The best restaurants with a view in London

On the sixth floor of Page 8 Hotel on St Martin’s Place, Kitty Hawk is the latest rooftop venue from the ETM Collection — the group behind Aviary and Wagtail in the City — and brings a modern European menu to one of the most theatrically positioned terraces in central London. Perched directly above the junction of Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square, the wrap-around terrace frames Nelson’s Column, the National Portrait Gallery, and the sweep of the West End skyline. The modern British menu centres on oysters from Jersey, Carlingford, and Maldon, lobster and crab risotto cake, salt-marsh lamb, and posh fish and chips. A pre-theatre menu (Monday to Friday) makes it a natural first stop before a West End show; weekend bottomless brunch runs for 90 minutes. Kitty Hawk manages the rare trick of being genuinely useful — pre-theatre, post-work, or weekend — while earning its position among the best restaurants with a view in London on the strength of the vista alone.

On the 14th floor of 120 Fenchurch Street in the City — part of the Evolv Collection, sister to 20 Stories in Manchester — 14 Stories is nicknamed “the forest in the sky” for good reason: hundreds of plants, trees, and cascading greenery dress an interior that already commands 360-degree views of the Shard, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and the River Thames. The menu focuses on modern British cuisine with French influence and a commitment to seasonal, sustainably sourced produce: raw yellowfin tuna sashimi with sesame emulsion and togarashi spice, hand-cut Berkshire venison tartare, and a sharing T-bone for two sit alongside a chef’s selection tasting experience. A rooftop terrace on the 15th floor opens in summer with 360-degree views; a late-night bar with DJ sets runs every Friday; and a botanical brunch with resident DJs runs every Saturday and Sunday. One of the best rooftop restaurants in London for all-day City dining.

On the tenth floor of Montcalm Royal London House in Finsbury Square, Aviary is one of the City’s most established rooftop restaurant destinations — the ETM Collection’s flagship elevated dining room, with a panoramic outdoor terrace and views spanning the Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie, the Shard, St Paul’s, and the broader City skyline. The modern European menu covers refined sharing plates and seasonal mains, matched to a cocktail programme and wine list curated for the setting. At weekends, the Birdsong brunch is the signature event: a generous free-flowing format with seafood and dessert sharing towers, live DJs, and 90 minutes of bottomless prosecco or cocktails. Private terrace igloos are available in winter. Aviary handles the transition from relaxed City lunch to evening rooftop bar to late-night celebration better than almost anywhere in EC2. For those after the best restaurants with a view in London for a special occasion in the City, Aviary remains one of the most complete options.

Accessible only via an iconic exterior red-pill lift that ascends the outside of The Standard hotel’s 1974 Brutalist building opposite St Pancras International, Decimo is the London debut of MICHELIN-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias — and one of the most dramatic restaurant arrivals in the capital. The 10th-floor space frames floor-to-ceiling views across the King’s Cross skyline, and the kitchen channels the chef’s Spanish heritage and love of Mexico through live-fire cooking: fresh-pressed tortillas, aguachiles, open-fire grilled meats and seafood, vibrant vegetable plates, and mezcal-led cocktails all feature on a sharing menu designed to move through the evening. Saturday brunch covers huevos, enchiladas, tacos, and short rib birria alongside margaritas, micheladas, and a paloma offer. The cocktail programme, curated alongside the signature drinks list, is as considered as the food. A rooftop bar above the restaurant provides London’s most distinctive after-dinner vantage point above the northbound rail lines.

On the rooftop of The OWO — the Raffles-managed conversion of the Old War Office on Whitehall — Kioku by Endo is the London restaurant of third-generation sushi master and MICHELIN-starred chef Endo Kazutoshi, whose menu reflects his journey from Yokohama fish markets to the height of global Japanese cuisine. The view from the 55-seat terrace is among the most rarefied in London: Whitehall, The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Trafalgar Square, and the Houses of Parliament in one unbroken sweep. The kitchen delivers Endo’s celebrated blend of Japanese heritage and Mediterranean inspiration — nigiri and sashimi of exceptional precision, cuttlefish with nori pesto and elderflower, prime meats and fish from the robata grill. A set lunch is available Tuesday to Friday at three and four courses, while the Kioku bento provides a more accessible entry point. The chef’s table — eight seats, a bespoke tasting menu, and kitchen-side views of Parliament — is among the most singular dining experiences in London.

On the seventh floor of citizenM Tower of London — directly above Tower Hill Underground station — cloudM is one of the best-kept secrets among the best bars with a view in London. Floor-to-ceiling glass wraps around a two-storey interior and outdoor terrace that places the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Shard, and Trinity Square in immediate, unobstructed view. The cocktail programme is art-inspired and inventive, with signature serves named for works displayed in the hotel — the Queen Bea (Tito’s Vodka, elderflower, triple sec, grapefruit, lemon, and edible glitter, inspired by an Andy Warhol portrait) among the most photographed. Light bites — charcuterie, cheese selections, sweet potato fries — and late-night artisanal pizzas complement the drinks. An ideal stop for sundowners after exploring the Tower of London or the City.

