Restaurants, bars & cafés: our top places to eat & drink alfresco

How much are we loving the arrival of this warm sunshine? So much so that it has got us thinking about our top places to eat and drink alfresco. For delicious food and a roomy terrace, we love Dock Kitchen, off Ladbroke Grove. Under Stevie Parle’s direction, this restaurant and bar serves up a daily changing menu and at lunchtime midweek, it’s usually possibly to get an outside table without a wait.
Re-opening tomorrow at midday is the rooftop at The Boundary in Shoreditch, which has a huge terrace with a bar, restaurant, garden and 360 degree views from The Gherkin to Canary Wharf. It does get busy though and reservations are not allowed unless you’re a group over 8, so head there early to get a seat.
Keeping to East London, the Towpath café is right on Regent’s Canal and serves simple, good food with a laid back atmosphere, whilst The Crown Tavern, a trendy pub on Clerkenwell Green and in particular The Modern Pantry with it’s top-notch menu, have outside tables.
For an often over-looked spot just near Oxford Circus, try the restaurant at RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) which has a great modern terrace at the back that’s quiet and green.
Or if you’re in Chelsea, La Famiglia has a bustling, walled conservatory that opens to the skies. With fantastic Italian food and good service, it’s as close to Italy as you can get off the King’s Road.