We can think of few more idyllic city activities than drinking
and dining among the flowers in the hanging garden at this N1
beauty. Something of a local institution, the convivial spot might
be at the top of many people’s summer hit list, but remains no less
desirable for it. Great food and good cocktails make it a mainstay
for discerning sun-worshippers looking for an al fresco base
camp.

After a long, lazy Sunday stroll across Hampstead Heath, a pub
lunch is always in order. Our favourite spot to nurse wobbly legs?
The spacious beer garden at The Garden Gate. Conveniently backing
onto the heath itself, this is the place to enjoy Pimm’s on tap and
a huge selection of craft ales. If you don’t own a dog, borrow one.
You’ll feel left out without a snoozing pooch at your feet in this
countryside-esque stalwart.

A short walk from Spitalfields Market, The Culpeper is the ideal
hangout for post-work pints. With a verdant rooftop terrace
practically touching the Gherkin, this is an East End boozer and
then some. Everyone loves a seasonal food menu, but one that
showcases ingredients picked straight from its own greenhouse?
Don’t tease us. To best enjoy the modern-English menu, come hungry
and wash it all down with your pick of the flavour-packed
tipples.

A regular on east London’s summer scene, Netil360 offers more
than just a place to kick back with your friends. Adopt its
blue-sky policy with a visit to the on-site co-working space during
the day, then, by night, savour heady beats, a hip crew and a
revolving pizza menu. The best part? No bookings are required.
We’ll race you there.

When a bar as stylish as this one graces Shoreditch’s Singer
Street, it’s bound to cause a stir. Subtle hints to its name come
in the form of octagon-shaped mirrors and honey pots lining the
walls – this is a hive where the hip and happening come to play.
The setting sun burns the terrace amber, before outdoor fire pits
are lit and DJs kick things off with house, R&B and soul
tracks.

This Dalston club venue is not the place to go if you’re after a
quiet one – be it because of the strength of the cocktails, the
thumping audio system or the chiselled hipsters, an evening here
always ends in mischief. Originally a community allotment, the
astroturf-clad venue has recently installed a retractable roof,
meaning you can pull up a deckchair and have a pint whatever the
weather. Although it doesn’t open until 2 June, it’s worth the wait
– trust us.

A menu dedicated to gin? We’re sold. The design of this place
(and, yes, the name) is a giveaway that it’s from the same team
behind No.32 The Old Town and No.11 Pimlico Road. As the sun goes
down, lounge on one of the heated waterfront seats while glugging
down a fish-bowl-sized pink grapefruit-flavoured pomelo gin.

You haven’t truly visited this rooftop rite of passage unless
you take a picture on the stairwell, which is London’s answer to
LA’s pink wall. Set atop a multi-storey car
park in Peckham, this is the perch to flock to for
craft beers and cocktails, ox-heart kebabs and brown-sugar hot
wings. The dusk skyline views rival that of Manhattan, so get down
early: this place has the south London cool kids queuing round the
block. FYI: Franks Café reopens for the summer season on Friday 20
May.

You’ve definitely seen this place on your socials at least four
times this month, and if you haven’t, let us introduce you to the
new cool kid on the west London block. Housed on the top floor of
the Broadcaster building, the sultry and stylish Aerial Rooftop is
decked out with rattan chairs, candlelit tables, enormous sofas and
a plant-clad pergola draped in sailcloth awnings. Visit at the
weekend to drink in views across the capital’s skyscraper-filled
skyline while enjoying soothing sounds from the talented resident
DJs. The BBQ menu is the real showstopper, though, featuring
vegetable skewers, chicken thighs and shrimp burgers that pair
perfectly with a stormy mojito, made with East London Liquor Co
Rarer rum, lime, mint and Franklin & Sons ginger beer. Sweet
tooth? The jammy dodger ice-cream sandwich is as divine as it
sounds.

This pub is unlike most in London. Part bar, part food market
and part restaurant, it’s arranged around a central dance floor and
offers a plethora of food trucks to choose from. We’re pegging The
Prince as west London’s hottest hangout (thanks to sunny days and
charmed customers). The sunny spot comes from the same people who
brought us Pergola on the Roof, and these guys really know how to
deliver on a blissfully chic summer hideout.

Within easy reach of Chelsea Harbour, The Waterside is perfect
for a midweek brunch date. Head to the large, heated terrace –
decorated in arresting shades of blue – to gaze across the Thames.
Bag a seat on one of the sapphire-leather sofas, before ordering an
extra-large pinot.

A stone’s throw from the legendary River Café, between the
Hammersmith and Putney bridges, this chichi spot has a sombre,
Victorian interior – though you’ll hardly notice it, the main
attraction being the enormous Thames-facing garden. Head here on a
summer evening, find a spot beneath the weeping willow and gaze
across to Barnes and the leafy London Wetland Centre.

Named after Virginia Woolf’s character Mrs Dalloway, this
venue’s dreamy interiors channel all the elegance and charm that
the eponymous character lacked. Outside – which is doable come rain
or shine, thanks to weather-protecting foliage and heaters –
attentive staff ensure five-star service, making it a good spot for
a date. Set in the literary heart of London, this is the kind of
place your parents would love, too.

Looking for a wild drinking session? You’ll find it at 34
Mayfair, where past tricks have included a dine-in bauble grotto,
levitating Boris Johnson dolls (seriously) and floral extravaganzas
that would put the Chelsea Flower Show to shame – even the menu
looks like an entry to the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Decor
aside, the spirits here are something to scream about. We suggest
ordering the something tropical colada: one gulp and you’ll be
(mentally) transported straight to the Caribbean.