The best outdoor restaurants in Shoreditch

This stylish rooftop bar and restaurant on the 10th floor of the Montcalm Hotel offers a welcome escape from the bustle below, with breath-taking skyline views from its heated terrace. Guests can enjoy expertly crafted botanical cocktails in the elegant lounge or indulge in a seasonal British menu featuring top-quality ingredients from artisanal suppliers, with dishes like wild Cornish turbot and strawberry marshmallow meringue. The designer interior is pretty snazzy too, and they regularly put up pods in winter so you can enjoy the outdoor setting year-round.

The Culpeper is considered to be one of the best rooftop bars in the UK. Its rooftop is a hidden gem where fresh produce is grown and later used in the food and drinks served downstairs. Guests seated outdoors can enjoy a set lunch menu with vegetarian options while sipping cocktails garnished with herbs and vegetables harvested just metres away. Spanning four floors, the venue also features a traditional pub on the ground floor and stylish accommodation. The outdoor area is available for private hire too.

Tucked away in a repurposed bike shed in Shoreditch, Rochelle Canteen is a hidden gem with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu, which changes daily, showcases seasonal ingredients with a blend of British and European flavours, reflecting the team's commitment to high-quality produce. The garden restaurant is perfect for those who enjoy dining outdoors, and with chef Margot Henderson behind the decks it commands serious culinary respect too.

If you've been in London for any longer period of time, you don't need an introduction to Dishoom, the citywide group of buzzy Bombay-inspired cafes. You might not know that the Shoreditch branch boasts an extremely cosy outdoor verandah dedicated to the serious business of lounging. Covered in poor weather and fitted with comfy armchairs, bookshelves, and antique furniture, this part of the restaurant combines the cosiness of an indoor den with the glorious sun-drenched ambiance of an outdoor terrace.

Los Mochis offers a fusion of Japanese and Mexican flavours, creating innovative taco and sushi combinations in a stylish setting adorned with vibrant Mexican art. Perched on the ninth floor, the alfresco Shoreditch restaurant area boasts stunning panoramic views of London, including major landmarks like St Paul's. With a retractable roof and heaters, it's a welcoming spot all year long, and it's open late to boot.

There are few better places for chatting and soaking up the sun with friends while munching on tasty street food than Boxpark. Always popular, this buzzy food court's shipping containers are home to a number of vendors slinging a varied assortment of street food, which you can then devour in the courtyard. Various independent retailers have set up shop here as well, and the venue hosts a regular programme of events such as concerts, DJ nights, and more.

Enjoying the peace and quiet of a pleasant garden restaurant is all well and nice, but if you're partial to the sound of a proper road hog revving past your table, check out Bike Shed Moto Co. This biker haven has patrons rumbling up straight onto its terrace, where they can enjoy an all-day menu of comfort food classics, hang out with like-minded individuals, or browse the various motorcycle goods and services available inside.

The London branch of a New York City hotspot is located atop the The Hoxton hotel in Shoreditch. The rooftop restaurant offers Llama Inn's signature South American cuisine, emphasising Peruvian ingredients, flavours, and traditions, complemented by a strong cocktail game. Of course, we aren't mentioning them in a guide to the best outdoor restaurants for no reason – the open-air terrace is ideal for long summer afternoons and lounging about with friends.

If there's one type of cuisine that has the outdoors baked into it from the start, it's barbecue. True to its name, Smokestak delivers expertly grilled delicacies, enveloping the surrounding area in the irresistible aroma of smoked meats. The chic, stripped-down restaurant features pleasantly down-to-earth outdoor seating where groups of friends can dig into heaped platters of meat, coal-roasted vegetables, and more.

The original Padella in Borough is famed for its queues as well as its handmade pasta – the extremely popular restaurant is walk-in only, meaning a wait for your table is more or less inevitable. Thankfully, its Shoreditch sibling accepts bookings, including for its outdoor terrace. Grab a table, dig into a plate heaped with masterfully prepared pasta, polish off a tiramisu for afters, and then just sit back and take in the sun while your carb-loaded system tries to get moving again.