Rooftop Bars in London
London's rooftops come with house rules. The best rooftop bars in London mostly top hotels. The Emory Rooftop Bar, on the Maybourne hotel's tenth floor in Belgravia, takes no reservations, asks £50 a head minimum and holds two Pinnacle Guide PINs. Florattica Rooftop London, eleven floors above Aldgate, hangs what it calls the largest hanging floral display in the UK and allows clean sneakers. At 12th Knot, atop Sea Containers on the South Bank, terrace tables are first come, first served until the 10pm close. 1 Leicester Square Rooftop overlooks the square from Hotel Indigo's ninth floor, and 1864 Rooftop Bar & Kitchen sits on the roof of John Lewis Oxford Street. These are the bars we would start with.
- The Emory Rooftop BarPINNACLERooftop Bar
The Emory Rooftop Bar
The Emory Rooftop Bar sits on the top floor of The Emory, the Maybourne hotel in the steel-masted building that Richard Rogers designed off Hyde Park Corner. The room was designed by Remi Tessier and looks out over Hyde Park and central London. Its cocktail list is created with Tato Giovannoni of Floreria Atlantico in Buenos Aires, each drink a tribute to a London place, person or institution. The bar takes no reservations and sets a minimum spend per person.
The Emory, Old Barrack Yard, London SW1X 7NPFull profile - Florattica Rooftop LondonPINNACLERooftop Bar
Florattica Rooftop London
A rooftop bar on the 11th floor of the Canopy by Hilton London City, inspired by the silk weavers who once lived and worked in this corner of East London, their craft echoed in floral patterns, vibrant design and creative cocktails. The list is arranged into themed collections, the '7 Virtues' among them, alongside spritzes, small plates and weekend brunch. Holder of a PIN from The Pinnacle Guide.
Order thisHopeBelvedere vodka, pomegranate wine reduction, Santoni amaro, tonic water11-15 Minories, London EC3N 1AX, United KingdomMon-Thu 4pm-12am, Fri 4pm-1am, Sat 12pm-1am, Sun 12pm-11pmFull profile - 1 Leicester Square RooftopRooftop Bar
1 Leicester Square Rooftop
1 Leicester Square Rooftop is on the ninth floor of Hotel Indigo, high above Leicester Square in the heart of the West End theater district. The rooftop looks out over the London skyline, and the venue sees itself as a stage in its own right, with the nightlife of the West End playing out below. Inside, the bar takes on the glamour of a 1920s speakeasy, and its cocktail list leans on a jazz theme, combining premium spirits with fresh ingredients and classic flavors. Tables can be booked through the venue's own reservation page. The day starts early, from 6:30am on weekdays and 7am at weekends, and service runs until 11pm most nights and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
9th Floor, Hotel Indigo, 1 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7NAMon-Thu 6:30am-11pm, Fri 6:30am-12am, Sat 7am-12am, Sun 7am-11pmFull profile - 12th KnotRooftop Bar
12th Knot
12th Knot is the rooftop bar and terrace at the top of Sea Containers London on the South Bank, an open-plan room that puts the London skyline at center stage. The terrace is made for golden-hour drinks, with sweeping views across the river and the city as evening falls. It closes at 10pm for licensing reasons, and its tables are not bookable, going to whoever arrives first. Cocktails lead the drinks list, with a playful menu of signature serves next to classic favorites, and a Laurent-Perrier Champagne Terrace adds to the offer. The dress code is smart casual, with no sportswear or flip-flops. It opens Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm.
Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PDTue-Wed 5pm-12am, Thu-Sat 5pm-12:30amFull profile - 1864 Rooftop Bar & KitchenRooftop Bar
1864 Rooftop Bar & Kitchen
1864 Rooftop Bar & Kitchen is on the sixth floor of John Lewis on Oxford Street, a rooftop space with panoramic city views, craft cocktails and a seasonal menu. Guests can settle into greenhouse-style private booths or sit out on the open terrace, and the wildflowers planted around the roof inspire the cocktail list. The views work by day in the winter sun and after dark, when the skyline lights up. For the festive season the rooftop sets up igloos, and it also hosts private events and celebrations. It opens daily from noon, until 9pm on Monday, 10pm from Tuesday to Saturday and 7pm on Sunday, and tables can be booked online.
6th Floor, John Lewis, 300 Oxford Street, London W1C 1DXMon 12pm-9pm, Tue-Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-7pmFull profile
More of London
These are the rooftop bars specifically. The full London guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 91 with a map and filters.
