Florattica Rooftop London

Florattica’s ground-floor entrance might overlook a bus station, but once the gold lift whisks you up to the 11th floor of Canopy by Hilton London City, London’s concrete floor evaporates. Up here, it’s a different view entirely.

Florattica’s floral interiors are just as beautiful as the photos you’ve likely seen on your Instagram feed, a colourful mesh of emerald curtains, gold details and patterned furniture, but the real scene-stealer is the mesmerising hanging floral display that covers every inch of the ceiling. Inspired by 17th century Spitalfields silk weavers, the installation features a kaleidoscope of amber, red, pink and saffron hues that bathe the room in a warm, coppery glow. It’s hard to look away.

Outside on the balcony, the vistas continue, with impressive 180-degree views of the Gherkin, St Paul’s and a sea of iconic skyscrapers. Seats here are like goldust and each one is filled with people clutching one of its pretty floral-inspired cocktails. We do the same, starting with a fantastic thirst-quenching flute of Aperol, watermelon and Champagne finished with edible flowers. All Florattica’s cocktails go big on botanical flavours and imaginative presentation, and we quickly finish off a second, this time a short, punchy number containing gin, violette liqueur and sherbert served in a dainty coupe.

These are main character cocktails that deserve food to match, and the sharing menu stands up well in both execution and presentation. We order dainty prawn tartlets filled with lime-spiked avocado and chilli, seafood paccheri in a lemony cream sauce, and burrata with ultra juicy Isle of Wight tomatoes.

Hotel bars can often feel a little lackluster, but the team has injected a huge dose of creativity into making this a go-to destination, whether it be post-work drinks or a special celebration. It’s a competitive entry to London’s rooftop dining scene.

Located on the top floor of Canopy by Hilton London City in Aldgate, Florattica Rooftop is a trendy East London hangout serving innovative cocktails and epic views of the capital. Its superior vantage point 11 floors high above the city places it firmly amongst the best bars with a view in London, while its elegant interiors and eye-catching décor probably make it one of the most Instagrammable as well.

Inspired by the rich heritage of East London’s textile industry, Florattica features ceilings adorned with floral installations, along with vibrant multi-coloured seating and luxe gold finishes. While outside on the terrace, the beauty continues with more foliage, plus a skyline that spans the Gherkin, St Paul’s Cathedral and many more of London’s iconic skyscrapers.

The menus centre around exciting cocktails and sharing dishes. Each cocktail includes flavour notes, from tropical and sweet to refreshing and sour, to help the diner discern their preferred drink. Examples include one called Star Dust featuring Ocho Blanco, yellow chartreuse, noilly prat dry, salted star fruit cordial and lime, or Hail Up which mixes coconut oil washed Appleton 8, citrus dragonfruit cordial and soda water.

The food menu spans a selection of sharing plates, starting with nibbles such as pecorino truffle nuts and beetroot hummus with grissini, all the way up to potted mackerel with toasted rye baguette, cucumber and bergamot gel. Taking inspiration from across the global, further options include chicken gyoza with soy sauce, lobster and prawn brioche roll with lemon crème fraiche, and octopus takoyaki with yakisoba sauce and bonito flakes.

Come the weekend, Florattica extends its opening hours to serve up an epic three-course brunch. Think Mortadella eggs benedict with hollandaise and chervil, or smoked salmon eggs royale with hollandaise and piment d’espelette for main course, followed by waffles with cream, berries and maple syrup. Wash it down with bottomless Prosecco or Champagne if you fancy.