As the bright lights of the festive season start to twinkle, it becomes increasingly more difficult to coax yourself out of your duvet cave. It’s cold out there! It’s grey. Your bed is warm and welcoming – we get it. But there is a romantic side to this city in the winter. When the dark nights draw in and the wind chills whip up, there are innumerable bars and restaurants to take refuge in, warming your cockles with deep maroon glasses of red wine and spritely pints of stout. Even better, as we enter the depths of the winter months, are the heated, blanket-laden outdoor terraces that help reacquaint you with the outside world.
From the top of The Hoxton in Southwark with 360 degree views of the city to street side setups perfect for people watching, the city is awash with space-heatered hideouts. We’ve picked our favourite of the bunch here.
The best winter terraces in London for 2024/25
J. Sheekey
28-32 St Martin's Court, WC2N 4AL
If anything was going to tempt us out of the house in the depths of winter it would be the J. Sheekey fish pie. Creamy, packed full of some of the best seafood in the British isles and topped with delicately piped, buttery mashed potato and then grilled until golden, it is the ultimate indulgence. Head to the restaurant’s iconic cherry red heated terrace to pair your pie with a side order of people watching. It’s a duo that’s sure to reignite your love for London.
Snowbird at Seabird
14th Floor, South Bank, 40 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8NY
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Seabird inarguably occupies one of the best positions in London. Perched atop The Hoxton hotel in Southwark, it benefits from almost uninterrupted views of the city thanks to its towering heights in an area lacking in skyscrapers, and the breezy design and capacious open air terrace makes it a veritable suntrap. Open air, though, is perhaps not what you’re after in the depths of the February freeze, so, in steps Snowbird. Yep, as you may have guessed from the moniker, this is Seabird redesigned and renamed for the joys of winter. Expect warming seafood dishes, wintry tipples and views galore.
Double Standard at The Standard
Ground Floor, The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG
The terrace at The Standard
Something of an in-the-know hideaway in the heart of King’s Cross, Double Standard is the wonderful bar located on the ground floor of the ultra-cool Standard hotel. While most thirsty guests head up the iconic external red pill elevator to reach Decimo and Sweeties at the top of the building, those looking for a drink a little closer to the ground scoot through the lobby to Double Standard. The terrace is a haven among the hustle and bustle of to-ing and fro-ing train travellers outside, and for the wintertime they’ve transformed it with a crackling fire, rugs galore and fairy lights to give the dark evenings a romantic feel.
Acme Fire Cult
Abbot Street, London E8 3DP
It seems almost amazing that Acme Fire Cult only opened in the Spring of 2022, given how quickly it has cemented itself as one of the capital’s best places to eat. Set in the same car park that houses 40FT brewery and The Dusty Knuckle, what was once a sad spread of tarmac is now one of the most exciting culinary patches of land in London. It also means Acme Fire Cult occupies a meagre indoor space, with much of the seating being in the terrace area – which is heated and well-stocked with shearling rugs to keep diners warm in the winter months – if the smoke from the barbeque isn’t keeping things warm enough, that is.
Yasmin
1 Warwick Street, W1B 5LR
A winter terrace at altitude, Yasmin sits at the top of 1 Warwick member's house, six floors above its sibling Nessa in Soho. A small but perfectly formed alfresco patch, Yasmin’s terrace wraps around the building armed with heaters, blankets and swoonsome views of the London skyline, which tick the boxes for extended wintery catch-ups with pals. Warm up your insides with a stellar cocktail offering, including the unmissable Shapash – a take on a margarita with chilli, watermelon and green strawberry – and fuel on Turkish small plates. The manti with guindilla peppers and mint, and turmeric grilled chicken skewers come out on top.
Dovetale
1 Dover Yard, W1J 8NE
With a crackling stone fireplace, squidgy armchairs and blankets, Dovetale’s winter terrace would easily be at home in a corner of the Cotswolds as it would in Zone 1. Get snuggly on its sofas with a cocktail in hand and sink your fork into the top-notch food cheffed up by Tom Sellers, including the unmissable English wagyu tartare with hot mustard and beef fat chips. Feeling too warm by the fireplace? Cool off with a knickerbocker glory from Dovetale’s iconic trolley.
Barge East
River Lee, Sweetwater Mooring, E9 5EN
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Looking for waterside alfresco views without boarding a ship? Take a trip to Barge East’s outdoor terrace, which sits snuggly alongside its boat restaurant and parallel to Hackney Wick’s canals. Armed with heaters and parasols, Barge East also ups the ante with heated winter cabins for outdoor catchups, whatever the weather. There’s a host of street food stalls, faux fur blankets and mini hot water bottles to enhance your evening – making Barge East’s terrace (literally and figuratively) one of the hottest spots in London this winter.
The Laundry
374 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PL
The Laundry winter terrace
Jack Lewis Williams
A popular spot for Sunday roasts and bountiful brunching south of the river, The Laundry in Brixton also flaunts a Parisian-inspired outdoor terrace stocked with bistro tables, rattan chairs, toasty blankets and roaring heaters to keep the winter weather at bay.
Hacienda 1942 Winter Terrace at Rosewood London
252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN
Hotel heavyweight Rosewood London has joined forces with Don Julio 1942 to present the Hacienda 1942 Winter Terrace, running from 2 November until 10 January 2025. Giving the middle finger to all things winter, expect to sip on agave-laced concoctions reminiscent of warmer climes across the Atlantic. Sip on a Lupita made from Julio Blanco, padron peppers, jalapeño and cucumber and chew on some Baja fish tacos until the last train calls.
