The London drinking holes where you can pretend it’s summer

Spring this year did not, exactly, spring as it should have.

Eastern beasts and perpetual rain have put a dampener on rooftop bars and al fresco drinking. But hey, this is London — we’re prepared. We have bars that make you feel like you’re lazing in a tropical paradise despite the hail hammering the roof. Here are the best drinking holes where you can pretend it’s summer already.

Annabel’s, Mayfair

There are many, many gorgeous, OTT things about the newly revamped ‘too beautiful to fail’ Annabel’s (flowers growing from the ceiling! Rose quartz sinks! A unicorn!) but pass by those and head straight up to the naughtiest smoking terrace in town. It might technically be outside, but Annabel’s (above) has created an al fresco, super-snug drawing room complete with flower pot-strewn fireplaces blazing away the cold, leopard print pouffes and a dedicated smokers’ bar serving mad concoctions such as the smoky, punchy Hanging Gardens of Babylon (cachaça, mezcal, falernum, lime and creole bitters) or herbally citrus Devil in Her Heart (gin, sake, green tea, lemon and lime oil).

The Prince, West Brompton

A sunny pub garden is about as close to heaven as you can get, especially when it’s London’s largest, so there’s minimal chance of fisticuffs over the last picnic bench. But what about the rain, you cry? At The Prince’s newly reopened summer English garden, such petty worries are quashed by two roofs — one clear, one retractable — meaning the chance of a sad plop of the first raindrop into pint foam is minimised. Drinks are simple and smashable: grapefruit heavy Palomas, Grey Goose Le Fizz and rosé by the magnum. More importantly, they’re served from three bars so you’re not waiting an hour between cocktails. Food is equally simple pub grub, just better: burgers from Patty & Bun, Thai spiced excellence from The Begging Bowl and Coqfighter fried chicken.

Mare Street Market, Hackney

Palm trees and Rebel Rebel flowers galore, light pouring in from huge windows, the outside terrace calling temptingly: Gizzi Erskine’s huge new indoor market (below) in Hackney makes you entirely forget the damp outside. Or maybe that’s the wine, curated by the marvellous Ruth Spivey of Wine Car Boot, including Wino Rouge and Godello on tap and joyously juicy Pét-Nat for quaffing with Parmesan cream pizza. Or perhaps the cocktails of easy summery joy: Tommy’s Margaritas and slap-you-round-the-chops Negronis. Summer lovin’, indeed.