The 11 best restaurants in London for al fresco dining

Britain is currently experiencing the hottest summer on record, which is good news for outdoor diners and for those unimpressed by a picnic blanket in a park.

A concept lifted from Mediterranean climes and cobblestone streets across southern Europe, al fresco dining has found a natural home in London — with City workers picking up a wrap from a Shoreditch food truck while others cut deals over lunch on nearby roof terraces.

The Englishman’s love of a garden, meanwhile, has helped transform many an outdoor space into a bucolic oasis: a balm for many of the capital’s residents who don’t have so much as a patio.

And so here is Country Life’s guide to dining al fresco in London — for everyone that lives here and those that commute in for the season.

Julie’s, Holland Park

Julie’s — the one-time haunt of Mick Jagger and Tom Cruise — made quite the bang when it re-emerged last year. Since (re)opening night in May, when lobster and caviar toast was washed down with Sauternes martinis, it has been the hottest table in town: Mick Fleetwood visited three times in a week; Stevie Nicks and Reese Witherspoon were also spotted there. And old timers will be pleased to hear that the lobster soufflé is still firmly on the table.

The elegant, 34-cover terrace is a new addition, but it hasn’t eased the competition. If you’re lucky enough to snag a reservation, don’t come too early or you’ll be tempted into the still open Summerill & Bishop store, directly opposite, which isn’t great for anyone’s bank balance.

Towpath, Haggerston

Set as close as you can get to the water without getting wet, this casual little spot has long been the best place along the Regent’s Canal for breakfast, brunch and lunch, serving the likes of Turkish eggs with sourdough, anchovy- and mozzarella-stuffed courgette flowers, whipped cod’s roe and freshly baked cakes.

Co-founder Lori De Mori honed in on it because it sat directly opposite her former flat — but you’re better off finding it by walking south from Haggerston station until you hit the canal and then walking west for about two minutes.

Towpath, in its current form, spans four industrial units and opens from early spring to autumn. It draws in an eclectic crowd from ‘hardcore regulars, some of which come every day, some… multiple times a day’, to families, local creatives and inquisitive diners who have traversed London to get there.

On the weekend, a polite queue forms parallel to the canal (there’s no booking system), shuffling slowly forward towards the promise of grilled cheese sandwiches with quince jelly and fried eggs dripping in caramelised crispy sage butter.

There’s a caffè sospeso system in place — ’an Italian thing’, inspired by Lori’s time in Tuscany — that means customers can buy a coffee for themselves and pay for someone else’s in advance. It’s all very nice.

It’s now open for dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and watching the sun set with a glass of rosé as you peruse the daily changing blackboard menu is what dreams are made of. You can’t book, so get there early or late.

Parrillan, Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross

It’s always summer at Parrillan’s covered and (if needed) heated terrace. The air up here on the great sweep of Coal Drops Yard’s viaduct is enticingly scented with grill-smoke from the tabletop parillas on which you cook your own meat, fish and seasonal vegetables; just add peerless pan con tomate and croquetas a-plenty, plus sherries and cava. Billowing drifts of Mediterranean planting lend even more of a holiday feel.

The River Cafe Cafe, Hammersmith

No tables to be had at the River Cafe proper until the autumn? With its cerulean floor, twinkling zinc counter and greatest-hits menu, its younger sibling has the same magic, as well as plentiful bookable terrace seating. Plus, it’s open all day until 10pm: think a breakfast of bruschetta draped with confit Vesuvio tomatoes or Cantabrian anchovies, lunch of Amalfi lemon tagliatelle, and sundown negronis plus pillowy rolls stuffed with Parma ham and oozy stracchino cheese.

Forza Wine at the National Theatre, South Bank

The cool ‘Italianish’ spirit of Peckham’s premiere rooftop venue pervades its South Bank outpost, with the added draw of unbeatable Thames views from the National Theatre’s wraparound terrace. The whole shareable menu — complete with griddled flatbreads and grown-up soft serve — is hard to resist in a heatwave, especially after a couple of killer frozen cucumber margaritas.

