Sky's the limit: The Canary Wharf terrace which is Britain's newest must-visit rooftop bar
If there’s one way to elevate any dining experience, it’s enjoying a meal with a view.
Fabulous food is all well and good, but nothing beats a feast while gazing out over a cityscape or rolling countryside.
London has dozens of eateries up in the clouds, and one new spot in Canary Wharf has staked a claim as the capital’s must-visit rooftop bar/restaurant.
A Novotel may not suggest conventional cool, but the chain’s newest hotel on the Isle of Dogs boasts stunning panoramas from its rooftop terrace.
The 39-storey hotel, a sleek 127m tower with more than 300 rooms, is walking distance from Canary Wharf’s iconic skyscraper, One Canada Square.
Its star attraction, the sky-high restaurant and bar ‘Bokan’, takes up three floors between levels 37 and 39.
All three floors feature 360-degree views of the city. On a clear day, you can gaze right across London, watching the river wind from the east all the way to Waterloo and beyond.
On the other side you can peer right out to the Thames barrier, or to Greenwich towards the south and the Olympic Park just further north.
The menu isn’t too shabby either. The concise but varied cocktail menu has plenty of classy options, many of which pay tribute to the Millwall and West India docks where trading boomed in the same part of London many years ago.
The restaurant offering is equally stunning. Inventive dishes from the European-themed menu include a melon gazpacho and seared scallops with pearl barley as fresh starters, before an exquisite fillet steak with confit shallots as the main. The vegetarian option was a dazzling paccheri (large pasta tubes) concoction, with smoked mozzarella and parmesan foam.
As for the hotel itself, Novotel’s new-look dockyard-style decor may surprise a few people, but the industrial sophistication works surprisingly well.
New favourite London rooftop bar. #london #canarywharf
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Rooms have a clean, contemporary but chic look and are as well-appointed as you’d expect for a hotel which only opened in November.
It might not be top of your list for London rooftop terrace glamour, but take a trip out east to this one-of-a-kind hotel and you won’t regret staying.
Elsewhere? How about one of these nationwide sky-high venues:
Ting, The Shard
Modern European cuisine with an Asian twist on the 35 floor of the tallest building in Western Europe.
Combine with a trip to the top of The Shard itself, and you can take in views of the whole of London.
Duck and Waffle, Heron Tower
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Perched on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower near Liverpool St, Duck and Waffle claims to be the highest 24/7 restaurant in London.
Considered a London institution, it offers breakfast, brunch, late-night dinners and deserts, including the dish of its name – confit duck leg, fried duck egg, mustard maple syrup and a potato waffle.
Oxo Tower Brasserie and Bar, South Bank
It might not scale the same vertigo-inducing heights as its rivals, but the Oxo Restaurant is still a London landmark and fine dining option.
Situated on the 8th floor of the unmissable Oxo Wharf building, if offers an elegant array of British cuisine, along with a sleek cocktail bar next door.
Franks Cafe, Peckham
If you’re looking to keep the budget low and casual but the views wide and high, Franks is the summer stop for you.
It’s not fine dining (the bar is open air on top of a multistorey car park), but it’s one of the best views in south London outside of Zone 1.
The Sky Pod Bar at the Sky Garden, 20 Fenchurch Street
Located at the top of London’s somewhat-divisive ‘Walkie Talkie’ building, the leafy garden paradise atop 20 Fenchurch Street is one of the city’s best free attractions.
There’s a simple cafe for your caffeine and snack needs, as well as a sophisticated brasserie and cocktail bar, directly over the river from The Shard.
Marco Pierre White Champagne Bar, Birmingham
This stylish cocktail bar gives 360 degree skyline views of Birmingham city centre, from the 25th floor of one of its newest skyscrapers, The Cube.
Take in the surroundings of the city’s picturesque canals in the Mailbox district and let the mixologists do the rest.
Roof Garden Playground, Manchester
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This hidden north-west gem boasts hot tubs and sun loungers – not many sky-high bars can match that.
There are plenty of comfy seats and it’s a hit with Mancunian city-dwellers, so get there early to beat the rush.
Bohemia, Brighton
A swish European-style lounge cafe which offers menus throughout the day, Bohemia also has an astroturf-covered rooftop terrace which gives off distinctive summer society party vibes.
The Big Chill, Bristol
In keeping with the beautiful Georgian architecture you find in the south-west, this rooftop hideaway is a pop-up restaurant by day, with DJs and live music after dark.
The Forth Pub, Newcastle
Billed as ‘a Newcastle pub with a feisty past’, this Geordie gem has a small but perfectly-formed beer garden up on the roof.
There are heaters and covers for when that north-east weather gets a bit ‘fresh’, and it’s open late.
Ubiquitous Chip, Glasgow
Renowned as one of the best restaurants in Glasgow, this highly-rated brasserie cut its own roof off a few years ago so it could squeeze in more drinking space.
The result is a cosy, green-themed idyll which is one of the best roof spots north of the border.
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