A fancy new pub arrived in North London last spring and, naturally, a banging
terrace was high on its priority list. The Farrier’s outdoor heated terrace and hidden courtyard get
top marks for a cosy fire pit, and an entire food and drink menu
dedicated to crowd-pleasing dishes designed to be enjoyed in the
great outdoors. Although the kitchen is headed up by a chef with
Michelin-star credentials (Ash Finch has worked under Marcus
Wareing and Alain Ducasse), there’s nothing stuffy about this
place: fish and chips with mushy peas is still firmly on the
menu.

Everyone’s favourite neighbourhood haunt, this canalside spot
has been offering al fresco dining since way before it was
fashionable. Headed up by Lori De Mori, the daily changing menu –
chalked up on a blackboard – offers scrumptious toasties, salads
and fresh bakes. Tiny chairs and tables are crammed along the
hilariously nicknamed “Haggerston Riviera”, where you’ll jostle for
space with bearded hipsters and designer whippets. Good luck
finding a table, especially at weekends.

After getting tired of telling people to check the weather
forecast before they come for lunch, Rochelle Canteen has added a
brilliant tented cover over its verdant outdoor terrace. Decorated
with seasonal flowers, it’s the place to enjoy simple and perfectly
executed dishes from Margot Henderson and her merry team of chefs.
Expect the likes of brown shrimp, white cabbage and chervil,
asparagus and butter, and a rhubarb fool to die for.

This Shoreditch barbecue joint is something else. An
industrial-chic setting with ample outside space out front (perfect
for people-watching the local Brick Lane crowd) is the setting for
top-shelf cuts of wood-smoked meats, served up to a laid-back
creative clientele. Start with the cod’s roe and naan, before
making your way through such delights as lamb sausage, pulled pork,
charred pork-belly rib, beef brisket and dry-aged beef rib, all of
which arrive grilled to perfection on piled-high slabs. Word to the
wise: come in a big group so you can have a full-on feast and try
as much of the menu as possible. If you find yourself defeated,
friendly staff will happily pack leftovers up for you to take home.
Wash it all down with chilli margaritas and local craft beer. It’s
a 10 out of 10 from us.

Michelin-starred Brat restaurant is home to a
large covered terrace at Climpson’s Arch in east London. The daily menu showcases native seasonal
produce sourced from some of the best producers in the UK,
including Dan Cox’s Crocadon Farm in Cornwall and Calixta
Killander’s Cambridgeshire farm Flourish. Diners can expect fresh
dishes such as fried pork chops with anchovy and hay butter and
tomatoes with aged mutton and grilled cep mushrooms, alongside
sides of pickled peppers, aubergine escabeche and fermented golden
beets.

The Smoking Goat has a 50-seater covered, heated outdoor space
in the Tea Building, on the corner of Redchurch Street and
Shoreditch High Street. Head chef Ben Curtis and his team are known
for their fiery Thai cooking, which lends itself to balmy summer
nights. Inspired by Bangkok’s late-night cuisine, the kitchen
places an emphasis on underrated, native seafood from Cornish
waters, serving up a mixture of skewers and smoky seafood options
from the open barbecues, as well as signature clay-pot noodles.

The cult bakery turned Italian-learning restaurant in Hackney’s
London Fields is home to one of London’s largest heated outdoor
terraces. Diners can expect an innovative menu of handmade pasta
for lunch and dinner. You’ll also find outdoor seating at the
restaurant’s original Islington bakery, on Prebend Street. Frankly,
we’d sit in the pouring rain just to be able to eat one of the
incredible rhubarb and cardamom custard pastries.

Four summers ago, a group of friends somewhat sailed a
traditional Dutch barge from Holland to Hackney Wick and converted
her into a floating restaurant and bar. The riverside views across
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and seasonal British menu quickly
caught on, and the floating venue has become something of a
destination. The giant beer garden, which seats 300, is one of
the largest outdoor dining areas in east London. There’s also the
outdoor Street Kitchen – think buttermilk chicken, scotch eggs and
chickpea panisses – and bookable greenhouse booths. What’s not to
love?

Brought to us by Robin and Sarah Gill (of The Dairy in Clapham
fame), the modern neighbourhood restaurant Bermondsey Larder is
every south Londoners favourite haunt for feasting. Highlights of
the menu, served on the terrace, include farmer Tom Jones’ lamb
with Jerusalem artichoke, pulled aubergine and mushroom flatbreads,
and a gorgeous split mackerel and sea-salad dish, perfect for
sharing.

A brother-and-sister-owned café in the heart of Nappy Valley,
this place turns out a really solid all-day brunch menu. Those
living in Clapham will already know and love the Mediterranean feel
of the recently pedestrianised high street, which Café Tamra’s
seating area spills out onto. New additions to the menu include
toasties, sarnies and French toast with bananas and Canadian maple syrup. It’s walk-in only, but worth the
wait.

A little slice of Portugal near Borough Market, Bar Douro’s restaurant
and wine bar comprises a spacious outside terrace. There are
well-spaced port barrels to perch on for a drink and snack (grilled
octopus is a must), or rustic tables for more of a sit-down dinner
– with both areas being covered and heated. Don’t leave without a
box of pastéis de nata.

