Sunshine is here – and London’s top restaurants are determined to make the most of it. Having upgraded with repurposed pavements, redecorated rooftops and more outdoor heaters than you can shake a restaurant-branded blanket at when they were forced to offer al fresco-only dining during the pandemic, in 2026 the capital’s best bars and restaurants will once again be making good use of their newly found outdoor space. Book your table at our pick of the best outdoor restaurants in London now.

Central London

Barrafina, across London

Best outdoor dining space in London for: fine dining tapas

Serving upmarket Spanish food without the fuss, Barrafina is where to get your fix of Catalonian cuisine in the capital. Founded by the Hart brothers in 2007, the group now boasts five London restaurants, with the Covent Garden, Soho and King’s Cross outposts offering covered and uncovered terraces. Serviced by a full menu of seasonal, regional tapas – think tortillas, scallop crudo, ox cheek fritters and patatas bravas – also sip delicious Spanish wines and sherries al fresco.

Visit barrafina.co.uk

El Pastor, across London

Best outdoor dining space in London for: Mexican-style small plates

El Pastor first opened in Borough Market in 2016 and, due to London’s never-ending appetite for authentic Mexican food, it quickly expanded with lively and laidback taquerias in Kings Cross’s Coal Drops Yard, Soho and, more recently, Battersea Power Station and London Bridge. While all boast covered terraces, the latter is home to a 60-cover all-year outdoor riverside terrace looking onto the Grade II-listed edifice and serves up tacos, tostadas and quesadillas. Don’t miss the sharing plates, all served with unlimited warm corn tortillas and filled with angus short rib in a chipotle muscovado-coriander seed rub, sea bream with lime slaw or shredded shiitake mushroom marinated in orange juice and habanero escabeche. 

Visit tacoselpastor.co.uk

Jurema at The Mandrake, Fitzrovia

Best outdoor dining space in London for: greenery hanging from every angle

The foliage-filled Mandrake in Fitzrovia has jsut reopened its Jurema Bar for spring, adjoined to the Yopo restaurant on the first floor of the five-star hotel. Flanked by hanging jasmine and passionflower, this mesmerising urban oasis serves an impressive offering of summer-perfect cocktails, alongside moreish bar snacks with a Mexican twist. Upstairs, there is a charming glasshouse of medicinal and botanical plants, which can be booked for private dining.

Visit themandrake.com

J.Sheekey, Covent Garden

The best outdoor dining space in London for: pre- and post-theatre dining

The fire-engine-red facade of J.Sheekey needs no introduction. Situated in the heart of Covent Garden it is, after all, practically a tourist destination in its own right. Boasting strong ties with the local theatre community, don't be surprised to find the stars of the latest West End smash hit celebrating post-show over champagne and oysters on its small but perfectly formed terrace. Happily, its expert front-of-house team deftly make every guest feel like the centre of attention.

Visit j-sheekey.co.uk

American Bar at The Stafford, Mayfair

Best outdoor dining space in London for: European classics in the heart of the West End

The American Bar at The Stafford may be best known for its world-class cocktails curated but, thanks to the stylings of Michael Caines, it also offers a menu of refined American-style dishes served from dawn to dusk. This spring, the restaurant will be spilling out onto the hotel’s pretty cobbled terrace. Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of St James’s, order a glass of something ice cold and tuck into the signature crab doughnuts, corn dog bites and beef hash fritters.

Visit thestaffordlondon.com

Dalloway Terrace, Bloomsbury

Best outdoor dining space in London for: Bloomsbury Group devotees and décor – you're literally immersed in Dalloway Terrace's silk flowers and ferns

Named after the famed, high-society Virginia Woolf character, Mrs Dalloway, Dalloway Terrace is an outdoor space in the heart of Bloomsbury, hidden away from the clamour of Tottenham Court Road. Featuring gorgeous foliage that changes in accordance with the seasons, menus here have also had a spring clean, introducing fresh plates of hand-picked shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon served tableside, courgette risotto with crispy artichokes, and cacio e pepe rigatoni.

