London from above: the best rooftops to see the city differently

Above the Thames, this bar appears to float. Well-crafted cocktails, warm evening light, and soft music: time seems to slow down here. 12th Knot fits into London's rooftop scene, where bars sit above the city streets and offer a different way to experience the evening.

1864 Rooftop Bar and Kitchen is a true combination of restaurant and bar where the city reveals itself from above. Simple, well-made dishes arrive with friendly service, and the views stretch across London's rooftops in every direction. This place lets you linger over a meal without rush, watching how the light changes over the surrounding buildings as evening comes on.

The terrace at The Londoner Hotel is part of this collection of rooftop spaces where Londoners go to watch the sun set over the city. It overlooks Trafalgar Square and the West End, offering an intimate setting with attentive service and views that stretch across the urban landscape. This is where the energy of the city meets the quiet of the sky.

Aqua Spirit is a West End classic that fits perfectly into London's rooftop scene. This elegant terrace with glass columns and carefully prepared cocktails sits high above the city streets. Here you can enjoy a lively evening with friends, watching the light change over the rooftops even when dusk arrives slowly.

Aviary London's rooftop sits high above the City with sweeping views from a tower location. Large benches and a thoughtfully designed map help you understand the landscape stretching in all directions around you. The skyline appears like a film set from this vantage point. For this collection exploring London from above, this venue exemplifies the experience: perched in the air, far above street level, where you observe the city from a height and feel part of its rhythm.

The Boundary Rooftop is a rooftop garden above Shoreditch and part of this collection of London rooftops that offer new ways to see the city. People come here to eat, speak loudly, and watch how light changes on the bricks of east London. The terrace shows how London's rooftops have become places to breathe, have a drink, or simply watch the day unfold.

The Bussey Rooftop Bar shows Peckham in its most authentic form: a converted parking lot with string lights and music. The view over south London has something raw and joyful. This rooftop fits into the collection of London's terraces, where people gather to watch the sunset over the city and feel the energy that defines the place.

The Coq d'Argent is a hanging garden in the heart of the City. With manicured lawns and French cuisine, this rooftop offers a place to breathe and linger above London. From here, you watch the skyline while you eat and enjoy the evening. This garden rooftop fits into the collection of London rooftops, which are places where people go up for the view and stay for the energy that builds there each evening.

Forza Wine is where you enjoy natural wines, Italian dishes, and the sunset over London's rooftops. The concept is simple and direct: a well-poured glass of wine with a view, nothing more. This rooftop fits perfectly into the collection of London's best places to see the city from above, where the skyline becomes the backdrop to an evening out.

Frank's Cafe is where London reveals itself from above. On warm days, people gather on this rooftop terrace to take in the view over the city. The pink bar and raw concrete walls create a relaxed setting. Up here with London stretching out on the horizon, you can have a drink, meet friends, and feel the pulse of the city. This place is free to visit and feels more casual than many other rooftop bars.

This rooftop bar sits at the top of the H10 hotel and offers a direct view of the South Bank. It is perfect for an aperitif facing the giant wheel and the illuminated bridges. Within this collection of London rooftops, it is a place where you sit, drink, and watch the river while the city sparkles beneath you.

The Jin Bo Law Skybar is a rooftop addition to this collection of London's elevated gathering spots, offering drinks and views across the city. From the open terrace, visitors watch the buildings and lights of London unfold below. The venue serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, joining the ranks of places where you can see the sky and the city at the same time.

Located just above the famous bridge, this rooftop fits perfectly into the collection of London's elevated drinking and dining spots. Music, tapas, and views of the Thames at sunset create the kind of simple, lively atmosphere that draws people up to these terrace bars across the city.

The LSQ Rooftop sits on top of Leicester Square Hotel, serving cocktails with views stretching across London. Within this collection of London rooftops, this terrace is one of those places where you climb above the city, order a drink, and watch the sky change. It stays open into the evening, becoming part of that London experience where the city looks different from up there.

Madison sits at the top of One New Change and offers modern cuisine and drinks with direct views of St. Paul's Cathedral. The terrace of this restaurant and bar is a place to see the city from above, have a drink, and feel London's energy between sky and music.

