Sometime around the end of April each year, London goes through a very special sort of metamorphosis. All around the city, hotels throw open shutters, unfurl awnings and join our sun-blessed Continental neighbours in the art of living en plein air.
To prepare for this seasonal gold rush, we’ve put together a spread of London hotels with stand-out alfresco dining and drinking, from flower-filled brunch spots to pubs that punch far above their weight in the flavour department.
BROADWICK SOHO
As flamboyant as Soho itself, the Broadwick is awash with colour thanks to interiors by maximalist designer Martin Brudnizki, who borrows from English eccentricity, Jazz Age excess and disco decadence. The main restaurant is Dear Jackie – a salon-esque Italian spot with Murano lights, red silk walls and plump booths – but when the sun’s out, rooftop bar Flute is the place to be, with marble tables and cushion-topped chairs woven between manicured trees and pots overflowing with flowers.
The cocktails here are fiendishly good, prepared behind an onyx-topped bar. Try a Cruella (a medley of Tanqueray 10, bitters, kumquat, turmeric and a vermouth blend) or Peeping Tom (Ron Santiago de Cuba 12-year-old rum, acai berry, Oloroso sherry, black tea and bitters). Soak it up with something from the all-day menu (served until 8pm), featuring wild mushroom and pumpkin gyozas, a king prawn and yuzu beurre blanc salad, and Hereford ribeye steak slathered in brown butter and Bernaise sauce.
CHILTERN FIREHOUSE, MARYLEBONE
The Chiltern Firehouse has never been anything less than red hot – a tad ironic, perhaps, seeing as the hotel’s former life was all about cooling things down. Ever since it arrived on the scene, the Marylebone fire station-turned-hotel has drawn London’s social set like moths to an open flame. Tables at the restaurant are famously difficult to secure but they always hold a few back for guests.
From spring, Chiltern’s leafy courtyard terrace begins to sound its siren call, where there’s an open fire and Parisian-style awnings, should the weather get a little British. Head chef Luke Hunns’ menu has both Mediterranean and US leanings – favourites include the chargrilled Galician octopus, Black Angus striploin steaks, monkish tail served on the bone and the coveted 48-hour chicken (it’s a whole bird, so come with an appetite). Hot tip: there’s a subterranean smoker’s lounge hidden away downstairs, with tables set up in a New York-esque alleyway.
PRINCESS ROYAL, NOTTING HILL
Residing in a restored Victorian pub in Notting Hill, the Princess Royal is a cosmopolitan sort but she knows how to let her hair down. This distinctly unstuffy charm is the hallmark of Country Creatures, experts in home-from-home hospitality and fellow owners of Cotswolds favourite the Double Red Duke. At the Princess, they’ve joined forces with gastropub group Cubitt House to create a bistro with a menu by British chef Ben Tish, formerly of Norma and the Salt Room.
There are two outdoorsy spots in which to enjoy his creations: the greenhouse-esque Garden Room and the terrace, designed by star urban gardener Jinny Blom. The menu is hyper-seasonal and focused on Mediterranean fare, fuelled by Natoora’s farm-sourced produce, Wright Brother’s day-boat catches and a select group of sustainable butchers.
THE BLOOMSBURY
Dying to drop a witty bon mot over brunch? Where better to stage your moment than the Bloomsbury Hotel, a literary-themed paean to Woolf, Forster, Strachey and co, all of whom lived locally. Yet again, designer Martin Brudnizki has breathed new life into the building’s Edward Lutyens bones by going all out on the gilding, shell-shaped furniture and parlour palms.
The hotel’s alfresco option is the Dalloway Terrace, where Lutyens benches and cane bistro chairs are arranged along a wall of greenery. The weekend brunches are a hit, featuring a steady stream of shakshuka, native lobster rolls and buttermilk pancakes topped with crispy bacon or blueberries and maple syrup.
THE BULL & LAST, HAMPSTEAD
Historic inn the Bull & Last has kept Hampstead locals wined and dined for more than 300 years. Tables here go like hot cakes and for good reason – the kitchen is helmed by an ex-Corrigan’s chef and turns out dishes made with top-tier produce that changes daily. The outdoor seating is simple – on-the-pavement tables rather than a terrace – but once the food arrives you won’t even notice the odd passing car; and anyways, the Heath’s glorious greenery is just across the road..
Start with a classic ham hock terrine with quince chutney, pickles and country toast, follow with the barbecued cod, served with shimeji mushrooms, kale, rösti and trout caviar butter sauce. But note that the chefs like to mix things up, so there may be freshly conceived dishes when you arrive. Upstairs, the six rooms pay tribute to some of Hampstead’s famous residents, including John Keats and Dido Belle, heiress of nearby Kenwood House.
OAKLEY COURT, WINDSOR
It’s not strictly in London, but Thames-side Windsor pile Oakley Court is only an hour’s train ride from Paddington station. Its gloriously Gothic interiors have been dressed to perfection by design studio Eagle & Hodges, who’ve preserved the Victorian pedigree but jettisoned all frills and fussiness. You’ll find further proof of its modern mindset down on the riverbank, where there’s a pint-sized Soho House members’ club that comes alive in the warmer months.
Open to guests and members, the River House occupies a vast, timber-floored bell tent strewn with Ercol sofas and Pierre Jeanneret chairs. Chef residencies run throughout the year; for 2024, they’ve snagged Akira Shimizu of Akira restaurant in Japan House, Instagram sensation Mateo Zielonka (aka ‘The Pasta Man’) and Johnnie Collins of the Strand’s 180 Lofts.
GO OUT AFTER DARK…
Mayfair hotel and members’ club the Twenty Two has a seriously seductive (and secretive) nightclub with a mirrored ceiling, scarlet walls and animal-print floors. There are two tucked-away outdoor terraces that are as sought after as the club itself.
Come sunset, the oysters and fine wines (tapped directly from the barrel) start flowing at the roof terrace of City of London stay Vintry & Mercer, where the views stretch from the illuminated dome of St Paul’s to the gleaming tip of the Shard.
Getting to the Standard, London’s rooftop is half the fun: you ride the red-pill-shaped elevator up the side of the Brutalist building to the top floor, where you get an eyeful of George Gilbert Scott’s grand Gothic tower and the King’s Cross skyline.
Hungry for more? See our pick of London’s best hotel restaurants