Rainproof terraces: London restaurants with covered outside seating

The annual arrival of al fresco dining always ignites an ecstatic sense of liberation in London. Finally, smoked salmon and something fizzy in the sun, foliage draped about the place and possibly a water feature of some description. 

Being the UK, rain has been known to dampen proceedings. To stop play. And so we needn’t be averse to restaurants kitted out to assuage such weather-based foreboding. Here, we round up a number with outside, sometimes rooftop terraces, but which can be or are already covered too, just in case.

Once restaurant number one for celebrity spotting, Chiltern Firehouse is less obvious today. The chances of dining next to Kylie Minogue have diminished a little. But the place remains a hotspot, a fun West London bolthole equipped and primed for a debaucherous jaunt. On the terrace: oysters, champagne, Provence roses by the bucket, vodka rigatoni, dainty crab tartlets, fried chicken, roast chicken, all manner of crudo, steaks and caviar. Each and every one helps to bring a wealth of vibes outside come summer.

1 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PA, chilternfirehouse.com

There are few, if any London restaurants better placed to deliver seafood. This Mayfair institution hardly needs an introduction, but for those who haven’t been, think of dressed crab and plates of oysters, whole roast Dover sole, fried prawns in the lightest of batters. Outside, on the terrace, it is often busy and fun. Martinis and champagne are par for the course. And so Bentley’s is a glorious place to while away hours. Top, top service, too.

11-15 Swallow Street, W1B 4DG, bentleys.org/

Scott’s was founded as an oyster warehouse in 1851 by a young fishmonger called John Scott. In Haymarket for more than 100 years, today the restaurant is one of Mayfair’s grandest locations, once a favourite stomping ground of Ian Fleming and today still boasting a virulent celebrity clientele. On a fine day, the terrace is decorous and joyful, one that lends itself comfortably to long and bougie lunches. 

20 Mount Street, W1K 2HE, scotts-mayfair.com

In Dalston is Acme Fire Cult. It is cult by name and cult by nature: there’s always a crowd there eager for craft beers, low-intervention wines and small plates of flavour-packed dishes from chef Andrew Clarke and co. The food is hyper-modern, Hackney primed and cooked over fire. Think coal-roasted leeks with pistachio romesco, Longhorn bavette in spiced butter, and crab served as xec xec, a fragrant and fiery Goan curry. The place is one of East London’s finest successes of recent years.

Abbot Street, E8 3DP, acmefirecult.com

New in Shoreditch, Llama Inn is a Brooklyn (NY) import, a rooftop space with a covered terrace serving Peruvian-inspired small plates and excellently made cocktails. Upstairs with views across East London, Llama Inn has proven to be a hit with locals, critics, just about everyone, a restaurant playful but refined and absolutely geared up for a good time. Begin with scallop ceviche and crispy squid. Then try the cod with yuca cream, and a pork chop of greedy proportion, tempered by a mint and cucumber salad and strapped with green sauce. Open late at weekends (1am).

1 Willow Street, EC2A 4BH, llamainnlondon.com

Some might consider Bacchanalia to be a garish restaurant. Those people are boring. It is a lot — waiting staff are dressed as Roman servants; on the ceiling is a model of a horse, hooves a-canter; somewhere there is a Damien Hirst piece worth millions — but what do you expect from restaurateur Richard Caring? What do you think Mayfair is all about? Outside, the restaurant has just launched a terrace area, and a menu to go with it. Italian and Greek-inspired dishes include grilled octopus with fava beans, lobster paccheri pasta and wood-fired lamb chops. 

1-3 Mount Street, W1K 3NB, bacchanalia.co.uk

There was a hefty barbecue trend some years ago. Has it faded away? Barbecue cooking has never and will never go out of fashion, even if it doesn’t dictate as many column inches these days. Here it is, though: Smokestak. A restaurant based entirely on the concept of smoked and roasted meats and with a terrace in a buzzy part of town. Crispy ox cheeks, pulled pork buns and mounds of tender brisket are vital outside in the sunshine.

35 Sclater Street, E1 6LB, smokestak.co.uk

Margot Henderson modern institution has long traded outside but hasn’t always had a cover on the terrace. It was a logistical burden given Britain’s penchant for sporadic rain. Today, there is less risk, and so the chef’s classic and modern European cooking can be enjoyed al fresco at any time. The menu is seasonal and changes daily — only the best produce can be predicted — but bed in for cured trout, perhaps, grilled asparagus or quail with lemon and aioli, and a bottle or two of interesting wine.

16 Playground Gardens, E2 7FA, rochellecanteen.com