Marlins on the Roof is an elevated bar in London that specializes in tropical cocktails and island-inspired cuisine with colorful decor and a laid-back open-air setting. This spot fits perfectly into London's rooftop culture, where people go to escape the noise below and breathe freely. The open terrace, with its cheerful decoration and relaxed vibe, becomes a gathering place as evening falls and the city reveals itself from above.

The Mercer Roof Terrace in this collection is a dining and bar space perched above Covent Garden where you can taste contemporary British dishes and explore a curated wine selection. It is one of those rooftop spots where Londoners gather to eat, drink, and watch the city unfold below as the light changes throughout the evening.

This rooftop bar serves creative cocktails and modern cuisine in an open-air setting with views of the London skyline. As part of this collection of London rooftops that function as places to relax and watch the city, the venue features a furnished outdoor area with comfortable seating and soft lighting for the evenings.

Netil 360 is a venue at the top of a building with panoramic views over London. The bar serves a variety of drinks and small plates in an open-air setting. From this rooftop, you can see the city from a different angle while experiencing the energy that defines London's evenings.

The Oxo Tower Bar sits on the eighth floor of the Oxo Tower with direct views of the Thames and London landmarks. It serves signature cocktails and a light dining menu. This bar is part of London's rooftop culture, where people gather above the city to drink and watch the view change. From here, you see the Thames flow and the city lights spread across the sky.

The Pocket Square is a rooftop bar in this collection exploring London's rooftops. It is accessible by elevator and offers a selection of premium spirits and handcrafted cocktails. The outdoor space includes dining areas with unobstructed views over the surrounding London neighborhoods. Like other bars in this collection, the Pocket Square is a place where you look out over the city and feel the pulse of London's evening life.

The roof garden of Queen Elizabeth Hall sits above London's streets, offering drinks and light food with sweeping views of the Thames and the landmarks around it. From up here, the city unfolds differently: the river catches the light, the rooflines create patterns, and you feel the pulse of London from above. It's a place where you pause and watch the hours change the colors of the sky.

The rooftop of Queen of Hoxton transforms with each season, offering a fresh setting. DJs and installations shape the experience, alongside playful cocktails. People come for the party and stay for the view of Shoreditch—a place where music and urban energy meet above London.

The Radio Rooftop Bar sits atop ME London Hotel with open views across the city. This rooftop is one of those places where you look out over London while feeling the pulse of the city around you. Here, signature cocktails are served as the skyline reflects in glasses and red roofs glow under string lights.

The roof of this shopping centre in east London becomes a temporary gathering spot during the summer months. Up here you find drinks, casual food, and leisure activities. It is one of the places where you experience the city from above, away from the street-level bustle.

The Roof Garden at Pantechnicon is one of those rooftops where you discover London from a different angle. Perched above Belgravia, this outdoor dining space lets you eat and drink while taking in the view. Plants and greenery surround the tables, creating a garden-like setting above the city streets. Mediterranean food and cocktails are served here, and as evening arrives, the space becomes a gathering spot where people watch the light change over London.

Rucola at The Conduit is an Italian restaurant on the terrace of the private club The Conduit in Mayfair, serving contemporary dishes and drinks in an open-air setting. Within this collection of London rooftops, it stands as a place where you look down on the city while enjoying Italian cuisine. The terrace offers a refuge above the streets to have a drink and watch the sun set over the rooftops and skyline of London.

The Sabine Rooftop Bar sits on top of The Curtain hotel in Shoreditch, serving creative cocktails with open views across London. Within this collection of London rooftops, it is one of those places where you go up to see the city from another angle, and stay because life happens there. From here you watch the skyline shift while holding a glass and feeling the city's urban energy.

Sachi is a Japanese bar on the top floor of a Fitzrovia building, serving cocktails inspired by Japanese culture with panoramic views of London's rooftops. This rooftop fits into the story of London's elevated spaces: a place to breathe, drink, and watch the city change color as the sun sets over the Thames.

Savage Garden sits on the top floor of a building in London's financial district, offering views across the Thames and surrounding skyscrapers. The creative cocktails served here are meant to be enjoyed while taking in the panorama. This rooftop captures the collection's spirit: a place where you climb above the city streets to find a vantage point that shows you London from a different angle, with a drink in hand and the river below.

