The Gherkin was one of the first London skyscrapers to have a top-floor restaurant, and it remains one of the few places with 360-degree views of the city today. The menu at Searcys Helix Restaurant spotlights seasonal British fare, with many of the ingredients sourced from Borough Market and Billingsgate. Expect dishes such as pheasant terrine with mushrooms, gnocchi with corn velouté, turkey ballotine with potato and turkey jus and a chai latte panna cotta with figs and maple syrup.

This foliage-filled restaurant sits at the top of Treehouse Hotel in Marylebone, offering extensive views across central London and beyond. Guest DJs play at night, and are joined by fire dancers and contortionists. Madera at Treehouse’s Mexican menu features flights of margaritas made with guava and passionfruit, and dishes such as pan planos, flatbreads topped with grilled mushrooms, manchego cheese and arugula.

Tower Bridge is where the action is at when it comes to London’s legendary fireworks display, and there are few better vantage points than a dinner at Le Pont de la Tour. The restaurant, part of an elegant, restored 19th-century tea warehouse, has an extensive wine list with several champagnes and sparkling wines perfectly suited to a celebratory evening. Expect classic French fare such as roasted scallops with saffron and braised fennel and a coconut mouse.

There are rooms with a view and then there’s the GŎNG Bar at the Shard. As the highest hotel bar in Europe, it offers 360-degree views of London. £125 guarantees a window seat where diners eat a sharing Asian food platter with a bottle of champagne on either end of the restaurant. A la carte menu features truffle salmon maki rolls, chicken karaage, and a chef’s choice of sashimi platter.

Views stretch from St Paul’s to the Shard at the Mercer Roof Terrace. Luxury is the name of the day at this rooftop restaurant and bar, which revolves around seasonal British produce and a charcoal oven. And if you’re worried about the cold – don’t be. Come winter, a transparent dome keeps the worst of the chill out, and the flicker of candlelight, twinkle of fairy lights and the faux fur blankets all add to an experience that looks cool, but feels warm and cosy.

For uninterrupted views of Westminster, head to 8 at the Londoner, a sleek Japanese lounge and garden, located on the eighth floor of the Londoner Hotel. Grab a seat at the minimalist terrace or the Shima Garden, a starlit oasis that changes to reflect based on the seasons in Japan. Order dishes such as the lobster tempura and edamame with lemon butter and shichimi sea salt, and pair with cocktails like a jasmine and yuzu margarita.

This British restaurant features glittering chandeliers, smooth wood panelling, top-notch views of the Thames, Big Ben and the London Eye, and top-quality beef. O’Shea’s, a local father-and-son butcher shop, provides the meat, and almost everything on the menu comes from within 150 miles of the restaurant. For a more old-school celebration, there’s few that match Gillrays Steakhouse.

For East London views, you can’t do much better than Allegra, a restaurant that is located on the seventh floor of The Stratford Hotel. Star chef Patrick Powell culinary prowess is on full display here as seen in dishes such as Waldorf tarts with pickled walnut and pistachio choux buns filled with chicken liver parfait and preserved clementine. Allegra was voted 53rd best restaurant in the UK at the 2022 National Restaurant Awards.

At Madison Restaurant, come for the cocktails and stay for the views. Located across from St. Paul’s Cathedral, the restaurant serves up seasonal drinks such as cocktails with crème de cassis, champagne and candyfloss, and the sour cocktail with tequila, rhubarb liqueur, celery bitters and lemon. The menu features lobster tacos, teriyaki sea bass, rigatoni with plant-based meatball sauce, and a honeycomb cheesecake with salted caramel.

You don’t need to work at the BBC to enjoy The Broadcaster, a contemporary pub with excellent West London views. Get comfortable with a good pint or a glass of wine and order one of the dishes from the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. Choose between blistered flatbreads topped with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella or glazed pork ribs, among other dishes.