Milk Beach, Soho and Queens Park

Both branches of this chic modern Australian restaurant have beguiling outdoor seating, in an oasis of a courtyard and a parasol-shaded mews respectively. The breakfast and lunch menus are both an invitation to linger: standouts include ricotta hotcakes with brûléed banana, chilli scramble with stracciatella, crispy potatoes with miso butter and a fabulously zingy chicken ‘Schnitty’ banh mi. When the sun is past the yard-arm, martinis beckon (made with a samphire, rosemary and oyster leaf vermouth), along with thoughtfully chosen wines from independent makers.

Canal, Westbourne Park

The Grand Union Canal hasn’t historically been considered one of London’s must-visit scenic byways, but that’s changed with the arrival of Canal, from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie. On a warm evening the waterside terrace catches every last ray of sun: olive oil-washed negronis, guest DJs and an ever-changing roster of dishes like fragrant melon with cured ham, griddled peas and ricotta and a standout burger and chips combo keep things Riviera.

Dalston Curve Garden, Dalston

Described by some at Country Life as ‘Petersham Nurseries for people who’ve been to Berlin’, Dalston Curve Garden is one of East London’s best people-watching spots. It is also a great place to decamp on a Friday afternoon for the work-from-home set; although rest assured, there are more tables here that ban laptops than allow them. This is a working botanical garden; capital for its upkeep is raised through the proceeds of the Café Bar, which serves delicious coffee, lemonades and a range of wine, cider, spirits and beer, many of which are locally produced. Freshly baked cakes are also on the menu.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Knightsbridge

To step inside the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, is akin to entering one of the private members’ clubs on Pall Mall: an imposing hall and staircase bedecked with marble walls greets you as footmen beckon you towards Dinner, Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin Star restaurant at the back of the building, or The Audley, the hotel’s legendary bar. There’s a way of doing things here. It’s elegant. It’s refined. You want to slow down and savour it.

Perhaps nowhere in London offers clearer respite from the outside world; and the cherry on the cake is undoubtedly the outdoor terrace, a mere 20 yards or so from the cacophony of Knightsbridge, overlooking Hyde Park and the Household Cavalry, which parades down the strip right over the hedge. The food is prepared by the same team behind Dinner, offering a menu that reimagines British summer classics such as coronation chicken, lobster rolls and fish and chips (the latter served with mussel ketchup).

The lunch menu is more restrictive; you want to stop here for dinner, when the air is cooler and the sky turns pink and purple with the sunset. Start with an oyster and pair with a 2022 vintage Sancerre by Pierre Martin. Tables seat two or four.

Toklas, Embankment

Toklas is a mid-century modern restaurant in a Brutalist building, slipped into a side street a few steps up from the River Thames. It’s tricky to find and most virgin diners end up in the downstairs in-house bakery by mistake (after lunch or dinner, head back here for takeaway rounds of Basque cheesecake). Look for the stairs, bounce up them and the restaurant and its large and very underrated terrace will open up to you on the right hand side. The food is the sort of simple that looks like you make it home, but absolutely could not — at least to this standard. Think whole fried artichokes and guinea fowl over chickpeas.

The Ham Yard Hotel, Piccadilly

A stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of London’s busiest artery is an oasis of calm that rises high above Soho. The roof terrace at the Ham Yard Hotel, which contains bee hives and a working vegetable garden, is usually available only to in-house guests — or anyone hosting an event — but from now until mid-September, each Wednesday to Sunday, one may come and visit courtesy of Château La Coste.

The legendary Provençal vineyard is offering a special ‘Rosé on the Roof’ experience (£15 per person, including a rosé sorbet on arrival) as well as an afternoon tea from 1pm on weekends. Think jambon beurre sandwiches and comté gougères to start, and a tarte tropézienne or nectarine and cassis choux to finish.