Nightlife
Best Rooftop Bars in London
Guide: Skyline Drinks Without the Generic Hotel Bar
London rooftops range from polished hotel terraces to converted car parks, neighbourhood roofs, and late DJ spaces. These ten picks separate year-round rooms from seasonal openings and explain when booking, weather, dress, or age restrictions change the visit.
- MadisonMadison faces St Paul's from the roof of One New Change, pairing a broad public-facing terrace with cocktails, grills, and DJ-led weekend energy. The cathedral view is the reason to go; book a table for food, or arrive outside the sharpest sunset rush for drinks.
- Boundary RooftopBoundary Rooftop puts Mediterranean plates, cocktails, and a heated orangery above Redchurch Street. The terrace is compact and weather still shapes the open-air seats, so reserve for dinner or sunset rather than assuming a walk-in view.
- Kaso RooftopKaso is One Hundred Shoreditch's rooftop bar for Turkish-influenced sharing plates, cocktails, DJs, and west-facing skyline views. It opens Thursday through Saturday evenings and is strictly 18+, so this is a planned night rather than an all-day sightseeing terrace.
- Flute at Broadwick SohoFlute wraps Broadwick Soho's roof in maximalist interiors, a terrace, seafood-led snacks, and polished cocktails above the West End. It is a higher-priced, dressed-up option, but the central position and late weekend close make it useful before or after Soho plans.
- 12th Knot12th Knot is the Sea Containers rooftop bar for skyline cocktails, DJ nights, and sunset views over the Thames.
- AviaryAviary combines a broad 10th-floor terrace with City skyline views, cocktails, all-day British cooking, and weekend brunch. The indoor restaurant continues to midnight, but the open-air rooftop closes at 10:00 PM daily, so book earlier when the terrace rather than the dining room is the point.