On the 25th floor of art’otel London Hoxton on Rivington Street — making it the highest dining venue in Shoreditch and one of the highest rooftop restaurants in east London — Solaya is the London debut of MICHELIN-starred chef Kenny Atkinson. The 360-degree circular layout delivers an extraordinary panorama from Canary Wharf and the City to the Shard, Wembley, and the South Bank. The menu is Southern French and Mediterranean in spirit and execution: bluefin tuna carpaccio with red onion and mango vinaigrette, smoked tarama salata, steak tartare on sourdough, a showstopping bouillabaisse with langoustine bisque, red snapper, king prawns, and saffron potatoes, and a côte de boeuf for two. DJ nights run Wednesday to Saturday; and golden hour cocktails are available Tuesday to Thursday from 5pm.

CLAP occupies three floors of the Knightsbridge Estate — a 9,731 sq ft space that culminates in a seventh-floor rooftop terrace and bar with 180-degree panoramic views across central London including Harrods, Hyde Park, and the Knightsbridge skyline. The kitchen blends traditional Japanese technique with contemporary global influences. Live sushi and robata counters on the sixth floor add theatre; the kitchen delivers Black Cod Miso, wagyu beef tartare with biwa caviar, rock shrimp tempura, pistachio-crusted baby chicken with yuzu and daikon, and a full omakase option. A weekday set menu offers two or three courses, while weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday. A cocktail programme inspired by Tokyo’s nightlife scene and a 26-drink menu complete the offer. One of Knightsbridge’s most distinctive dining destinations.

On the 15th floor of the Hyatt Regency London Albert Embankment, Mezemiso is a Lebanese rooftop restaurant with a view that very few London dining rooms can rival: the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and the London Eye visible directly ahead from the heated outdoor terrace. The kitchen celebrates Lebanon’s culinary heritage with passion and precision: mezze selections, kibbeh, grilled meats, oven-cooked black cod, rock prawn tempura, and a mixed grill platter that centres the sharing format central to Lebanese dining culture. The shisha and cigar terrace is the most requested space, available daily with an extensive selection of flavours. Cocktails, mocktails, and a wine list complement the food; live entertainment and DJ sets run throughout the week. Halal dining is available. For diners seeking a London restaurant with a view of the Houses of Parliament, Mezemiso is unmatched.

On the seventh floor of The Hoxton Shoreditch — accessed via a specific yellow door on Willow Street and a dedicated lift — Llama Inn London is the capital’s outpost of the award-winning Brooklyn restaurant that earned a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand for chef Erik Ramirez. The space is beautiful: a glass roof and vast windows flood the long dining room with light during the day and frame the City and Shoreditch skylines after dark; a white outdoor rooftop terrace extends the experience in warmer months. The menu is modern Peruvian through a New York lens: life-changing ceviche, cabbage anticucho with chancaca and saikyo miso, scallop ceviche with yuzu kosho and pitaya, lomo saltado, flame-grilled côte de boeuf. Sour hour runs Sunday to Friday. A genuinely singular Shoreditch rooftop restaurant.

Chef Gordon Ramsay’s high-altitude Asian dining room at 22 Bishopsgate — the 62-floor tower that currently stands as the tallest building in the City of London — Lucky Cat Bishopsgate occupies the 40th floor, commanding one of the most extraordinary views of any restaurant in London: a 360-degree panorama that sweeps from the Thames to Canary Wharf, from the Gherkin to the Shard, from St Paul’s to the Olympic Stadium on the eastern horizon. The Contemporary Asian menu is a sophisticated, produce-led exploration of Japanese and pan-Asian cuisine: tempura, sashimi, wagyu beef skewers, black cod, and signature sharing plates built around quality ingredients. A sake and Japanese whisky programme complements the food alongside a full cocktail bar. The journey to the restaurant — through the building’s lobby and up to the 40th floor — is part of the experience. For any diners compiling their own list of the best restaurants with a view in London, Lucky Cat Bishopsgate represents the ultimate City argument.

On the 38th and 39th floors of Heron Tower at 110 Bishopsgate in the City of London, SUSHISAMBA City is one of London’s most long-standing elevated dining destinations and one of its most dramatic: a glass lift ascends the outside of the building to deliver diners to a restaurant with unobstructed views spanning the entire London skyline — the Gherkin next door, St Paul’s to the west, Canary Wharf to the east, the Shard to the south. The kitchen’s Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian three-way fusion is bold and technically confident: the samba roll, yellowtail tiradito, rock shrimp tempura, and black cod anticucho are among the signature dishes; the robata grill and sushi and sashimi counters add live kitchen theatre. Brunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays; the bar programme, led by the world-class signature cocktail list drawing on pisco, shochu, and Japanese whisky, is a destination in its own right. SUSHISAMBA City remains one of the defining best restaurants with a view in London — a benchmark that newer arrivals are measured against.

Perched high above East Village at The Gantry, STK Rooftop Steakhouse & Bar delivers some of the most dramatic skyline views of any restaurant in London, looking out over the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the east London horizon. The menu is built around prime-cut steaks — from classic ribeye to tomahawk — alongside a broader selection of seafood and sharing plates, all served in a sleek, lounge-inflected dining room with a lively atmosphere that shifts from dinner service into DJ-led late nights at the weekend. The drinks programme matches the setting, with an extensive cocktail list and a sunset menu available early evening. Whether you’re booking for a date night, a birthday, or post-match after the stadium, STK Stratford is one of the best restaurants with a view in London for those who want their skyline with a side of serious steak.