Visit a rooftop bar: London’s best sky-high drinking spots for summer
Find your favourite rooftop bar: London’s latest openings for 2025 are listed below
Provencal themes are jolting drinkers out of the capital and to the south of France this spring, as many of the best London rooftop bars deck out their outdoor areas with escapist design themes. That’s why we particularly love The Culpeper, who are keeping things British this summer with a woodland theme, serving drinks garnished with herbs from their rooftop garden.
Find more London rooftop bar inspiration with our list of 18 of 2024’s best rooftop bars, or book one of this season’s latest below.
Kutir
It’s rare to find truly superb food at a London rooftop bar – but Chelsea Indian restaurant Kutir has a newly opened rooftop upon which Michelin starred chef Rohit Ghai is serving his tasting menu. Using the best of British summer ingredients but giving them an Indian twist, the food is paired with fragrant wines and Indian-styled cocktails. kutir.co.uk; 020 7581 1144
Kitty Hawk
Page 8 hotel that borders Trafalgar Square doesn’t stand out against the prominent historical architecture on all sides that it competes with, like its neighbours the National Gallery and The Criterion. But the hotel is home to a new rooftop inspired by the beach clubs of the French Riviera. Go for less of the crowds and more of the sophistication: for the 2025 summer launch, the rooftop has been fitted with touches of the Mediteranean: lemon trees are as common as muck up here, and there’s a new cocktail menu to pair with the views. etmcollection.co.uk/venue/kitty-hawk; 0207 100 0234
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The Culpeper
With so many London rooftops embracing Mediterranean themes, it’s refreshing that The Culpeper has kept its 2025 theme closer to home. Their British Woodland theme has been playing out through cocktails and small plates, and silver birch and hazel trees have been planted on the rooftop alongside a range of edible plants from the rooftop garden, bringing the “sights, scents, and flavours” of British woodlands to central London. theculpeper.com; 020 7247 5371
Find your perfect rooftop bar: London has a range of exciting new launches this spring
The Constitution
After reopening last year following a complete refurb, this Camden canalside pub has extended its rooftop offering for summer 2025. Expect seasonal sharing plates, but true to its locale, a range of live events will be scheduled weekly throughout the summer. Comedy evenings, craft workshops and quiz nights are also common. theconstitutioncamden.co.uk; 020 8104 1966
Pergola Brixton
Brixton morphs into Mexico this summer, at least if you’re drinking at Pergola Brixton. The rooftop venue has been redesigned in washes of primary colours to reflect Mexican style, which we imagine will bring the sunshine even if the weather doesn’t hold. Expect the usual range of tequila and mezcal cocktails, with unusual frozen drinks beyond the conventionall frozen marg, and the Pergola Lates series every Friday night, with DJs and dancefloor vibes. pergolabrixton.co.uk; 020 8187 1038
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Sabine
Rooftop bar Madison comes to mind first when thinking of ski-high places to drink around St Paul’s, but there’s a less flashy, more sophisticated option. Sabine, on the highest floor of the Leonardo Royal Hotel, has views to compete with Madison but a much more chilled vibe. There are DJs in the evenings, and food that way surpasses expectations. The kaffir lime and sesame chicken toast is a sensational dish, perfect for sharing with the spiced lamb cutlets and one of the strong cocktails. Sabinelondon.co.uk; [email protected]
Capri in the City
The rooftop at The Berkeley, with views over Hyde Park, is a supremely classy spot for an aperitif – especially with their seasonally changing poolside concept. This year the hotel is going to Italy (thematically, of course) for Capri in the City, a colourful pop up with spritzes, pizzas, and sunset views. Pop next door to new hotel The Emory while you’re in that part of town for a snoop around London’s first all-suites hotel, and a bite to eat at the incredible Abc Kitchens restaurant on the ground floor. the-berkeley.co.uk; 020 7235 6000
Queen of Hoxton
Queen of Hoxton has always been the best shape-shifter of all the London rooftop bars. Every season for over a decade, it has completely revamped its rooftop offering to offer an entirely fresh immersive experience. Last year the space was reimagined as Mexico but this year it looks like owners are doing away with the fun themes to go for something more grown-up and potentially more bland, if we’re going by descriptions on the press release like “a serene yet stylish space.” There are no photos yet, but stock images of palm trees under blue skies are clearly not taken in England. It’s all change at Shoreditch’s most famous rooftop bar, and to be honest, we’re wary the all-new approach is going to feel a little sterile and out of key with their clubby, energetic crowd. Still, let’s see. queenofhoxton.com; 020 7422 0958
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Los Mochis City
If you like your rooftop with a biting margarita, you could do far worse than a visit to Los Mochis, home to one of the largest tequila collections in Europe as well as some generous chilli-salt garnishing mixologists. Work your way through their stash while admiring the view of St Paul’s, and retreat to the large indoor bar when the sun goes down. A Mexican-Japanese offering, the food feels less fusion and more partitioned (some tacos, some sushi) but the individual dishes themselves are excellent. The miso cod and crispy rice are particularly good and all dishes are designed to share. The decor’s a little glitzy but there’s a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Plus the space is huge so you shouldn’t have to fight for a seat. losmochis.co.uk; 020 7225 2502