London’s Best Outdoor Winter Terraces For 2024

Looking for venues for festive drinks with friends this season? The capital is filled with twinkling outdoor winter terraces and rooftop bars – many with heaters, sheepskin rugs and warming drinks menus to keep things cosy. Here’s our pick of the best for 2024.

Al Fresco Bars For Winter In London

The Churchill Bar & Terrace

After a spot of Christmas shopping in Marylebone, pop into The Churchill Bar & Terrace for a cosy al fresco tipple. The bar’s terrace has been transformed into a winter retreat complete with sheepskin throws, snow-covered pine cones and foliage with red berry flowers – plus a special reindeer guest. Enjoy festive drinks specials like the Merry Cherry, a whisky sour with a seasonal twist, alongside small plates.

30 Portman Square, London W1H 7BH, 

Rosewood London

The winter terrace at Rosewood London is always a glamorous affair. This year the hotel has partnered with Ruinart to offer special champagne cocktails, such as La Maison Royale, a blend of Belvedere, lingonberries and Ruinart Brut. Enjoy alongside plates from Holborn Dining Room’s head chef Liam Fauchard-Newman, such as baked Camembert, Lake District venison, and game pie, followed by blackberry and apple crumble, and warm mince pies. While there, guests can admire the 24ft twinkling tree, which has been decorated in gold and midnight baubles, created in collaboration with British jeweller Garrard.

252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN, rosewoodhotels.com

Ham Yard Hotel

You’ll find one of the cosiest rooftops in the city atop Ham Yard Hotel in Soho. It’s normally reserved for hotel guests, but this season everyone is welcome to book a table in the recently opened Winter Martini Garden, running in partnership with Sipsmith. No need to worry about the cold here: not only is the pop-up decked out with tartan blankets, heaters and hot water bottles, many of the cocktails are served hot. Upon arrival you’ll be served a warm Paloma-style martini, before discovering your perfect next tipple via an interactive quiz, which bartenders will then come over and mix up tableside. Highlights include The Pharmaceutical, an orange twist on the Espresso Martini, and the Red Hot Snapper, made using Sipsmith’s homemade smoked gin. Pair with sharing dishes like beetroot and cashel blue wood-fired flatbread, roast scallops with smoked butter, and venison tartare with bitter chocolate, for the ultimate winter’s evening.

Open Wednesday – Sunday, 1 Ham Yard, London W1D 7DT, firmdalehotels.com

Bluebird Chelsea

The terrace at Bluebird Chelsea is always buzzing – the ideal pitstop for a drink and bite to eat after a day shopping on the King’s Road. This year, the restaurant has partnered with Nyetimber on its winter garden: expect a wonderfully festive space decked out with Christmas trees, nutcrackers and red bows. From here, guests can enjoy Nyetimber’s sparkling wine alongside a festive menu of dishes including a sharing doughnut fondue, with music from DJs keeping things lively.

350 King’s Rd, London SW3 5UU, bluebird-restaurant.co.uk

Dovetale

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Mayfair, Dovetale’s terrace is a lovely spot year-round – with a roof and cover making sure you stay warm whatever the weather. Head there this winter to enjoy seasonal cocktails from Johnnie Walker Blue Label, such as the Fireside Sipper, a blend of orange bitter, maple syrup and whisky, and the Winter Cabin Coffee, blended with coffee treacle and topped with grated nutmeg. Tom Sellers’ full menu is available to enjoy alongside the tipples, followed by desserts from the famous Knickerbocker Glory trolley, made tableside. 

1 Dover Yard at 1 Hotel Mayfair, London, W1J 8DJ, 1hotels.com

Seabird

Perched atop The Hoxton Southwark, Seabird offers impressive views of London – plus the city’s longest oyster list. This winter, it’s being transformed into Snowbird: a rooftop retreat with a retro feel. Think dried alpine flowers, twinkling white lights and walls adorned with Slim Aarons winter photography prints, plus an all-new menu featuring an array of sharing dishes. Tuck into smoked oxtail croquettes with aioli, seafood platters, Basque stew, and crab pumpkin pie topped with caviar. Seasonal drinks have been created in collaboration with Grey Goose Vodka: there’s a Blood Orange and Fig Spritz, for instance, which you can enjoy as a sharing cocktail from a 1.5L fountain, alongside mini Espresso Martinis served in shot glasses in a giant shell. It’s party season, after all.

