London's rooftop restaurants and restaurants with views
Long a vast but low-rise city, London's skyline has only recently been perforated by blocks of buildings that could legitimately be described as skyscrapers. As the number of high-rise buildings in the capital grows, so too do the number of rooftop restaurants. Many of these restaurants charge top rates to go with their sky-high views, so they're perhaps best avoided if you're dining on a budget, but for a special night out with exceptional panoramas of central London and beyond, they offer an experience to remember.
Galvin at Windows, Hyde Park
Opened in 2006, Galvin at Windows may lack the flashy glamour of newer City venues, but years of experience are manifest in charming service – we found the team knowledgeable, nimble and unflappable – and a Michelin-starred menu of beautifully presented and creative French dishes. An effort is made, too, to create a sense of celebration: to provide a lasting reminder of the meal or an opportunity to brag to friends, diners are presented with Galvin at Windows postcards (posted anywhere compliments of the restaurant). Given the venue’s age, expect to encounter a clientele keen to enjoy a leisurely, high-quality meal rather than trend-conscious diners clamouring to get a table at the latest new opening.
What you can see
On the 28th floor of the Hilton Park Lane hotel, the restaurant overlooks Hyde Park – at night just an inky blot against a bed of lights – and the surrounding cityscape. For views of central London, St Paul’s and the skyscrapers of the City beyond, make time for a drink at the bar before or after dinner.
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Aqua Shard
London looks minuscule from the top-floor View from the Shard, so the restaurants that occupy the middle levels of the skyscraper are better bets if you’d like to admire the city’s finer details (and if you just have a cocktail your visit should turn out cheaper too). On the 31st storey of the building, aqua shard is sultry and shadowy space (almost overly so, in fact - take care if your night vision is lacking), serving a contemporary British menu devised by Dale Osborne (previously of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal). That might mean hearty mains such as pork belly with barley, turnips and crackling, followed by cherry bakewell tart with Cornish ice cream. The familiar, competently prepared flavours are a good choice given so many diners come here to focus their attention on the dazzling views.
What you can see
The view from aqua shard is mesmerising, stretching from the Tower of London and the skyscrapers of the City to gleaming St Paul’s and the London Eye, with the meandering Thames in between. That’s if you get a window table, of course; diners within the restaurant’s interior will see little but open sky. If you’re having trouble securing a reservation, consider instead going for a drink in the bar which gives a wink to best of British by serving a number of gin- and tea-based cocktails.
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Helix at The Gherkin
Perhaps the city’s most beloved skyscraper (and certainly the City’s), The Gherkin is unmistakable even from within. Found on the building’s penultimate, 39th floor, restaurant Helix is encased by a curved, latticed facade and diners who peer upwards to mezzanine-level rooftop bar Iris will peek the rounded tip that forms its pinnacle. Given you’re dining in an internationally recognised icon of British architecture, it’s no surprise that the menu is British too.
Seasonal and locally sourced are the buzzwords, represented by dishes such as English asparagus with Dorset crab to start and Rhug Estate Welsh lamb with bell pepper and courgette - it’s elegantly presented, competent far, nice if not particularly distinctive or entirely memorable. But the unsurprisingly high prices (starters about ￡15; mains about ￡28) and lack of especially exciting dishes are balanced by excellent wines, pleasant service and the thrill of being ensconced in one of Europe’s most beautiful modern buildings.
What you can see
Beyond admiring the Gherkin itself, diners have a bird’s-eye view of London’s rapidly changing financial district and some can catch sight of landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral. Alongside the Cheesegrater, Walkie-Talkie and Heron Tower, the spread of half-built sky-high buildings now enfolding the address is so dense that our view of the Shard and outer reaches of central London was rather obscured - not a problem at all when there's so much to take in just in the immediate vicinity.
Level 9 at Tate Modern
On the ninth floor of Switch House, the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Tate Modern extension, this 150-cover eatery is committed to celebrating all things British – produce is drawn almost entirely from the UK and even the beer is brewed in nearby Bermondsey. Save the mean-spirited size of side orders, it’s generally satisfactory. On my first visit, the chef and a well-prepped, hospitable crew did a good job of providing an accessible menu that has to satisfy both London epicureans and the five million or so tourists who ramble through this cultural institution each year. Following a later return visit I have, however, lost some confidence in the venue: I was let down by slow, disorganised service, apparently attributable to a new and confusing menu debuting on the same night.
