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When people are looking for views of the City of London, they often head to the viewing platform at the Shard. This is by no means a bad choice, but if you’re looking for a more intimate view in a far more comfortable setting, these two restaurants have you covered.
We’ve also written about our favorite restaurants in Spitalfields, the area in which both of these restaurants can be found. Those might not have rooftop views, but they serve incredible fare.
The Culpeper
This has become a bit of an institution in East London. The Culpeper is actually split into three: the pub on the ground floor (which is always spilling out the door after 5 pm on the weekdays), the restaurant on the first floor (amazing choice for Sunday Roast), and the rooftop garden, which is where you’re going to get your amazing view of the City of London.
When you ascend to the rooftop from the lower levels, you’ll immediately be greeted by a beautiful greenhouse which hosts the rooftop bar. It’s the perfect place for a drink (even when it’s not sunny – sometimes I prefer it when it’s raining because you can see the rain fall along the sides of the glass).
This isn’t a full restaurant, but they certainly offer enough to keep you interested. The Culpeper Cheeseburger is usually on the menu, and it’s always a delight.
They’re notorious for not updating their menu online because the menu changes so often with the seasons, but you’re guaranteed an amazing meal, and I’ll tell you why.
Everything the Culpeper grows, they harvest. And everything they harvest, they serve in their dishes. Something from the garden will end up in your meal or drink, and it’s noticeable for its freshness.
All of this and amazing views of the City of London to boot. It’s a pretty impressive place for, say, a day date in London.
Take a walk around the garden (it’s not so big) and see if you can figure out what they’re growing that season. I saw gooseberries the last time I was there. And the greenhouse also grows all year round, including in the colder months.
The Culpeper also does “The Whole Menu” which, at the time of writing, is £75, but it’s enough for at least three people.
Note that the Culpeper’s rooftop is only open from May until the start of winter.
Maene
Update March 2024: Maene has now permanently closed. We expect another restaurant to take its place in the coming few months. There are plenty of other incredible restaurants in Spitalfields if you’re looking for dinner.
Maene opened in 2023 and sat proudly on the top floor of an old Victorian clothing factory on Fashion Street, just next to the famous Christ Church.
When the space is eventually reopened as another establishment, we expect the terrace seating to be the prime spot as it was when Maene was open. It’s an unexpectedly great view of the City of London (including the famous gherkin) (although the view is slightly obstructed). And nobody really knows about it.
Most great restaurants in London will change their menus seasonally, and Maene was no different. Their menu changed monthly but you could always expect quality local British ingredients for their modern European fare.
As with all good restaurants in London, we expect whatever replaces Maene to offer vegan and plant-based options. But if you’re looking for something for now, we’ve got you covered on the best vegan in East London. It’s unclear what will take Maene’s place in the future, but whatever it is, it has big shoes to fill.
East London is host to so many amazing restaurants and venues, and this means you need a local hand to guide you through the options. What I would say is you should never be afraid to walk up the stairs of a pub or restaurant in East London. There’s a great chance that you’ll find yourself looking straight at an amazing view of some part of the city.
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