Seabird sits on the fourteenth floor and offers a different way to experience London from above. This seafood restaurant serves modern cuisine while providing unobstructed views of St Paul's Cathedral. It invites diners to eat while watching the city unfold beneath them, becoming one of those rooftop spaces where London reveals itself from a higher vantage point.

The Selfridges Roof Terrace sits above the bustling Oxford Street, perched on top of the iconic department store. This terrace is used for private events and special receptions, offering guests a place to gather high above the city streets. Like other rooftops in this collection, it serves as a refuge from the pace of London below, where visitors can take in views and experience the city's urban energy from above.

The Skylark Roof Garden is an elevated green space in central London that serves refreshing drinks and light food. Its open-air tables offer views over the city's rooftops, and it fits perfectly into London's rooftop culture, where people climb up to escape the street-level rush and feel closer to the sky.

Soho Sky Terrace is an elevated outdoor space in the heart of London, offering drinks and open city views from its central location. This terrace is part of London's growing network of rooftops that have become retreats above the streets. From here, you can see the city from a different angle while enjoying a drink and feeling the energy of the West End.

Skylight is an open-air space spread across multiple levels, where you sit suspended above London. The venue brings together cocktails, food, and social gathering with views across the city's rooftops. It captures London's energy: people come for the sunset, music fills the air, and the city glows under the evening lights.

South Place Hotel's rooftop is a refined space where you can see London spread out before you while sipping cocktails and eating well-prepared dishes. This terrace shows you the city from above, away from the noise and movement of the streets below. It's one of those places that reveals how London looks when you rise above the pavements – a spot to breathe and watch the skyline change as the day goes on.

Sushisamba sits on the 38th floor of 110 Bishopsgate and belongs to this collection of London rooftops where the city looks different from above. The restaurant serves fusion food that blends Japanese and Brazilian flavors while offering views across London in all directions. It is one of those places where people go up for the panorama and stay because of the energy that fills the space each evening. The skyline becomes part of the view from your table.

The Amano Rooftop sits atop the Amano Hotel in Covent Garden, creating a relaxed lounge space where guests enjoy cocktails and light dishes in a contemporary setting. As part of this collection of London rooftops, this terrace offers a modern retreat above the bustling streets, where people gather to drink, unwind, and take in the skyline.

The Culpeper Rooftop is a terrace perched above the pub in Whitechapel, offering handcrafted drinks and views stretching across East London's rooftops. This rooftop fits perfectly within this collection of London's elevated bars that sit above the city streets and offer a place to breathe. Here you watch the urban landscape unfold while sipping carefully made beverages, experiencing the energy of London from above where the city reveals itself in a different way.

The rooftop at One Hundred Shoreditch offers a place to escape above London's streets. From here, you see the city from another angle: cocktail glasses reflect the skyline while the sun dips behind the buildings. The space draws people seeking a quiet moment or an evening with friends. Music plays softly in the background, and your eye travels across red roofs and modern towers. This is one of those spots where you come up for the view and stay for the life that unfolds there.

The Rooftop at The Standard London sits high above the city, offering cocktails and spirits with sweeping views of London's rooftops. From this terrace, you can watch light and shadow play across red tiles as the sun dips toward the horizon. People come here to escape the noise below and see the city from a different angle.

TT Liquor specializes in spirits and craft cocktails, featuring a raised outdoor space where you can look out over London's rooftops. This venue embodies the spirit of the collection: a place above the streets where visitors gather to drink, watch the city, and experience London from a different vantage point. The bar showcases how these elevated terraces have become part of the city's rhythm.

Upper 5th Shoreditch is a rooftop bar in this collection of London's elevated sanctuaries. It serves creative cocktails and drinks in a modern setting with open views over the city. This terrace is one of the places where you can escape the streets below, enjoy a drink, and watch the city's skyline change colors as the day fades.

The Wagtail Rooftop Bar and Restaurant sits above the city as a place to enjoy cocktails, contemporary dishes, and watch London's skyline shift throughout the day. From this terrace, you experience the urban pulse that draws people upward to these elevated spaces across the capital.