The Oval, Bethnal Green is home to one of the best roof garden bars London has to offer, and for the next 3 months, Behind This Wall are taking up residency at the London rooftop bar to provide a relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy some music, a drink, and food hot off the grill, making is one of the new best places to drink in London with a view over the city.
The Oval Space rooftop terrace will be the home of a wide range of summery events and activities in the coming months, with the emphasis on appreciating great music, and al fresco food – with a view.
Behind This Wall, an outfit well-versed in hosting club nights, record fairs and themed events, will be bringing vinyl exchanges, film nights and mellow DJ sets to East London's eclectic roof garden bar and restaurant, whilst Parish, an up-and-coming team of food lovers specialising in barbecue, will be in charge of what food is on offer. During the day, the rooftop terrace will be making lunch, from homely offerings of cheese and pickle sandwiches to salad and vegetable picnic box. They’re also offering chicken and peach on toast for a slightly more unusual midday meal.
In the evenings, they'll be firing up their wood-chip barbecue grill and serving a selection of barbecued meats and vegetables paired with fruity accompaniments, perfect for a summer's evening. We can’t wait to find out what chicken marinated in perry with strawberry salsa tastes like, or indeed lime hot wings with a rhubarb BBQ sauce. After your meal, BTW are offering the perfect palate cleanser in the form of an elderflower ice lolly: with all this on the menu it sounds like one of the best roof garden bars London has to offer for street food with a twist.
At the bar, the watch word is healthy, as all their drinks will be made using as few artificial flavours and as little unnecessary sugar as possible. They’re calling this approach ‘medicinal drinking’, and their mixes should leave you feeling saintly rather than sinful, making it one of the most guilt free secret bars London can lay claim to.
The cocktail menu is a short but sweet selection of the classics, but on those inevitably chilly London summer nights, we think a warming shot of their ‘snifters’ wouldn’t go amiss, particularly their Tito’s Texan Vodka, which comes with an optional oyster. In fact, if you head up to Oval Space during between 6 and 7pm, a ‘Happy Hour oyster’ will set you back just £1.
So if you're thinking about sampling the restaurants near Bethnal Green, we'd recommend instead heading to the trendiest rooftop London has to offer and knocking back a few cocktails – they are medicinal, after all.
Looking for more?
Read our list of London's best roof gardens and the best restaurants with a view
What | Behind this Wall Rooftop Bar: London Oval Space |
Where | Oval Space, 29-32 The Oval, E2 9DT | MAP |
Nearest tube | Bethnal Green (underground) |
When |
01 Jun 15 – 30 Sep 15, Open 1st June-30th September, noon-midnight daily, extended license until 2am on Thursdays. |
Price | £20 |
Website | Click here for listings of this week’s events at Behind This Wall. |