Visit dallowayterrace.com

Wild by Tart, Pimlico

Best outdoor dining space in London for: seasonal, sustainable dining that’s big on flavour without any pomp and circumstance

Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison’s vast multi-purpose eating, drinking, retail and events space housed in a former power station in Pimlico is the place to see and be seen, especially if you secure a spot on its 24-seat terrace in the quaint Ecclestone Yards. The grill and wood-fired oven feature heavily on the menu, with highlights including Creedy Carver chicken, charred hispi cabbage with chilli, and an array of flatbreads, while an extensive wine list with options by the glass and bottle will help stretch lunch out for hours.

Visit wildbytart.com

The Garden at The Corinthia, Whitehall

Image: James Mason

Image: James Mason

Best outdoor dining space in London for: Pretending you're actually sunning yourself on the Cote d'Azur

Set among the lemon tree and jasmine-strewn surrounds of The Corinthia hotel's David Collins-designed courtyard, The Garden is a Mediterranean-influenced sanctuary just moments from Trafalgar Square. A truly romantic spot perfect for wiling away long afternoons over a bottle of Domaines Ott rosé, food comprises a series of seafood dishes, woodfired pizzas and salads perfect for sharing. Signatures include Cornish crab salad, slow roasted Welsh lamb and garden quiche.

Visit corinthia.com

Toklas, Temple

Best outdoor dining space in London for: classic street-side lunching

Occupying a beautiful but understated location down a side street off the Strand, dining on the terrace at Toklas feels like discovering a true hidden gem in the capital – if, of course, you can block out the other 50 or so diners who have also been lucky enough to nab themselves table. The fare here is Mediterranean-inflected and weekly changing so as to make the most of whatever's freshest, with dishes built on the premise that great ingredients don't require messing around with. Expect to be simply but extremely well fed.

Visit toklaslondon.com

East London

Wagtail, City of London

Best outdoor dining space in London for: impressing out-of-towners

Situated high above the City of London with enviable views of the Shard, Gherkin and St Paul's, dining at Wagtail is like the Hollywood version of London living. Happily, the food lives up to the hype, with seasonal fine dining menus celebrating the best British produce across long lunches, business dinners and late-night suppers. Wagtail also happens to be home to one of London's best bottomless brunches, with free-flowing wine, prosecco and cocktails accompanied by dishes such as wagyu beef tartare, lobster and crayfish roll, and eggs Benedict every weekend.

Visit wagtaillondon.com

Luca, Clerkenwell

Best outdoor dining space in London for: private parties and last-minute plans

Michelin-starred Luca's secluded courtyard terrace may just be one of the most romantic spots for dining in the capital – but you'll need to be lucky to bag yourself a table. The space is primarily reserved for private dining, with a la carte bookings released each day depending on availability. Should you be quick enough to secure a spot, you're in for a treat. Luca's USP is fine British ingredients reimagined with an Italian lens – which is every bit as delicious as it sounds. Start with negronis and grappa paired with parmesan fries and salumi before moving on to signatures of rigatoni with pork ragu, smoked Hereford beef fillet with san marzano tomatoes and Cornish brill with crab and broad beans.

Visit luca.restaurant

West London

Petersham Nurseries Café, Richmond

Best outdoor dining space in London for: leisurely lunches in a tranquil greenhouse.

Want to get out of London without, well, actually leaving the city? Petersham Nurseries Café is the capital’s worst-kept secret and, while it looks lovely all year round (the restaurant is in a greenhouse), it comes into its own in spring and summer. Bougainvillea blossoms and British ingredients such as asparagus and basil increasingly appear on the Italian-inspired ‘slow food’ menu, garnished with garden-grown edible flowers and washed down with Sussex-brewed beer. Book ahead and clear some space on your camera roll before you arrive.

Visit petershamnurseries.com

Scott's, Mayfair and Richmond

Best outdoor dining space in London for: oysters, caviar and seafood in all its glory

The terrace at Scott's is a celebrity magnet during the summer months so don't be surprised if you find yourself seated next door to Tom Hanks or Ronnie Wood (or in paparazzi photos the next day). That said, with only a handful of prime al fresco tables up for grabs, you might need VIP-level connections to get one in the first place. Good news, then, that its newer outpost in Richmond occupies a prime riverside location complete with a sun-drenched terrace. Once safely ensconced behind the meticulously trimmed lemon trees, what should you order? Well, this is Scott's – so seafood of course.