What you can see
Perhaps uniquely the best views are afforded by the tables in the restaurant’s interior – narrow slits in comparison to the floor-to-ceiling versions standard elsewhere, windows are too high up to provide a direct view of the city to those seated directly beside them. From a distance, however, they offer snatches of the skyline, perhaps a segment of the Shard or the peak of St Paul’s.
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Fenchurch Restaurant
Set on a pedestal in the centre and top of the Sky Garden that occupies the uppermost level of the Walkie Talkie skyscraper (officially known as 20 Fenchurch Street), Fenchurch Restaurant is the most high-end of the building’s eateries. Dishes on the “British contemporary” menu are beautifully presented and consistently impressive – grilled red mullet with braised octopus and piperade was a burst of colour and flavour; lamb with yoghurt, artichokes and cumin was perfectly seasoned and pleasingly unpretentious. Service, both from wait staff and our enthusiastic sommelier, impressed too, and the team works hard to compensate for the unexpectedly diminished views. The building’s sloped roof means most tables look towards descending bulky iron beams rather than any significant stretch of skyline.
What you can see
A handful of westward-facing tables provide an outlook towards St Paul’s, the BT Tower and a sliver of river, but really anyone wanting to enjoy a view of the city should make time for a drink before or after dinner in the Sky Garden bar.
Sushisamba
Branches of the growing chain of Sushisamba restaurants can be found in New York, Chicago, Miami and beyond. London’s outpost is found on the 38th and 39th floors of the City’s Heron Tower so it’s likely you’ll see deals being brokered at nearby tables, but the atmosphere is kept in check by personable staff and the spread of dating couples out to have a good time.
The menu’s an eclectic mix, too, featuring a blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine, alongside one of the most comprehensive sake selections in the city. Small plates (averaging ￡14) include dishes such as shrimp tempura with snap pea julienne and black truffle vinaigrette; various sushi and sashimi options are available, and “large plates” include sea bass tempura with beetroot ceviche. Also worth highlighting is executive chef Claudio Cardoso, who works closely with environmental initiatives and charities such as rainforest-preserving Cool Earth and can speak in engaging detail about how he is trying to make fine dining in London a more eco-friendly activity.
What you can see
Most tables look towards east London, stretching from Bishopsgate to the Olympic Park, Canary Wharf and Tower Bridge. The venue also features an outdoor terrace and bar, both of which come into their own in summer, and an indoor bar with unmatched views of the Gherkin. Ascending to the restaurant in a rapidly rising glass-fronted elevator is an experience in itself.
Duck & Waffle
A sour, hesitant welcome by a pompous ground-floor doorman made for a bad start to my visit to Duck & Waffle on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower. Once in situ service is still somewhat inconsistent - I found it slow at times, over-attentive at others - but overall the vibe here is relaxed and informal. The destination is more moderately priced than Sushisamba below, the clientele more diverse and the offering more accessible.
Open 24 hours a day, its any-time menu features hearty European comfort foods - small plates of nduja seared octopus or asparagus with English burrata, say - alongside mains of beer-braised rabbit with greens or spinach and ricotta ravioli. Breakfast , brunch, late-night and group menus round out the caters-to-all offering. Expect to pay about ￡19 for a mains, not at all unreasonable for such a memorable setting (though I found the duck and waffle indistinct, a disappointment given it is of course the signature dish).
What you can see
Diners enjoy the same thrilling elevator ride upwards as their cohorts in Sushisamba, and the view is similar. Look out for the Gherkin, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, amidst the sprawl of East London.
Hutong
Another of the Shard’s elevated eateries, dimly lit, sophisticated Hutong on the building’s 33rd floor serves what our waitress described as “spicy and numbing” Sichuan food. In practice that means an extensive range of dim sum and dumplings, alongside roasted Peking duck, crispy oysters and braised beef ribs in lotus leaf.
The highlight of our meal, unquestionably, was the sichuan-style deep-fried lobster mixed with a potent blend of chilli, black beans and dried garlic, while cocktails (most at ￡16) are innovative and enjoyable, too - is there any other London cocktail counter where ingredients such as squid ink, pancakes and Peking duck are intermixed with the expected mixers and spirits?
What you can see
Expect the same stupendous views diners can enjoy from aqua shard below. For those lucky enough to secure pretty much any of the restaurant’s window tables, the panorama of central London is truly spectacular.