Sky Garden

Sky Garden sits at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street — the bulbous tower Londoners have nicknamed the Walkie-Talkie — rising 35 floors above the City of London. The building was designed by Rafael Viñoly and completed in 2014, and as part of the planning permission, the developer was required to make the top three floors publicly accessible. The result is a vast glass atrium filled with landscaped gardens, restaurants and bars, and some of the most sweeping panoramic views of London available for free.

Once you're up there, the space opens into a soaring botanical garden with tropical and Mediterranean planting, winding walkways, and seating at multiple levels. The views stretch in every direction: Tower Bridge and the Thames to the south, St Paul's Cathedral to the west, the Gherkin and Canary Wharf visible from different angles. There are two restaurants — Fenchurch Restaurant for sit-down dining and Darwin Brasserie for something more casual — plus the Garden Bar and a walk-up café. You can simply wander and look, grab a drink, or book a proper meal with arguably the best window tables in London.

The catch is that free entry requires pre-booking a timed slot through the Sky Garden website, and slots — especially for weekend afternoons and evenings — go fast. Booking a couple of weeks out is wise. If you can't get a free garden slot, booking a table at Darwin Brasserie gets you through the door too. Morning slots on weekdays are the easiest to secure and deliver a calmer, less crowded experience than the popular early-evening rush.