The Rooftop Cafe

Such a hidden gem! Great for summer drinks on the deck. Would like to return to try their food menu!

My wife and I are so glad we found this place and gave it a shot. We came to London from Tennessee and were exploring the London Bridge area. We found the Unilocal review and went in search of it. We started to get a little discouraged when we realized it was in an office building and more so while making our way up the stairs, but we are so glad we made it to the top!!! It has a rooftop deck or a beautiful view from inside to choose from, and, more importantly, the food is 100% gourmet at an amazing price. We started with the squid and had the lamb chops and the vegetarian pastille for lunch — we just can’t say enough about the ambiance and the quality of this food. This is the answer to «Where should I eat?» In London.

I too would like to start by echoing both Megan and James’s point — this place is a little hidden gem in the midst of an extremely busy area! You enter through a run down sort of building by pressing the buzzer and up a few flights of dingy stairs, you enter the beautiful restaurant with an open kitchen and a huge roof terrace right next to the Shard.
I have visited on 3 occasions now — 2 were for drinks only on a sunny afternoon (a Tuesday and a Friday). I was so surprised that it wasn’t heaving on the Friday — between 6 and 8pm everyone could comfortably sit at the benches outside… which suited me perfectly. but makes me wonder why they don’t advertise it a bit more? Perhaps to keep the vibe as it is.
We also visited for breakfast on a Wednesday morning at 8am. We were the only people there — I don’t know how they make money! But — wow — the breakfast was one of the nicest I have had in London. Coffee was very decent and for breakfast I had the avocado, chilli, lime and rocket on thick toast while my friend had the truffled mushrooms and poaches eggs on toast. Both were freshly made in the kitchen in front of us and so much care was taken in making it super tasty. Both dishes were around £8 — a serious bargain.
I am going back for dinner in a few weeks — the menu looks small but divine!

I echo the sentiments of Megan below r. e wanting to keep this place to myself!
Very impressed with The Rooftop Café, great little spot for drinks and/​or food. The service is excellent, polite and attentive. It felt very relaxed, quiet but with a lovely atmosphere.
The food was fresh and tasty, the menu changes on a daily basis, I assume with what is good from Borough Market, which is on the doorstep. The smoked roasted sirloin was amazing, as was the dressed crab salad.
The decent wine on the wine list is a little pricey but thats my only gripe.
On a summers day out on the deck with the trains squeaking past. Cocktails etc. Very nice.
We will be back.

Great Place !
I weren’t there for lunch with my boyfriend in the middle of the week and fell in love with the place. It is a well-​hidden place on the top of service stairs, but really nice when you get there.
We can enjoy a view all the way from the London Eye to Elephant & Castle, which is absolutely fabulous when it’s sunny. Large windows allow you to enjoy this fully. There is also a terrace with tables and banches for summer lunch or afterwork drinks.
The menu is great as it changes everyday depending on the fresh products found the same morning on the market. I personally had a poussin with radish and a scotch egg and I loved it. You are given some slices of bread while waiting for your dish (I’m french and I can tell it’s a really good bread !).
Staff is friendly and the open kitchen makes you feel close and included into the preparation of your meal.
I recommend this place fully !!

Oh la la… what a debate I had before posting this review! I believe in promoting good restaurants but that selfish part of me wanted to keep this place all to myself! Not hard to do, seeing as though you have to be a tiny bit «in the know» to find your way to the Rooftop Café. Or… you just had to read this FIRST review! I actually asked the chef’s permission to post this review and he was on board so here we go!
Once you find your way to the Rooftop, you have a wonderfully seasonal, generously portioned meal awaiting you! We had a mix of brunch/​lunch/​dinner options — everything from duck rillette to mutton chops. I heard nothing but praise all around the table. I went with a poached egg on top of toast that was covered in thick, meaty, truffley-​delicious mushrooms. Everything about my dish was fabulous — the consistency of the egg to the buttery goodness of the toast (I hate when people skimp on the butter!).
We were feeling indulgent so had dessert and indulge we did — I had the bread and butter pudding with ice cream. If you can imagine french toast all squished together with a crispy crust around the edges (made possible by your good friend ‘le butter’), with maple syrup and THEN the cinnamon ice cream to top it off, you might be getting close to what the dessert was like. I actually had a dream about it the other night.
Service was good and unobtrusive. There was a small mishap with some corked wine we received but this was remedied immediately, without issue. Value for money here was spot on. If you visit The Rooftop Café, you have got a substantial, delicious meal, served with a smile, in central London. What more could you ask for?!