Our favourite Square Mile rooftop bars – one for every vibe

In this series, we round up the best sky-high drinking spots across London. The first of the area focuses on the London rooftop bar options in the Square Mile. Madison, Coq d’Argent and Sushisamba are old favourites, but how do they fare against newer openings like Aviary, Sabine and PocketSquare? And which one should take home our Toast the City award for Best Rooftop Bar? .

Madison – Best for cocktails 

What could say City glam like watching the sun set over the dome of St Paul’s with a spritz in hand? Madison is one of those places that makes the Square Mile feel like a slice of Miami, with its Ibiza tunes and its suntrap rooftop bar. All-day menus serve great food from breakfast eggs to late-night lobster, with special menus celebrating events like the upcoming Cinco de Mayo. Even zooming up in the glass lift at One New Change feels vaguely glamorous. As the evenings extend into the late evening, there’s nowhere in the City we’d rather be.

1 New Change, London EC4M 9AF

8 London rooftop bar options in the Square Mile

Coq d’Argent – Best for food 

There’s a reason Coq d’Argent won our Toast the City award for best London rooftop bar: it’s a stunning, vibrant space, a little verdant paradise above the bustle of the City. Nestle beneath an umbrella on the terrace surrounded by bushes and flowers and order a glass of champagne while you peruse the excellent, classic French menu. Highlights include the dover sole and the coq au vin, but you’re in safe hands whatever you choose here. And if you needed more reason to visit, this may be the last summer to enjoy Coq d’Argent in its current Cheapside location before it moves on to pastures new.

1 Poultry, London EC2R 8EJ

Aviary – Best for partying

Music magazine Mixmag threw a series of parties at Wagtail rooftop bar near Monument last summer, featuring DJs like Denis Sulta and Patrick Topping. For the sunset hours crowds of hundreds of twentysomethings danced in tightly packed groups, and the vibe was more reminiscent of Dalston than the City. This year, the Aviary rooftop bar on Finsbury Square near Moorgate is experimenting with the formula. On Saturday 9 May, Ibiza DJ and producer Cameron Jack will headline a party with special guests ABEL and Hugo Heathcote. Expect epic sunset views and Shoreditch crowds above this surprisingly quaint City square.

22-25 Finsbury Square, London, EC2A 1DX

Roof terraces for peace and quiet

Sabine – Best for serenity

With unparalleled views of St Paul’s Cathedral, Sabine London rooftop bar tends to be quieter than nearby competitors Madison and Coq d’Argent. It is a minute or so further away from a main thoroughfare, tucked down a side street towards the river. It’s worth getting lost though to discover this luxury rooftop, with small plates, European brunch dishes and decent cocktails. You’re more likely to secure a last-minute table here, although you’ll still want to book on busy days. 

10 Godliman Street, London, EC4V 5AJ

PocketSquare – Best for London flavours

The bartenders at PocketSquare – the arts-focussed bar on the rooftop of the new Hyatt Place London City East hotel at Aldgate – contribute their own cocktails to the menu, so the fast-changing menu always boasts fresh perspectives. Ingredients are inspired by the capital, and drinks are described as managing to be both “local and exotic”. The Greenwich Meridian features dill vermouth, Hendrick’s, cucumber bitters and dehydrated fish skin garnish (yes, really) and the Stratford Helix is with coconut liqueur, clarified pineapple and Appleton 8 rum and the Whitechapel Panacea comes with orange-infused Maker’s Mark, Cocchi di Torino and black walnut bitters. There are currently six London-themed cocktails on the menu.

Black Lion House, 45 Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1DU

The highest London rooftop bar

Lucky Cat at 22 Bishopsgate – Best for incredible heights

The Walkie-Talkie looks like a toy from the top of 22 Bishopsgate, the 61-floor skyscraper housing Gordon Ramsay’s new Lucky Cat Asian restaurant. On the top floor of the building, dining there is a genuinely palm-sweat-inducing experience, especially if you’re nervous about heights. Of the food, the fried chicken is a particular speciality. Go to the 61st floor for the outdoor terrace, with incredible views of London that are so high you feel as if you’re flying above the capital in a plane. We like the sound of the Okinawa Margarita, with blanco tequila, Shikuwasa Japanese citrus liqueur, shiso syrup, supasawa and Thai basil.

25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HQ

SushiSamba – Best for Asian flavours 

Sushisamba attracts a bridge and tunnel crowd – that is to say, people who visit from out of London – but it’s worth it for the incredible views. (22 Bishopsgate might be higher, but you can’t go outside). Brave the wind outside, past the opulent decors inspired by Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cultures, and try the Shio Momo, with Wasabi-washed El Rayo tequila, Genmacha cordial, Pampelle, lime and grapefruit or the Hikari Fields, with Pandan leaf-infused Orientalist Gunpowder gin paired with elote liqueur, white peach soju, penja pepper cordial and verjus. There’s robata grilled meat and sushi on the food menu, and the vibe, whether inside or out, is very much late-night hedonism.

Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

A floral themed roof terrace

Florattica – Best for florals

Spending large quantities of time in the Square Mile can be tough, especially if your downtime is somewhere more verdant. Florattica Rooftop gets this, offering a verdant design theme that makes you feel anywhere other than the City. Electric greens, violets, yellows and reds underfoot, and across the sofas and floor-to-ceiling curtains. The cocktail menu plays with an interesting concept of ‘7 Virtues’: we particularly like the sound of the ‘Love’ themed drink, with El Gobernador Pisco, homemade raspberry, rose and pineapple liquor and citrus, and the ‘Wisdom’, with Dalmore 12, Jameson Irish Whiskey infused with toasted walnuts, Nocino liqueur, homemade orange bitters, sage and walnuts tuile. 

11-15 Minories, London EC3N 1AX