Visit scotts-restaurant.com

The River Café, Hammersmith

Best outdoor dining space in London for: Italian cuisine in a sun-dappled garden

The River Café is stretched leisurely across a lawn overlooking the Thames, just like we'd like to be after a bottle of rosé and one or two courses more than strictly necessary. Since this London institution was founded by chefs Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray in 1987, it has become a byword for easy going, excellent Italian food, with easy going, excellent chefs at its helm. People would flock here even if the location wasn't so inviting, such is the ingredients-driven expertise in the kitchen, but it just so happens that the sun-dappled garden has a dreamlike quality, too. An evening at the River Café is truly restorative (although that second bottle won't be).

Visit rivercafe.co.uk

Kutir, Chelsea

The best outdoor dining space in London for: a mid-shopping spree recharge

A stone's throw from the Saatchi Gallery and the boutiques of the King's Road, this modern Indian eatery from Rohit Ghai and Abhishake Sangwan is the perfect place for a pitstop while sampling the highlights of Chelsea. Housed in one of the area's gorgeous period townhouses, dining in Kutir's al fresco space is somewhat akin to a very chic dinner party, with cosy tables arranged on a lawn area surrounded by lightly landscaped foliage. If it's your first visit, opt for the Expedition tasting menu to really get an idea of what the kitchen can do. Highlights include Rogan Josh lamb shank, paneer tikka with black garlic and quail naan with truffle.

Visit kutir.co.uk

The Ivy Chelsea Garden, Chelsea

Best outdoor dining space in London for: the 'gram, comfort food and cocktails

The outdoor terrace at The Ivy Chelsea Garden on King's Road is an obvious choice on a warm day, decked out with antique pots, lush greenery and a smattering of Instagram starlets. Tuck into the restaurant's signature menu of high-end comfort food, spanning signature Shepherd’s pie, lobster linguine, zucchini fries and truffle chips, complemented by a colourful cocktail menu and considered wine list.

Visit theivychelseagarden.com

La Poule au Pot, Belgravia

Best outdoor dining space in London for: French staples from a long-time London favourite

If you have yet to discover the delights of La Poule au Pot, where have you been? Literally. The restaurant has barely changed since it opened in the 1960s and is famed for its annual struggle with Clos Maggiore to be voted the capital’s most romantic dining spot. Served on its pretty heated terrace, food comes via a two- or three-course set menu, as well as daily-changing specials, and features all the classics you’d expect of an old-school French restaurant. Think steak frites, boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin and tarte tatin.

Visit pouleaupot.co.uk

Sam's Riverside, Hammersmith

Image: Alex Daniels

Best outdoor dining space in London for: the freshest seafood and excellent cocktails

Sam Harrison, proprietor of Sam's Riverside in Hammersmith, opened his inaugural restaurant in 2019 and it still boasts one of the best river views in the capital. The terrace is serviced by the full food menu, which features a riot of decadence and indulgence with Carlingford Lough and Jersey Rock oysters in abundance, the signature seafood platter and a Hereford aged ribeye tartare with sourdough crisps to satisfy the appetite of even the keenest carnivore.

Visit samsriverside.co.uk

South London

Trivet, Bermondsey

Best outdoor dining space in London for: oenophiles and voyeurs.

Having secured its second star in the 2024 Michelin guide, now is the time to join the waiting list for a table at Trivet – especially as its intimate outdoor dining area boasts some of the best people-watching in the capital. Food and wine take equal importance here, with chef-owners Jonny Lake and Isa Bal working in tandem to create a concise food menu and expansive, eclectic wine list that pair harmoniously. There are few afternoons better spent than lingering over plates of grilled sweetbread with wild garlic, morel and peas, grilled Cornish turbot, and the signature drunk lobster with Trivet noodles while quizzing the knowledgeable staff on the most appropriate wine pairing.

Visit trivetrestaurant.co.uk

Parrillan, Borough and King’s Cross

Best outdoor dining space in London for: being transported to Spanish street-side terraces

The little sister to aforementioned Barrafina, Parrillan specialises in sociable Spanish live fire cooking, so much so that it invites guests to do it themselves with tables featuring built-in mini-grills. The Borough Yards site features an outdoor terrace under Victorian brick railway arches with a unique menu of Iberico tomato salad and signature arroz de pulpo, while the Coal Drops Yard outpost boasts a heated terrace surrounded by Mediterranean plants for a party-pleasing setting.

Visit parrillan.co.uk

Read more: 12 of London’s best hotel bars