FOOD & DRINK / JUNE 2026
Summer, Served: London’s Best Outdoor Hotspots
Ah, the good old English summer…an unsolvable enigma of second-guessing whether you need layers or sunscreen, of biblical downpours followed by Saharan heatwaves. No wonder discussing the weather is a national pastime. But when the sun shines on London there’s no better place to be, and soaking up the rays in a spot at a much-coveted outdoor venue is hard to beat. From rooftop cocktails to leafy neighbourhood terraces, here’s our pick of the outdoor bars and restaurants we’ll be heading to.
Words by Katie Hutley
Sabine, Holborn
Fresh from the team behind the much-loved St Paul’s rooftop, Sabine Holborn brings the same sky-high polish to Southampton Row. It’s a sleek central London spot for cocktails, small plates and those slightly smug summer evenings when you’ve managed to find somewhere above street level before everyone else has. The vibe is grown-up but not stiff, with just enough glamour to make a post-work drink feel like a proper night out. Go for after-office cocktails, a date that needs a little lift, or a catch-up that deserves better than a crowded pavement table.
Perched on the sixth floor of Maslow’s 1 Warwick, Yasmin is a Soho rooftop with panoramic views and a menu that takes its cue from Istanbul. The wrap-around terrace gives it instant summer appeal, but the food is what makes it more than just a pretty place for a cocktail. Think whipped sheep’s cheese with hot honey, baharat duck skewers, Turkish dumplings and grilled sea bream, alongside bright, fruit-forward drinks made for long evenings.
It’s stylish without feeling exclusionary: the sort of place that works equally well for a loose-plan dinner, a small celebration, or drinks that gently turn into ordering half the menu.
Bar Douro
For a Portuguese hit without the airport queue, Bar Douro is hard to beat. The City site brings the charm with its hand-painted azulejo tiles, while London Bridge has the added joy of a terrace in Flat Iron Square, moments from Borough Market, which comes properly into its own in summer. This June, Bar Douro London Bridge is bringing back its Festa dos Santos Sundays, inspired by Portugal’s much-loved Festas dos Santos Populares: the street festivals that fill Lisbon and Porto with charcoal grills, music, colour and long communal tables each summer.
Every Sunday throughout the month, guests can expect grilled sardines and smoky peppers cooked over charcoal, rustic broa, chilled Super Bock, crisp Vinho Verde and live Portuguese music from singer and guitarist João Menezes from 2pm-4pm. Running from 12pm-8.30pm, it’s a lively, generous little slice of Portugal in London Bridge - and exactly the sort of thing summer Sundays were made for.
Bar Douro City: Unit 3, 1 Finsbury Avenue, EC2M 2PF
Bar Douro London Bridge: Arch 35B, 85B Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ
Few London terraces come with quite as much character as Julie’s in Holland Park. The much-loved neighbourhood dining room has long had a hint of bohemian legend about it, and its 34-cover alfresco terrace keeps that spirit nicely intact: sun-filled, heated, and just the right side of decadent. Chef Patron Owen Kenworthy’s menu gives the modern French brasserie mood a seasonal lift, with dishes such as green asparagus with lemon and parmesan, lobster Caesar salad, black truffle risotto and moules au Roquefort with parsley and shoestring fries.
The wine list is suitably generous, moving from classic French bottles to more unexpected finds, while the cocktails keep things interesting too, from the Green Tomato with vodka, Amontillado, tomato liqueur and ponzu to the Jasmine Blossom with green tea, gin, lemon and egg white. It’s the sort of place made for lazy lunches, gossip over a very cold glass of something, and dinners that feel like a small occasion without requiring anyone to behave too sensibly.
Soho Sky Terrace
Set high above Great Marlborough Street at the Courthouse Hotel, Soho Sky Terrace is made for anyone who likes their summer drinking with a bit of Soho theatre. It sits in exactly the right part of town for a spontaneous plan: close enough to Carnaby Street for post-shopping drinks, near enough to the theatres for a pre-show cocktail, and central enough that nobody can claim it’s impossible to get to.
The rooftop setting gives it the appeal, of course, with views over the W1 rooftops and a welcome sense of escape from the pavement-level rush below.There’s a relaxed, come-as-you-are feel to it, helped by the walk-in policy and covered booths, which are a useful safeguard when the forecast is behaving like a work of fiction.
The menu keeps things easy with cocktails, bar food, sharing plates and snacks designed for golden hour grazing rather than a formal sit-down. Go for a spritz, a glass of fizz or something stronger after a long day in Soho, then settle in for the kind of people-watching only central London can provide. It’s a strong choice for birthday drinks, pre-theatre plans, low-effort dates, post-work catch-ups or an end-of-week escape that feels just far enough above the Soho kerfuffle.
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