Riviera-inspired LPM makes a strong case that French food just tastes better en plein air: its street-level mews spot hums with the kind of sun-kissed energy you’d expect on Boulevard de la Croisette. Start with a Tomatini – LPM’s signature, savoury cocktail – and then load up on small plates: creamy burrata, tangy yellowtail, maybe one of the excellent salads. Split the Dover sole, save room for the crème brûlee, and spend a good chunk of time poring over the cocktail menu, designed like a fashion magazine.

53-54 Brook’s Mews, London W1K 4EG; lpmrestaurants.com

London isn’t short of fabulous hotels… But sometimes, when you want to keep it classic and very glamorous, there is no place like The Dorchester. Sitting on its Park Lane throne and facing Hyde Park, the hotel’s Mayfair terrace has been transformed into a fresh, design-led space in collaboration with fashion brand La Double J, featuring its signature florals as well as enchanting sculptures by artist Lyman Whitaker. The hotel’s Vesper Bar menu has also been given a whimsical update, with a new planetarium-inspired cocktail menu – we loved the “Jupiter”, an enticing mix of Blanco tequila, tangerine and fig-leaf soda.

53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA; dorchestercollection.com 

At Murano in Mayfair, Angela Hartnett just gets how to make good pasta without the frills. It’s unfussy Italian cooking at its best, and Murano’s pretty-in-pastel terrace is the place to enjoy it. Take a pew at one of its bistro-style, marble-top tables for two, where you can enjoy the restaurant’s courgette agnolini with wild garlic dough, all the while fantasising about the inner lives of those with a Mayfair address.

20 Queen Street, W1J 5PP; muranolondon.com

Everyone knows that Mediterranean food tastes better in the sun, regardless of whether you’re in San Sebastián or on the Strand. By that logic, Toklas’s terrace is one of our top picks because it practically has vitamin D on tap – as well as a daily changing menu curated especially for eating alfresco. We’re talking grilled sardines, fresh pasta, chilled crudo and ice-cold wines, all served in a Miria Harris-designed space fitted with brightly coloured tables and beautiful plants – and views of the disused Aldwych tube station.

1 Surrey Street, WC2R 2ND; toklaslondon.com  

On a sunny day in Soho, the place to be is Café Boheme. Sitting on the corner of Greek Street and Old Compton Street, just a short walk from Ronnie Scott’s, the all-day Parisian brasserie is made for people who love nothing more than watching the world go by over a crisp glass of picpoul. There’s also regular live music, in case you fancy being serenaded with South American jazz as you soak up the afternoon rays.

13 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JQ; cafeboheme.co.uk

Good news for anyone who’s been struggling to get a table at Carbone: the Italian-American smash-hit has just opened its first terrace. Overlooking Grosvenor Square gardens, the street-level space is surrounded by olive trees and fresh herbs, giving the sense of being somewhere more Mediterranean – especially on summer evenings when the scent of fresh rosemary wafts through the air. It’s practically a crime not to order the now-legendary spicy rigatoni pasta, which you can, happily, do at lunchtime too, thanks to the launch of Carbone’s new lunch menu.

30 Grosvenor Square, W1K 2LG; carbonelondon.com

Like most of London, Canary Wharf is transformed in the sun – all skyscrapers look better with a background of blue sky, after all. As do all dishes at Roe, the sister restaurant to Fallow in St James’s, which has a large, wraparound terrace overlooking the water. As we wrote in our review of Roe, this is a restaurant for foodies: the best things to order at Roe are cuttlefish toast, venison tartare and pig’s head flatbread. OK, and the frozen margarita – it is summer, after all.

5 Park Drive, E14 9GG; roerestaurant.co.uk

Anyone with a postcode starting with “W” knows that Panzer’s is where you want to be on a weekend. The long-established deli and grocery shop in St John’s Wood sells the best versions of everything you want to buy (the sushi counter is elite), and also has a small terrace out front where you can kick back and order smoked salmon bagels and salt-beef sandwiches. Come for brunch and keep your eyes peeled: Harry Styles and Mick Jagger are reportedly fans.

13-19 Circus Road, NW8 6PB; panzers.co.uk

Lovely, lively Los Mochis is even better in the sunshine. The swanky Japanese-Mexican restaurant occupies the entire top floor of 100 Liverpool Street, packing in a huge main restaurant and tiny omakase counter alongside its extensive outdoor terrace. The views in every direction are, as you’d imagine, epic, but the terrace is where you want to be when the sun is shining – preferably tucking into a trailer park chicken taco with another round of mezcalitas on the way.

100 Liverpool Street, EC2M 2AT; losmochis.co.uk

Trivet is a blessing for the unorganised and the spontaneous. Walk-ins are welcomed with open arms, but when the sun shines, you’ll be hard pushed to find a spot on its bonhomie-filled terrace. Since we first reviewed this restaurant back in 2022, the southeast spot by chef Jonny Lake and master sommelier Isa Bal has earned two Michelin stars – and it’s easy to see why. Lake’s hot tongue bun with anchovy mayonnaise, blackcurrant mostarda and pickles is a highlight for the culinary curious.

36 Snowsfields, SE1 3SU; trivetrestaurant.co.uk 

Reclining riverside in Richmond is one of London’s greatest pleasures – especially after a romp through the park. And by far the nicest place to absorb the “out-of-town” feeling is the terrace at Scott’s Richmond, which brings the famed Mayfair seafood restaurant’s most popular dishes to west London. On your order list: Jersey oysters, prawn cocktail and Scott’s signature Dover sole – best enjoyed with a glass of champagne and the sun on your face.

4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond TW9 1EH; scotts-richmond.com

You want to sit outside on Jermyn Street. Because how else would you watch some of the city’s most flamboyant dressers flounce past on their way to buy new straw boaters and silk dressing gowns? The terrace at Franco’s is a prime spot for this kind of people-watching. The old-school Italian restaurant first opened in 1945, and still serves authentic dishes done really well, from lobster linguine to shrimp-scattered sea bass. There are cigars, too, if you want to end things on a smoky note  – and a dedicated dessert menu if you prefer things sweet.

61 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6LX; francoslondon.com 

Sushisamba is in full bloom this season, thanks to the arrival of its new Sakura-inspired terrace. Created in partnership with Moët Hennessy, the outdoor space has been designed to look like a Japanese cherry blossom garden, complete with floral arches and a themed cocktail list – the sake spritz is our pick. The usual Sushisamba signatures will be available, too, including the much-loved samba rolls.

35 The Market, WC2E 8RF; sushisamba.com