Best Dinner Places to Eat in St Albans

"The ferns, fig trees and purple African lilies that clamber up the final three storeys of the 'Walkie Talkie' skyscraper are mere wallflowers at this 155m-high rooftop garden – it's the rather extraordinary 360-degree views of London (the best in the City) that make this vast, airport-terminal-like space so popular (advance booking recommended). Located on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch St, the Sky Garden has front-row seats for the Shard and vistas that gallop for miles east and west."

"If a trip up to the stunning viewing gallery of one of London’s tallest buildings sounds like a pocket drainer, think again. Situated inside a glass oasis at the top of the “Walkie Talkie”, Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden, filled with greenery and boasting panoramic views of the capital. It’s totally free to head up there, but you’ll need to book in advance, with post-lockdown visits starting up again from July 29."

"Number two on our list of the bests building and architecture in London is the stunning sky gardens. This is one of the most modern buildings found in the city. Also, its one of the highest public gardens to be found in the United Kingdom."

"Peruvian and Japanese cuisine have a well-known partnership, but at Sushisamba, the Brazilians are joining in the party too. You’ll find an El Topo salmon nigiri served with jalapeno and melted mozzarella, and a kobe steak with churrasco among the larger dishes. The sushi here, of course, comes with a view at the city location, where diners can enjoy the fruits of the 38th and 39th floor spot in 110 Bishopsgate."

"OK, so Sushisamba is not strictly Japanese but rather a fusion, mixing with south American flavours and excellent cuts of meat. It remains one of our most booked restaurants and since opening it has been a mainstay of the London restaurant scene. You pay a premium for the views of the London skyline, but the quality of the sushi is very, very good, and the stuff they do in the grill is great."

"Unashamedly fusion, this restaurant and bar at the top of the Heron Tower mixes Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese influences. One of the coolest things about the experience is being whisked up in panoramic glass elevators, Willy Wonka–style, to what are the highest dining terraces in Europe. There’s probably no better place in the city to drink in the sunset."

"Duck and Waffle is a luxury and internationally-renowned British restaurant located on the 40th floor of one of London’s tallest buildings – the Heron Tower – with floor-to-ceiling windows offering breathtaking panoramic views out across the city. It is also the highest 24 hour restaurant in London, serving everything from breakfast and brunch to late-night dinner, midnight snacks and cocktails. Duck & Waffle’s menu consists of modern British and European cuisine, with different dishes available depending on the time of day but all featuring one main item; the restaurant’s signature crispy duck leg confit served on a waffle with a fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup."

"At Duck & Waffle the fun begins in the lifts, which feel like you’re shooting up into the sky. One of London’s highest restaurants, it’s located on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, and being open 24/7 means you can catch the stunning panoramic views whenever you fancy. It’s the kind of place people go to be seen – but it’s smaller and less showy than its sister SUSHISAMBA, which sits a few floors below."

"Prior to London being plunged into lockdown, Duck & Waffle was serving its popular brunch menu seven days a week. The menu’s back, but is currently only available between 7am and 5pm on Saturday and Sundays. Which gives you plenty of time to sample some of the destination restaurant’s signature dishes."

"One of the swishest Champagne bars in London is back in business this spring. Head over to Kings Cross St Pancras where Searcys has dusted off its pretty patio to welcome you in for fine fizz and outdoor dining."

"The Cheese Bar team could simply have settled for serving cheese platters on a boat and Londoners would have lapped it up, but they've done so much more with this floating restaurant. The vessel itself - purpose-built- gives nearly everyone a water level view. As for the food, just look at this picture and you'll know why you should go."

"London, it seems, is so overwhelmed with fabulous eateries that restaurateurs have resorted to serving cheese on a barge. It’s not just any old barge, of course. This one’s a double-decker, 96-footer moored on the Regent’s Canal just minutes from Paddington station."

"Being outside Smokestak in Shoreditch is already a delightful experience as the smell of the burning wood and charcoals that fire the barbecues is simply irresistible. Couple that with their covered, heated when needed terrace area and there's no reason not to book in with another household immediately, especially if you're in the market for sensational wood-fired cooking."

"When to go:When you and your mates have something to celebrate – even if that something is just a shared love of barbecued meat. What to have:Haven’t yet tried Smokestak’s signature beef brisket?. Prepare yourself for moist, smoky meat heaped into a bun and topped with barbecue sauce, bone-marrow butter and pickled chillies."

"Smokestak has grown from a charming street cart to a Shoreditch sensation. The BBQ joint offers buttery buns stacked with slices of smoked beef brisket topped with pickled red chillies. There’s a handful of other options but the original itself is one serious sandwich!"

"Having evidently foreseen its popularity when settling on a name, Dumplings Legend lives up to the myth with an excellent dim sum selection. A lunchtime spend ticking off a list of steamed and fried mouthfuls is a pleasure: the pork xiaolongbao soup dumplings mount a considerable challenge to those that cause four-hour queues at a certain Covent Garden restaurant, while prawn har gau are pristinely folded – particularly impressive for less than a pound per piece. Decor is simplistic, but crisp white tablecloths serve as a pleasing backdrop for a growing mountain of bamboo steamers."

"Dai Tai Fung may have made all the headlines last summer for its long queues in Covent Garden, but Dumplings' Legend is the real deal for an authentic, crazily busy central Chinatown dim sum speciality restaurant. There's a glass-fronted open kitchen where the dim sum are prepared with mesmerising dexterity and all the steamed dumplings are impeccable, especially those mixing minced chicken and prawns. Less adventurous diners will be thrilled with the generous,verdant, vividly fresh chicken stir-fry."

"Try the fried turnip cake (luóbo gāo), stuffed rice noodles (cheung fun) and, of course, plenty of meat-filled dumplings. A glass-fronted kitchen allows diners to gawp at the chefs' magic while it happens."

"Bhavi Beauty Wembley is an independent beauty spa located at the foot of London’s iconic Wembley Stadium. Right in the heart of the London Designer Outlet, they offer a sanctuary of pampering away from the bustling atmosphere of the area. Specialising in the ancient, Indian arts of threading and massages, they also provide a range of beauty treatments to help you feel both refreshed and refined."

"Located on a colourful street in Notting Hill, Portobello Road is the world’s largest antique market. The famous market has over 1,000 traders selling a huge range of amazing antiques and collectables. And for those who aren’t interested in antiques, the market (which runs Monday to Saturday) also has a variety of other traders selling clothes, jewellery, tourist nicknacks, household goods and plenty of food."

"If I haven’t yet convinced you that London is really, really into its gin – I present to you: The Distillery. This simply-named venue is basically a gin lover’s playground, offering up four enticing levels of gin-related debauchery and its own distillery producing Portobello Road gin. Amongst the fun there are multiple tasting spaces, including the oh-so-fancy Boardroom for group tastings."

"There are lots of colourful streets around Notting Hill which make for wonderful pictures. Your best bet is to get off at Notting Hill Gate station and then walk towards (and along) Portobello Road. Another aesthetic place in London is on the other side of the city around Hillgate Place and Campden Hill Road."