We can think of few more idyllic city activities than drinking and dining among the flowers in the hanging garden at this N1 beauty. Something of a local institution, the convivial spot might be at the top of many people's summer hit list, but remains no less desirable for it. Great food and good cocktails make it a mainstay for discerning sun-worshippers looking for an al fresco base camp.

After a long, lazy Sunday stroll across Hampstead Heath, a pub lunch is always in order. Our favourite spot to nurse wobbly legs? The spacious beer garden at The Garden Gate. Conveniently backing onto the heath itself, this is the place to enjoy Pimm's on tap and a huge selection of craft ales. If you don't own a dog, borrow one. You'll feel left out without a snoozing pooch at your feet in this countryside-esque stalwart.

A short walk from Spitalfields Market, The Culpeper is the ideal hangout for post-work pints. With a verdant rooftop terrace practically touching the Gherkin, this is an East End boozer and then some. Everyone loves a seasonal food menu, but one that showcases ingredients picked straight from its own greenhouse? Don't tease us. To best enjoy the modern-English menu, come hungry and wash it all down with your pick of the flavour-packed tipples.

A regular on east London's summer scene, Netil360 offers more than just a place to kick back with your friends. Adopt its blue-sky policy with a visit to the on-site co-working space during the day, then, by night, savour heady beats, a hip crew and a revolving pizza menu. The best part? No bookings are required. We'll race you there.

When a bar as stylish as this one graces Shoreditch's Singer Street, it's bound to cause a stir. Subtle hints to its name come in the form of octagon-shaped mirrors and honey pots lining the walls - this is a hive where the hip and happening come to play. The setting sun burns the terrace amber, before outdoor fire pits are lit and DJs kick things off with house, R&B and soul tracks.

This Dalston club venue is not the place to go if you're after a quiet one - be it because of the strength of the cocktails, the thumping audio system or the chiselled hipsters, an evening here always ends in mischief. Originally a community allotment, the astroturf-clad venue has recently installed a retractable roof, meaning you can pull up a deckchair and have a pint whatever the weather. Although it doesn't open until 2 June, it's worth the wait - trust us.

A menu dedicated to gin? We're sold. The design of this place (and, yes, the name) is a giveaway that it's from the same team behind No.32 The Old Town and No.11 Pimlico Road. As the sun goes down, lounge on one of the heated waterfront seats while glugging down a fish-bowl-sized pink grapefruit-flavoured pomelo gin.

You haven't truly visited this rooftop rite of passage unless you take a picture on the stairwell, which is London's answer to LA's pink wall. Set atop a multi-storey car park in Peckham, this is the perch to flock to for craft beers and cocktails, ox-heart kebabs and brown-sugar hot wings. The dusk skyline views rival that of Manhattan, so get down early: this place has the south London cool kids queuing round the block. FYI: Franks Café reopens for the summer season on Friday 20 May.

You've definitely seen this place on your socials at least four times this month, and if you haven't, let us introduce you to the new cool kid on the west London block. Housed on the top floor of the Broadcaster building, the sultry and stylish Aerial Rooftop is decked out with rattan chairs, candlelit tables, enormous sofas and a plant-clad pergola draped in sailcloth awnings. Visit at the weekend to drink in views across the capital's skyscraper-filled skyline while enjoying soothing sounds from the talented resident DJs. The BBQ menu is the real showstopper, though, featuring vegetable skewers, chicken thighs and shrimp burgers that pair perfectly with a stormy mojito, made with East London Liquor Co Rarer rum, lime, mint and Franklin & Sons ginger beer. Sweet tooth? The jammy dodger ice-cream sandwich is as divine as it sounds.

This pub is unlike most in London. Part bar, part food market and part restaurant, it's arranged around a central dance floor and offers a plethora of food trucks to choose from. We're pegging The Prince as west London's hottest hangout (thanks to sunny days and charmed customers). The sunny spot comes from the same people who brought us Pergola on the Roof, and these guys really know how to deliver on a blissfully chic summer hideout.

Within easy reach of Chelsea Harbour, The Waterside is perfect for a midweek brunch date. Head to the large, heated terrace - decorated in arresting shades of blue - to gaze across the Thames. Bag a seat on one of the sapphire-leather sofas, before ordering an extra-large pinot.

A stone's throw from the legendary River Café, between the Hammersmith and Putney bridges, this chichi spot has a sombre, Victorian interior - though you'll hardly notice it, the main attraction being the enormous Thames-facing garden. Head here on a summer evening, find a spot beneath the weeping willow and gaze across to Barnes and the leafy London Wetland Centre.

Named after Virginia Woolf's character Mrs Dalloway, this venue's dreamy interiors channel all the elegance and charm that the eponymous character lacked. Outside - which is doable come rain or shine, thanks to weather-protecting foliage and heaters - attentive staff ensure five-star service, making it a good spot for a date. Set in the literary heart of London, this is the kind of place your parents would love, too.

Looking for a wild drinking session? You'll find it at 34 Mayfair, where past tricks have included a dine-in bauble grotto, levitating Boris Johnson dolls (seriously) and floral extravaganzas that would put the Chelsea Flower Show to shame - even the menu looks like an entry to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. Decor aside, the spirits here are something to scream about. We suggest ordering the something tropical colada: one gulp and you'll be (mentally) transported straight to the Caribbean.