Possibly the world’s most aspirational garden centre, Petersham
Nurseries’ original Richmond flagship is an aesthetic pilgrimage
for all levels of green thumbs. The indoor-outdoor café operates
throughout the week, with evening service on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday. It’s set in a delightful courtyard, where you can dine al
fresco beneath a heated pergola draped with jasmine and
bougainvillaea. After sunset, candles are lit and diners enjoy an
accomplished spring menu under the stars.

Masaki Sugisaki’s Japanese restaurant in Chelsea has an idyllic
20-cover terrace loved by gourmands. Open daily from 12.30pm to
5.30pm, the full Dinings SW3 menu – bringing together traditional
Japanese techniques and European culinary
influences – is best enjoyed al fresco in the summer months. Savour
celebrated sushi and sashimi creations alongside Dinings SW3
signature dishes such as sea bass carpaccio, sumiyaki fruits de mer
(from the charcoal grill) and Cornish lobster sliders.

Forget people-watching: the Abasto terrace is a great spot for
poodle-watching, as all of west London heads towards Hyde Park for
weekend walkies. Even better, dog appreciation can be done over
handmade empanadas at mosaic streetside tables, or with sweet
alfajores, cup of coffee in hand. The Argentinian café and deli is
set in the heart of Connaught Village, a picturesque hub of quirky
boutiques, galleries and 19th-century architecture.

The Orrery in Marylebone Village holds one of London’s best-kept
secrets: a serene rooftop terrace serving elegant and traditional
French food in the heart of W1. Physically (and metaphorically)
elevated from the traffic and crowds of Marylebone, it’s a flower-lined sanctuary that’s kept
its culinary standards high. Come for a cocktail and be prepared to
stay all afternoon.

Describing its food offering as “ingredient focused cooking with
a fiery island accent”, Paradise’s new outdoor terrace is inspired
by the roadside eateries found in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo. The terrace space seats
30, and is the place to come for a tempting menu of street-food
“short eats”. Think beetroot and banana blossom cutlet croquettes,
crab empanadas with lunumiris mayo, mutton-shoulder rolls with
fermented chilli, and northern spiced pork-belly skewers with
kithul molasses — all costing between £2 and £5. The drinks menu
includes a selection of natural, biodynamic wines and Sri
Lankan-inspired cocktails including a chilli-mezcal margarita,
ginger-arrack sour and coconut-washed negroni.

Sussex, the newest Soho restaurant venture from
the three Gladwin brothers, also serves as an outdoor oyster bar,
in partnership with Noilly Prat vermouth. Expect fresh Maldon
oysters, shucked to order, at a very acceptable price of £25 a
dozen. The ritual is to pour chilled Noilly Prat Original Dry over
the oyster, which is then either sipped from the shell or devoured
in one. For those of a less slippery persuasion, a selection of
small plates is also available. We recommend the asparagus dippers
with hollandaise and trout gravlax.

All-singing, all-dancing Circolo Popolare is about as close to
Italy as it’s possible to get without jumping on a flight. The
utterly mad and fabulous Sicilian trattoria in Fitzrovia is famous for
its gigantic bowls of tagliatelle served from a wheel of parmesan
and wobbly, XXL lemon meringue pies. The terrace menu is a lot of
fun – carbonara pizza, anyone? – and beloved for its Sicilian
fritto-misto platters and decadent desserts.

Kingly Court might just be central London’s perfect al fresco
dining spot. We’re homing in on Club Mexicana, a vegan taqueria
inspired by eateries of Los Angeles and Mexico City. The concept,
which started as a pop-up, is proof (if you still need it) that
vegans don’t have to miss out on the good stuff. Feast on cult
favourites such as a sizzling vegan al pastor spit, tacos loaded up
with red-pepper queso, dill pickle and annatto mayo, and jackfruit
short-rib burritos, best washed down with the on-tap Paloma.

Japanese meets Norwegian? That’s a pairing that we didn’t know
we needed in our lives until we discovered the four-floor
Pantechnicon. Tucked down a discreet passage in the heart of
Belgravia,this is so much more than a place to come and fill your
plate. Swing by the in-house boutique to gawk at first-class design
items, before slipping up a plant-clad staircase to the top-floor
open-air terrace: all wishbone chairs wrapped around round,
walnut-wood tables and earth-coloured walls. Arrive at 7pm, to
enjoy watching the sky turn candyfloss pink, then, over a big
serving of warm rye bread, served with a creamy butter paste, dive
straight into the starters menu. You might want to wear an
elasticated waistband for the mentaiko spaghetti – best enjoyed
with a side of mustard-drenched potatoes – and accompanied by a
buckthorn gin fizz cocktail.

Words by Georgina Groom

Located on the sixth floor of the newly refurbished Page8 Hotel,
this spacious restaurant has made its name as London’s hottest
rooftop hangout. Designed with nature and wellness in mind, two
external roof terraces and a separate bar area overlook Trafalgar
Square. Unobstructed city views are a big draw, but the best part?
The authentic Japanese food. Order frivolously: we’d strongly
recommend the toro carpaccio, platefuls of freshly rolled nigiri
and a side of Roku gin-spiked cocktails.

Words by Georgina Groom