panoramic glass lifts offering an experience in themselves… but maybe not the best one if you a scared of heights.

The East Terrace is a casual setting with views across the capital and the highest outdoor dining space in Europe with capacity of up to 100 guests in a reception setting. The Tree-Terrace is truly a Garden in the Sky and includes an outdoor fire pit, this terrace can only be hired as part of an exclusive hire of the venue, which caters to up to 400 guests.

The SambaRoom is the new cocktail bar & lounge on the 39th floor illuminated by the East London skyline. The Private Dining area sits next to the cocktail bar & above the main dining area & is suitable for 30 guests seated for an intimate dinner or 50 guests in a casual lounge setting. Combining both the cocktail bar & lounge there is a total capacity for 100 guests.

Next up is The Aviary Rooftop Restaurant & Terrace Bar sitting atop the Montcalm Royal London House Hotel, overlooking Finsbury Square & only a ten-minute walk from Liverpool Street station. This is a stunning venue, 10 floors up & again right in the City, with private hire catering to groups of up to 120 guests.

This summer the Patron Terrace offers an alfresco environment with a blend of the sensory experience of Mexico. The Glass Box has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the terrace & can accommodate up to 50 guests standing, with full terrace access up to 10pm.

If you have over-indulged at the Bottomless Brunch or had a few too many Evening Cocktails, you can always book a room downstairs at the Montcalm Royal London House Hotel, an exquisite property with an onsite spa & additional meeting space for up to 300 attendees.

The OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar & Brasserie is recognisable to anyone that has travelled along the River Thames, be it walking, by car or by boat, with its bright red sign a beacon from miles around.

Positioned on the top floor of the OXO Tower, the Restaurant is the home of fine dining, offering amazing views of the beauty that is St. Paul’s Cathedral & along the River Thames, The Bar & Brasserie are a more casual setting with an open kitchen, live music & a 200ft terrace offering a relaxed open-air environment. Private hire is available for up to 160 people seated or up to 750 for a standing reception.

For those that would just like to take in the view, there is free access to the Public Viewing Gallery on the 8th floor. Make your way to the lifts, up to the Restaurant level and simply ask the front desk to escort you through to the Gallery. The terrace maybe small but hardly anyone knows about it, so the chances are you won't be too crowded, anyway, if it is busy, you could always just head to the Bar and take in the view with a glass of wine.

Moving into Central London, we have The Rooftop St. James, which affords its guests some of the most iconic views London has to offer. Set on the 7th floor of The Trafalgar St. James, this elegant property has stunning views across Trafalgar Square & Nelson’s Column down to the Shard, Westminster & The London Eye.

At over 200sqm, the Rooftop has a seated capacity of 80 guests & for a standing reception can accommodate up to 180. For a more intimate dining experience the private space, ROOM, is perfect for a client lunch and accommodates 16 people seated or 25 standing. As their website states, “Breathtaking views come as standard”.

Another venue boasting impressive views across London’s West End is LSQ Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, inspired by 1920s Shanghai, situated at the number 1 Leicester Square on the 9th floor of the Hotel Indigo.

Friday nights at the LSQ are home of the Cityscape Jam Session, with a different musician every week bringing their eclectic style to the venue. Saturdays & Sundays offer the Rooftop Live Brunch with 90 minutes of unlimited Prosecco or Rose. ?

Private hire of the venue is better suited to smaller groups, with a maximum capacity of 35 for a reception in the Rooftop meeting room, with access to the terrace for those unmissable views.

Split across two floors, Wagtail London | Rooftop Bar & Restaurant | City of London includes two private terraces & an elegant, covered rooftop bar, plus an exclusive private dining area in the cupola. Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, Gherkin are all part of the 360-degree views on offer.

Private fine dining in The Cupola, can accommodate up to 10 guests, for larger groups of up to 400 people, there is a range of beautiful spaces and Wagtail is home to conferences, parties and weddings. The Restaurant can house 180 seated, the 10th floor Terrace Bar offers 360-degree views for 120 people standing, the East & West Terraces can cater to 60 people each standing and offer views of the River Thames.

Now we move out East to find Marlin’s On The Roof, sitting on top of the Mondrian London Shoreditch, part of the private member’s club Blue Marlin Ibiza London. This stylish venue really does bring the Mediterranean to our capital, with great views across the East London skyline & a range of DJs mixing the tunes on weekend evenings. Hotel guests and the private members can take advantage of the rooftop pool, so the perfect reason to stay over.

The hotel itself offers substantial meeting space with the combined ballroom having a capacity of up to 300 guests standing and 200 banquet style. BiBo Shoreditch brings Andalucian style and cuisine and has a private hire capacity of 90 people seated and 150 standing.

Now we have something a little bit different, and we are staying out in East London, Stratford to be exact. Positioned at the top of a Multi Storey carpark, we have Roof East and as The Washington Post states “Stratford’s place to be… (they) have thought of everything”

Established 10 years ago and always around for the summer season, Roof East offers a range of Food Traders & Bars, an onsite Cinema, Crazy Golf, Archery, Baseball, Ping Pong and much much more.

Available for private hire with spaces catering from 8 people for a cabana up to 600 people for the entire venue. This could be the perfect place for an action-packed Staff Summer Party, but it is extremely popular so do your best not to miss out.

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As you can see, no matter what the size of your party, you can advantage of the summer and the City’s skyline, London really does have something for everyone.

If you have a specific requirement or even just a rough idea for a Summer Event, please get in touch with a member of our team and we’ll be happy to help.