London's Best Food and Drink Experiences for the Summer

Sofitel London St James has launched its new rosé terrace, Bistrot on the Terrace transporting guests to the lively streets of Paris. A select menu is on offer from Wild Honey St James, the hotel’s Michelin-starred French bistro. Menu highlights include grilled red prawns with Hungarian smoked paprika, a whole young chicken lacquered with honey and preserved lemon, and a strawberry choux bun for dessert. Each weekend there will be live music from a selection of entertainers, making this the go-to location for al fresco dining and imbibing this summer whilst embracing the essence of ‘Joie De Vivre.’

You might have seen this high-concept food experience located elsewhere in London, but this year, the staggering dining experience has set up camp in North Greenwich. The O2 is the prominent landmark to focus on when you’re dangling 100ft (30m) in the air, wining and dining at a table that rises up from the ground. It’s al fresco dining taken to ridiculous heights – but if your stomach can handle it, you’re in for a real treat.

If dining in the sky doesn’t quite float your boat, how about a musical time travel journey through three influential decades of American pop culture? The concept is far simpler than it sounds – with the location hosting one of the best sound systems in London. From here, you are transported back in time to 1950s America and the world of influential jazz musicians. As you travel from Boston to San Francisco, you also listen to soul and disco after the jazzy introduction. Themed drinks help elevate the illusion – although the toe-tapping tunes do most of the heavy lifting. One for music lovers and cocktail aficionados looking for a unique experience.

The famous facade of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel has been featured in several feature films since it was renovated, but the rooftop is the place to be this summer. Known as The Roof Garden, this space is set away from the busy streets of central London below and provides a variety of entertainment from live sports to music. The terrace is still something of a secret as Kings Cross often takes the limelight, but it’s a fantastic space with a great summer offering.

On the last Friday of every month this summer, this popular Bermondsey bar takes over the surrounding streets and puts on a classic summer block party. The open-air venue is close to London Bridge but brings modern Mexican vibes to the capital with both its street food selections and cocktails. Nine Lives Alley is a fantastic place to while away the summer days and appreciate your freedom once more with friends – and a cocktail in hand.

Returning this summer after a year away due to the pandemic, Sea Containers’ rooftop bar 12th Knot is back with a bang. To mark the occasion, the venue is hosting a series of events known as the Sunset Series which will include live music, themed cocktails and a great selection of snacks. To check out the latest menu and book in for one of the special offers, be sure to plan your trip in advance.

With a spectacular reopening as part of the UK’s Freedom Day activities already in the books, this cool nightclub in Chelsea is a venue dripping with nostalgia – with a thoroughly modern twist. Indoor party venues like Maggie’s have been closed for over a year now, and to make up for lost time, the club will be open seven days a week to really get things started again for the summer. If you’ve missed partying – and still miss the 80s – this is the place to head for a jolly good time.

A favourite spot for date night in central London, Cahoots takes all the best elements of themed establishments – without any of the unnecessary excesses. The drinks all play into the spirit of the blitz, with shady characters inviting you downstairs where the real fun begins. If you spot a queue near Carnaby Street once all the shops have closed, chances are you’ve found this hidden gem.

An old favourite but one that’s back with a new menu, new cocktails and new attitude. We’ve always enjoyed the sassy aura around the place – which is still thankfully firmly in place – but the revamped dishes will have you popping back in a hurry. Newly appointed executive chef, Jack Smith, has lined up treats like pan-roasted salmon ballotine, clam and mussel broth and foraged sea herbs for mains, with strawberry and pistachio verrine and fromage blanc with basil sorbet for desserts.

Bringing a touch of northern Italy to Kings Cross, this new restaurant takes its menu from executive head chef, Manuele Bazzoni – but offsets it with a unique interior design that will have you booking another visit as soon as you see it. The restaurant and bar are a giant art installation within an indoor pergola of Victorian industrial architecture, designed with coal, steel and oak, complemented with strong magenta furnishings. As a result, the mystery of how this place got its name is finally solved.

What exactly is Hijingo Bingo? Your guess is as good as ours, but there’s definitely some element of bingo involved – which is great news as the classic pastime saw something of a resurgence a few years ago. This version is a full-on assault on the senses with novelty cocktails and scrumptious street food served alongside high-tech number calling. As we’ve seen darts, table tennis and even golf reinvented for Londoners – why not bingo?