Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden

We visited via the bright yellow steps from the street. Unfortunately the steps seem to be used as a toilet as they stank of urine! We only stopped by for a quick drink as it was a hot day. Some nice shady areas to sit listening to the birds but some of the plants needed attention and the bird feeders were empty. The grass areas with deckchairs were lovely but the patio area felt neglected.

Lovely rooftop garden in a great location. Very peaceful and quiet place to get away from the crowds and enjoy some brilliant cures over London. Free to go up there and sit or walk around. Also has a small cafe.

I love this spot! It’s just above the yellow stairs and there’s a bar and a cafe with a lovely garden full of beautiful plants and nature.. Lovely views as well and such a tranquil atmosphere. Coffees are just average prices but honestly such a great spot to hang out with friends and lay back from chaos. I loved it.

Having worked with teams creating roof gardens I was looking forward to this visit. First it’s a much larger space than I expected. There is a lawn, native wild plants in abundance, a bar, kitchen and loos. Small groups of table and chairs are spread across the garden, which creates intimate and concealed areas. It’s a calm, peaceful and tranquil environment that allowed me to do some work on my laptop. The garden is maintained by Grounded Ecotherapy and it was a really therapeutic experience for me on a warm day. Among the wild flowers I saw feverfew, orange coneflower, perennial pea, wild carrot, bindweed, and wild celery and countless bees pollinating!

On one of the hottest days of the year yesterday, my friend and I were told off for moving our deckchairs into the shade because ‘we were damaging the grass’ and told we could sit in the grass if we didn’t want to sit in the blazing sun! We were also told to move the deckchairs back to the balcony area. Unbelievable! Needless to say we finished our drinks, didn’t move the deckchairs back and left! Management here really need to rethink! By the way, the grass in question was mainly worn and dried from the sun, in between completely dry patches of soil!

A very disappointing experience, dead plants, I appreciate we have had a hot summer but surely some watering could have been done. Cigarette butts all over the floor and empty plastic glasses everywhere as no one collecting them. It needs love and care.

Lovely sanctuary but keep an eye on the prices. The bar only displays prices for regular sized measures of wine, but when you order, staff offer “regular or large”, and then always charge the mystery “large” price, even if you order regular. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Query it if the total looks more than you expect. There must be an incentive to upsell 🙄

This rooftop bar is a small hidden gem. When you think about south bank you don't think of rooftop and this place has plenty of space. It's not fancy place but it a good place to chill and enjoy the buzz south bank and the view of London skyline. When the weather is nice them is place is packed. Still you can still stand and enjoy everything. Only thing is if it's rain there are no shades to stand under.

Excellent atmosphere! Visited from Wisconsin and had a beautiful time. Will be back soon

This is a review for the temporary rooftop garden. A friend and I had read about this place opening up in the Lodonist at the beginning of Spring, so we went to check it out. Sadly it was a rainy day, so it wasn't too nice. The second time we went was one the bright, sunny days that London had and it was brilliant. Great sitting areas, nice "greenery" and good place for coffee and cocktails. The location is right above the bright yellow stairs next to the Queen Elizabeth Hall building. Just a good place to sit and relax above the business of Southbank below. I highly recommend it.

Great outdoor space for sitting, relaxing and contemplating! My mum was visiting me in London and we were walking along the Southbank and came across this place. I had seen photographs online but never quite knew where it was. We wandered up and had a glass of wine in the sunshine, it was quite relaxing as it wasn't too busy or rowdy. We rested our feet sitting on one of the benches in a small garden at the rear. We enjoyed looking out over the Thames and there is a great view of the London Eye and the Southbank below. There is a bar that sold alcohol, soft drinks and snacks, but it is a nice space even if you just want to sit with your headphones on or read a book. I'm not sure how popular this place is, but to me it was a hidden gem to come across and one I will keep in mind when I next have visitors in town.

In summer the top of Queen Elizabeth Hall gets transformed into a beautiful roof garden, with trees, bushes and wild flowers. The back area gives the impression of a meadow and you can even sit in logs if you want (or if all the tables are taken). While it does attract a huge number of people, the hundreds of Southbank visitors tend to miss it. If you don't know it's there you may not necessarily think to go up the spirally yellow stairs. If you do go up you'll find that there is a nice pop up bar serving drinks (for around £8) and you can sit and enjoy this not so secret roof garden away from all thy crowds. Personally I really enjoyed the contrast between the big concrete buildings of the Southbank Centre that surround the garden and the wild effect of the garden itself. It was as if in some post apocalyptic time the buildings had been taken over by plants or if someone had let loose a group of tree fairies (to make it a less ominous image) either way It is beautiful place that's worth a visit.

My favourite spot for drinks during the long summer nights! Never too crowded, lovely views over Thames and loads of Pimms to enjoy!

Worst gardens ever. Nice view but pretty rough and not really any tables etc. not worth the climb up the yellow steps. Good tea. Gardens are mainly dirt and dead plants.

amazing view over southbank. make sure to support the little cafe/shop. they sell ice cold lemonade, beer and sweets ;) don't go on the weekend - way to many people. closed during winter time.

This place is cool, but closes really early. Bartenders are not well-versed in their own menu, drinks were terrible.

How did I not know about this already!? It's looovely! Apparently it was created by the folks who run the eden project...and they have done an excellent job of making a small green oasis in the busy-madness of the southbank. Located at the top of some bright yellow stairs next to the Southbank Centre...you can head up to the roof of the Queen Elizabeth hall and relax on the grass, and grab a cocktail/wine if you feel like it. It's open 10am- 10pm. I arrived yesterday at around 5:30, and it was quite empty...but then as people finished work it became more and more crowded with happy, drinking sunbathers! It is a fantastic place for people watching (and shoe watching! I saw about 5 pairs of shoes -on other people's feet - that really should be in my wardrobe!!) As well as the grass...there are meadow plants like cows parsley - so it was a teeny bit like being back in the village where I grew up. Only a teeny bit mind, we didn't have a bar serving mango-flavoured cocktails in my village!

Rooftop bars are one of my favorite hang out spots on a warm, summers day in London and this is a great example of one of the finest! Walk up the yellow stairs next to the Queen Elizabeth Hall building and you will be surprised by a green oasis with its own vegetable garden, an abundance of places to seat yourself and a bar that serves drinks to match the occasion. What I love the most about this hidden retreat is not only does it have an excellent location with a great view of the thames, friendly staff and a park-like feel but that its the perfect place to either read a book without being disturbed or have a drink in the sun with friends on a fine day!

The view? Unparalleled. The service, appalling. Changed our mind on one item after it had been rung up but before it had been poured, was told a refund wasn't possible as the manager 'wouldn't come upstairs' :/ Drinks then served in cheap plastic beakers, even though 70% of other customers had glasses and bottles. Told this was for safety, asked about the other people and he just shrugged. Great location, but a poor, poor operator! Sort it out!

Cute little roof garden that was unsurprisingly rammed on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Lots of nice little nooks and crannies to perch in, this would be great to hang out in for a few hours. With lots of greenery, definitely one of the nicer roof gardens found in London. Only downside was the limited bar on the roof - no cider in a beer garden? Get it together!

Amazing hidden gem on the Southbank! Perfect for a chill afternoon into evening