Top six: bars with a view
Putney Bridge, The Embankment, SW15 (020 8780 1811)
Order a cocktail in the ground-floor bar of this modern glass and steel restaurant and admire the perfect sight of river traffic as it meanders lazily by.
Babylon, The Roof Gardens, 99 Kensington High Street, W8 (020 7368 3993)
Take a stroll among the flamingos and lily ponds or just stay put on the balcony and try to work out where all the familiar landmarks are among the jumble of chimney pots.
Roof terrace, The Trafalgar, 2 Spring Gardens, SW1 (020 7870 2959)
Strictly speaking a private space for limited parties, so either book it or don't turn down that invite, or you'll never know what's in Nelson's pocket. You haven't seen Trafalgar Square from this angle before...
The Tenth, Royal Garden Hotel, 2-24 Kensington High Street, W8 (020 7937 8000)
Enjoy a glass of summer fizz as you soak up the stunning panoramic views of Kensington Gardens and the Palace.
The Studio Lounge at Waterstone's, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1 (020 7851 2433)
Buy the book, but save the reading for later, just curl up with a cocktail and admire the Victorian chimney pots of SW1.
Vertigo, 42nd Floor, Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, EC2 (020 7877 7842)
The serious view, through floor to ceiling glass walls, is not for the faint-hearted. But with champagne and seafood, it's worth taking the high-speed lift for.
