London Bridge has the densest cluster of rooftop bars in the city, for the obvious reason: it has the Shard, and everything around the Shard gets to look at it. Standing on a roof in Mayfair you see other roofs. Standing on a roof in SE1 you see the Shard, Tower Bridge, the river and the whole City skyline at once.
We run brewery tours through Bermondsey, fifteen minutes' walk from London Bridge station, so this is home ground. Here is every rooftop worth your time in the area, and what each one is actually for.
London Bridge Rooftop
The one most people mean. It sits on top of Colechurch House, on London Bridge Walk directly opposite the Shard — six floors up, 240 covers, and a genuine 360-degree view taking in the Shard, the London Eye and the Tower of London.
It is a casual rooftop rather than a smart one: pints, cocktails, burgers and street food, DJs later on. There are heated and covered sections, so it works outside high summer. Book online for Thursday to Saturday; walk-ins are welcome the rest of the week depending on how full it is.
Go for: after-work drinks, birthdays, anything where you want the view without a tasting menu.
The Shard's own bars
You cannot look at the Shard from inside the Shard, which is the trade-off. What you get instead is height — 31 and 32 floors of it — and a view down onto everything else.
Aqua Shard, on level 31, is a triple-height atrium bar. No entry fee, but you will need a reservation and the drinks are priced accordingly.
Oblix, on level 32, is a bar and grill with a west-facing terrace that catches the sunset over the river. Oblix West does the cocktails and live music; Oblix East does the food.
Neither is a rooftop in the open-air sense — you are behind glass most of the time. If you want wind in your face, go to Colechurch House instead.
Southwark and Bankside
Walk ten minutes west and the density goes up again.
Seabird, on the 14th floor of The Hoxton Southwark on Blackfriars Road, is the best of them. It is an Iberian seafood restaurant and bar with what it claims is London's longest oyster list, and the terrace looks down over south London with trains lacing in and out of Waterloo. Floor-to-ceiling windows mean the view survives bad weather. Year-round.
Bar Arriba, in the same building, is the more casual sibling — Mexican bites, resident and guest DJs, melodic and Afro house.
12th Knot at Sea Containers is twelve floors up with a straight view along the Thames — the best sunset angle in the area, and it knows it.
OXO Tower Bar at Oxo Tower Wharf sits eight floors up on the South Bank with 200 feet of terrace looking across the river to the City. Thirty years old and still one of the most reliable views in London.
The full list
| Bar | Building | Floor | Open | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Bridge Rooftop | Colechurch House, SE1 | 6 | Year-round | Advised Thu–Sat |
| Aqua Shard | The Shard | 31 | Year-round | Required |
| Oblix | The Shard | 32 | Year-round | Required |
| Seabird | The Hoxton Southwark | 14 | Year-round | Advised |
| Bar Arriba | The Hoxton Southwark | 14 | Year-round | Walk-in |
| 12th Knot | Sea Containers | 12 | Year-round | Advised |
| OXO Tower Bar | Oxo Tower Wharf | 8 | Year-round | Advised |
| BFI Riverfront terrace | BFI Southbank | Ground/terrace | Year-round | Walk-in |
What to do about the weather
This is the question that decides your evening in SE1, because most of these are exposed.
Year-round and genuinely weatherproof: Aqua Shard, Oblix and Seabird — all have substantial indoor space with the view intact through glass.
Year-round but you are outside: London Bridge Rooftop has covered and heated sections, 12th Knot and OXO have partial cover. In January they are cold rather than closed.
If it is properly raining, the honest answer is to go underground instead. The Bermondsey Beer Mile is a chain of brewery taprooms in the railway arches between London Bridge and South Bermondsey — no view whatsoever, and completely indifferent to the weather.
Getting there
London Bridge station is served by the Jubilee and Northern lines and by National Rail from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Waterloo East and the south coast. Colechurch House is a two-minute walk from the station's Tooley Street exit; the Shard is directly above the station.
For Southwark's rooftops, Southwark (Jubilee) or Blackfriars are closer than London Bridge — The Hoxton is a five-minute walk from either.
Making a day of it
The rooftops are an evening activity. The afternoon before them is the better half of the day, and it is on your doorstep.
Bermondsey's brewery arches start about a fifteen-minute walk south-east of London Bridge station and run in a line towards South Bermondsey — Anspach & Hobday, Southwark Brewing, Brew By Numbers and others, most with taprooms open Friday and Saturday. Our Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour takes you through them with someone who knows which arches are worth stopping at, and there is a cheese, meat and beer version if you would rather eat as you go.
Borough Market is five minutes from the station and open Tuesday to Saturday. Do that first, the rooftop second, and you have used the daylight properly.
Related guides
- Best rooftop bars in London — the citywide list, sorted by area
- Rooftop restaurants in London — for when it's dinner rather than drinks
- Best beer gardens in London — ground level, better beer
- London brewery tours — Bermondsey, Hackney Wick and beyond