14th Floor, South Bank, 40 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NY, seabirdlondon.com

Stanley’s

Hidden away behind Sydney Street is Stanley’s: Chelsea’s not-so-secret garden restaurant, which has a year-round terrace decked out with pretty foliage. This season, it’s being given a festive makeover, with a pined archway flanked by olive trees, plus red festive flowers on tables and Christmas trees dotted around. It’s a lovely setting to enjoy cocktails and creative plates from head chef Tomas Kolkus, including pork with hispi cabbage and butter sauce, squash with sunflower seed tahini, and smoked haddock and spelt arancini. With cover and heaters, as well as sheepskin throws, you’ll stay nice and warm too. 

151 Sydney St, London SW3 5UE, stanleyschelsea.co.uk

Tattu London

The rooftop terrace at London’s branch of Chinese restaurant Tattu has had a revamp for the festive season, complete with plush furs, festive foliage and heaters, and DJs keeping things lively with deep house soundtracks. Soak up the city views while enjoying Chinese and Asian sharing plates and limited-edition cocktails: The Great Snow is a mix of Grey Goose vodka, elderflower, lemon and prosecco, while the Zhanshi features Patrón Tequila, coffee, blackcurrant and oat milk. 

The Now Building Rooftop, Outernet, Denmark St, London WC2H 0LA, tattu.co.uk

Fire & Fromage

Nothing screams Christmas like dining inside an igloo. Jimmy Garcia’s Alpine-themed Southbank pop-up is always a favourite, returning this year as Fire and Fromage, complete with fairy light-bedecked snow globes overlooking the river. You can book them out for groups of up to ten people, with a three-course menu on offer featuring steak sharers and fondue, plus cocktails from Black Cow. Alternatively, head to the raclette bar for unlimited Savoyard raclette, with sourdough baguettes and new potatoes for dipping. 

From 15 November 2023, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 8XX, jimmyspopup.com

Acme Fire Cult

Vegetables take centre stage at Dalston restaurant Acme Fire Cult, which is all about live fire cooking. A partnership with 40FT Brewery, it’s home to a heated, sheltered terrace which is perfect for al fresco feasting, offering an array of seasonal dishes such as coal roast celeriac and Delica pumpkin with figs. There are also 10 taps serving up beers produced on-site, alongside a selection of winter cocktails.

Abbot St, London E8 3DP, acmefirecult.com

Lodge d’Argent

With soft faux fur rugs adorning chairs, plenty of cushions, festive foliage, wood cabins and toasty heaters, sip on winter warming Remy Martin cocktails and snack on delicious small plates amid the twinkling lights of the city on Coq d’Argent’s outdoor terrace, transformed into the ski-inspired Lodge d’Argent for winter.

Coq d’Argent, No. 1 Poultry, London, EC2R 8EJ, coqdargent.co.uk

Dalloway Terrace

Named after the eponymous character created by Virginia Woolf, forever a Bloomsbury association, Dalloway Terrace is similarly elegant, poetic and quintessentially English. Its flower-covered outdoor space makes it one of the city’s most sought-after al fresco drinking spots across all seasons. Diners can enjoy lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and cocktails amid the Instagram-friendly setting, which recently underwent a warm red-toned autumn makeover.

16-22 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3NN, dallowayterrace.com

Aviary London

Back for another winter of rooftop festive fun, the skyline igloos are returning to Aviary in Finsbury Square, offering guests panoramic views of the city, specially curated cocktails and an array of delicious food platters to be shared. Enjoy Grey Goose tipples like the Merry Dancer, a mix of vodka, blackberry liqueur and champagne, or the Aurora, made with Aperol, passion fruit and pineapple, alongside Nordic-inspired bites.

Royal London House, 10th Floor Montcalm, 22-25 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1DX, aviarylondon.com