We’re approaching the warmest part of the year – which means it’s the perfect time to visit a rooftop bar.
Opening today, Wagtail is London’s latest rooftop offering located near Bank and Monument stations, meaning you have a view of the city from the top.
Designed to have a 360-degree view across the rooftop bar and restaurant, it’s perfect for capturing pictures and soaking in the views.
From the top, you can see London Bridge, The Shard, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s, and Monument.
It’s a redevelopment of the former House of Fraser, and a stylish one at that, echoing the rooftop design of other highbrow London haunts like Sushi Samba in Heron Tower.
As well as the view, you’ll want to visit to taste the work of the experts heading up the menu curation and delivery.
Executive chef, Philip Kearsey, known for working in Corrigan’s Mayfair and being Michelin-trained, and bar manager, Angelos Bafas, known for Aqua, are working together to give visitors a memorable dining experience.
Ingredients for food are sourced locally and sustainably, making use of fresh English produce – sometimes caught that same morning – tailoring the menu seasonally.
Across Wagtail, there are three main areas: the top floor bar, which is set on a terrace, the restaurant on the floor below (which also has views) and a private dining room, which can be booked out for parties and meetings.
The private room is set in a grand and majestic cupola, coming with a bird’s eye view of the River Thames.
Founder and chief executive at Maven Leisure, Ed Martin, says: ‘Following what has been a challenging few years for the hospitality industry, we’re thrilled to be building our portfolio and announcing the opening of Wagtail Rooftop Bar and Restaurant.
‘The highly skilled craftmanship of Phil and Angelos, coupled with the breath-taking views from this iconic building, will ensure Wagtail is a luxury experience like no other.’
What did we think of Wagtail?
We were invited to an exclusive dinner to test a selection of the menu, see the space, and try the cocktails.
The cocktails were some of the nicest we’d ever drank, with the expert mixologists asking for our personal tastes before coming up with bespoke combinations and suggesting menu options.
One cocktail in particular had a distinct beginning, middle and end flavour to it, making it one of the most sophisticated we’d tried.
The food was divine too, and will make for a good spot to impress a date, or for after-work gatherings.
There are plenty of locally sourced items and even rare English Wagyu, but vegans might struggle with options – one of us was served an egg on a supposedly ‘vegan’ plate.
Given the location and higher price point (cocktails alone are £15-20), it’ll likely attract a lot of London’s suits and corporate workers, as well as influencer party types.
So, it’s set to be a popular destination, as people were already trying to come in off the street before it had even opened when we visited.
For fancy dining and city views, we think this is worth a go.
One thing to note: the top floor isn’t totally accessible, which is a disappointing oversight, as the lift only goes to the penultimate floor (stairs take you right to the top).
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