London in the sun is hard to beat. To cross one of its many distinguished bridges, light hitting the Thames and towers casting shadows on the riverbank, is to feel a part of the city. Sitting comfortably in a pub garden or on a sun-kissed rooftop might be as rewarding.
But so many pubs in town weren’t built with sunshine in mind. They were built as post-work refuges, places for pints and pies, not long Sunday afternoons after some sort of brunch. To that end, it’s helpful to know where catches the sun.
Below are ten pubs and rooftop bars well suited to summer drinking. The list is the work of Andrew Wright, who developed an app, Pubs in the Sun, which shows users which pub is best at any given time of day. With a canny algorithm, Wright has also charted which pubs get the most sunlight on average and noted the best times to visit for maximum tanning.
Wagtail
- Average Sun: 95%
- Best Sun times: 3-4pm
Rooftop restaurant and bar in the City, not far from Monument station, serving modern cocktails and small plates. Superb views over the City.
- Average Sun: 91%
- Best Sun times: 4-4.30pm
Converted 1930s Dutch barge permanently moored between Lambeth and Vauxhall Bridge with good pints, live music and simple food.
- Average Sun: 89%
- Best Sun times: 3-4pm
Sweeping riverside pub with panoramic views over the river, pints from Young’s brewery and classic seafood fare.
- Average Sun: 88%
- Best Sun times: 3-3.30pm
Old boozer for City workers with a decent selection of real ales, an extensive list of gins, and pub classics. Always busy in late afternoon, particularly towards the end of the week.
Blackfriar
- Average Sun: 87%
- Best Sun times: 3-4pm
Grade II-listed Victorian boozer in the style of an old friary and opposite Blackfriars station. Very traditional, with nooks and crannies inside but plenty of space out the front.
- Average Sun: 86%
- Best Sun times: 3.30-4.15pm
New bar and dining space close to Smithfield Market and the famous British restaurant, St John. Not old school, but boasts a huge beer garden and lots of drinkable roses.
- Average Sun: 85%
- Best Sun times: 3-3.30pm
Street food, beers, wines and cocktails in what used to be a car park when people actually drove to London Bridge. Boutique shops and art installations, too.
The Butcher’s Hook & Cleaver
- Average Sun: 84%
- Best Sun times: 4.30pm
Right next to Smithfield Market, the pub is set within a former bank and an old butcher’s shop and is decorated with frescoes and chandeliers. Not so much a place market traders drink, more visitors and local professionals.
- Average Sun: 84%
- Best Sun times: 3-4.15pm
Right in the heart of Theatreland, this is a good pub for those who fancy a drink or two before a show. Always bustling and quite atmospheric.
- Average Sun: 83%
- Best Sun times: 3.45-4pm
Modern pub with jolly service, especially for its fairly transitory locale. Beers, wines and the like and more interesting thanks to a food menu of Neapolitan pizzas.