Rooftop Fare in Trafalgar Square

Rooftops are all the rage in London nowadays, and it’s not hard to guess why. The open air breeze, the feeling of being a pseudo VIP, the often stunning views; rooftop bars have a lot going for them.

However, they aren’t always that easy to find. Such is the case for the Trafalgar Hotel’s Vista rooftop bar, hidden away within the tourist soup that is Trafalgar Square. With dark wood, floral touches, heaters and lamps placed throughout, the whole place is stylish and spacious, while maintaining an air of cosiness.

If that’s not enough to entice you to the top, they have now launched a new ‘Graze at Vista’ menu, filled with Mediterranean and North African-influenced food and drink to catapult your taste buds into the summer months. The food follows a create-your-own style, with salads leaves, toppings, dressings and breads, as well as meat, fish or vegetables that are marinated in-house and fired in Vista’s clay oven.

Larger menu items include grilled Cajun and barbeque beef rib eye steak (£22), lemon monkfish (£22) and grilled Halloumi cheese with piquillo peppers (£10). Smaller plates are also available, including olives, Moroccan seed mini bites, dips and crisps (around £5). If you’re feeling particularly flush, you can also opt for the caviar blinis (£48), ladened with 10 grams of Beluga caviar, and joined by crème fraîche, shallot, egg and salad accoutrements. I only had the chance to try a few mini-plates, but everything was tasty, remaining summery even despite the awful weather we had on the day.

For dessert, try the Purbeck ice cream pots (125ml, £5), which feature the usual suspects of Belgian chocolate, vanilla etc, as well as the more dangerously – and remarkably mooreish – chilli flavour.

Cocktails are also very much a theme, with yummy staffers that include the Hot Chilli Woman (Black Moth’s truffle flavoured vodka, elderflower, lemon and vanilla) and Connoisseur (cognac, white grapes and basil).

Also worth a try are the stranger semi-edible cocktail flavours of the Leila Lavender Martini (gin, olives, thyme, rosemary, basil and lavender) and the Mojiterraneo – a twist on a classic Mojito – packed with basil, orange and… erm… cherry tomatoes. Trust me, it works.

One negative is that the cocktails don’t come cheap, being priced from £14 and upwards, and although the place is apparently renowned for attracting celebrities (Linda Barker was there when I went, but you can decide how you feel about that), I still feel that they are a little overpriced.

Another gripe is the view. Even with my 6’2 frame, I struggled to see over the barriers surrounding a large portion of the rooftop. This was not apparent on photos I looked at prior to venturing there. While there is still plenty of beauty to be seen – including the London Eye and of course some portions of Trafalgar Square – you have to pick your spot early, as other areas feature nothing but a bleak grey canvass.

But I can trust you to do that, so it is still well worth a visit, particularly for a special occasion, or to show off to non-Londoners. Pop some snazzy clothes on, pick a day with nice weather, and try some of the excellent cocktails and snacks. Just let someone else pick up the tab if you can.

Graze at Vista
2 Spring Gardens
Trafalgar Square
SW1A 2TS

Tel:  020 7870 2900