The Best Places To Eat Outside In London

Groucho Marx once proclaimed, "I hate London when it's not raining." Evidently, he hadn't sipped on a G&T on the Boundary Rooftop. Admittedly the summer months can turn London into a scramble for outdoor seating, but there's still plenty of sun-traps you can enjoy the weather in.

Whether it's grabbing a slice of pizza on the canal in Hackney or venturing to Soho for people watching and pasta, if you can't afford to quaff bubbly on Lake Como or break bread in Provence, here's the next best thing.

Megan's

This unspoiled gem in South-West London boasts reasonably priced food and with decent portion sizes too. Most importantly the garden area is a small oasis in the summer and come evening it's alit with fairy lights and the checkered tables creak under bottles of wine and wooden slabs piled high with seafood and steak. The perfect meeting place for a group of friends or a date.

571 King's Rd, Fulham, London SW6 2EB, megans.co.uk

The Boundary Rooftop

If the weather is even passable, the Boundary's roof restaurant is a slice of Southern France that you'd never believe was in Zone 1. The menus adjust to celebrate seasonal ingredients but delicious fresh produce and a great view are always guaranteed. A word of warning, you might have to be dragged down it's so peaceful up there.

9 Redchurch St, London, E16, The Boundary,

The Modern Pantry

Located in a Grade II-listed Georgian Building, The Modern Pantry boasts an extensive menu inspired by chef Anna Hansen's global adventures (Danish ancestry, spent her childhood in New Zealand and now lives in the UK.) The eatery also has a pretty impressive alfresco dining area. An ideal spot for people watching, we recommend you head over on the weekend for an extended brunch in the sun.

47-48 St John's Square, Clerkenwell, EC1V 4JJ, themodernpantry.co.uk

Dalloway Terrace

Named after Virginia Woolf's eponymous book and set in the heart of Bloomsbury, Dalloway Terrace is a pocket of London's history that is hard to beat on a bright summer day. The secluded secret garden is a pocket of escapism in the middle of London with an all-day menu of Instagrammable delights.

16-22 Great Russell St, Fitzrovia, London WC1B 3NN, dallowayterrace.com

Canal no 5

Perched canal-side in Islington, this unassuming all day restaurant is perfect for a spot in the sun to watch the world go by. Their new head chef offers up all-day brunch and changing daily specials like asparagus, pea and hummus tartine, elderflower cured salmon and watermelon gazpacho with feta and black olives. All with reasonable prices and a relaxed atmosphere, get down before there's no seats left.

Off Danbury Street, N1 8PZ, CanalNo5

Crate Brewery

If you can fight your way through the East London beards and fixie bikes, Crate Brewery is where to set up camp this summer. The micro-brewery offers a vast selection of craft beers and their inventive pizza menu includes toppings like Middle Eastern lamb or sage and truffle. Not the most picturesque outdoor space in London, but the perfect place to park up for an evening of fun.

The white building, Queen's Yard, London E9 5EN, cratebrewery.com

Lina Stores

The 1950s ceramic storefront to this family deli is every bit as charming as the service and food. Select perfectly al dente ravioli with porchini or little postage stamps filled with proscuitto cotto and parmesan. Enjoy your lunch like an Italian, with a bowl of pasta in the sunshine at one of their tables outside the restaurant where you can watch the world go by.

Lina Stores, 18 Brewer St, London W1F 0SH.