London beer gardens & pub gardens

Where to find the sunniest gardens in London

• Hackney & London FieldsBig, west-facing yards behind Victorian pubs that hold the sun until late. Best for long summer evenings, and busy from the moment the sun hits.
• Hampstead & HighgateLeafy gardens on the hill with open sky above them. Shade comes from trees rather than buildings, so there is usually a sunny table and a cool one.
• Southwark & BermondseyCourtyards and railway-arch gardens. Narrow and hemmed in, so sun windows are short and sharp — usually midday to mid-afternoon.
• Richmond & the riverRiverside gardens with unbroken western sky. The most reliable sunset drinking in London, and the first to fill up on a warm Saturday.
• Soho & the West EndMostly pavement tables and small roof terraces. Tall buildings mean short sun spells, so timing matters more here than anywhere.
• Notting Hill & PortobelloWalled back gardens, quieter than the street terraces, with dependable afternoon light and plenty of parasols for shade.

How to pick a garden with sun

• West-facing gardens keep the sun longest — that is where the last light of the day lands.
• In central London the sun disappears behind buildings well before sunset. Check the sun-until time, not the sunset time.
• Gardens with parasols, pergolas or awnings are marked as shaded, useful on the hottest afternoons.
• The community reports live sun, cloud and rain, so the list reflects the sky as it is now.

Beer garden season in London