Book ahead for the terrace, especially on a warm evening or for the weekend brunch, which sells out early.
Aviary occupies the 10th floor of the Montcalm Royal London House at 22-25 Finsbury Square, on the northern edge of the City between Moorgate and Old Street. It is a rooftop bar and restaurant with an open-air terrace that looks straight across the Square Mile, and it trades on that height. The venue is run by the ETM Collection, the group behind a string of London rooftop and gastropub sites, which is why the food holds up rather than playing second fiddle to the view.
The proposition is British and European cooking with a serious bar attached. The Montcalm describes oysters and charcuterie boards alongside Sunday roasts, and the terrace is one of the more elevated al fresco dining spaces in this part of London. Aviary leans into the seasons with summer cocktail menus and a weekend Birdsong Brunch that runs with live music and DJs.
The room
Inside is a glass-walled dining room with banquettes and a long bar; outside is the draw, a wraparound terrace with heaters and greenery that keeps it usable well beyond high summer. The crowd is City professionals after work, brunch tables at the weekend, and a steadier evening cocktail trade once the suits thin out. Book the terrace if the forecast is kind; the indoor room is comfortable but the point of coming here is the open air.
What to order
Start with a seasonal cocktail off the summer list, which in recent years has run a Patrón tequila partnership, then move to the raw bar for oysters or a fruits de mer plate to share. The kitchen's charcuterie boards and a Sunday roast are the dishes regulars return for. Cocktails sit in the 14 to 16 pound band typical of City rooftops, and a couple of drinks with a plate of oysters lands around the cost of a full dinner elsewhere, which is the trade for the terrace and the height. For the weekend, the Birdsong Brunch bundles food, a drink and the live-music set.
The value here is in the package: a genuine open-air terrace, a kitchen with a proper group behind it, and a bar that treats cocktails as more than an afterthought. For the wider field, see our guide to London's best rooftop bars and the full London bar guide.
The crowd
Weekday evenings run on City professionals spilling up from the offices around Finsbury Square and Moorgate, first-round drinks before dinner or the train home. The weekend swings to brunch tables and a more dressed-up set drawn by the live music and the terrace. It is a destination rooftop rather than a local, so expect groups, birthdays and the occasional work celebration rather than solo regulars. The terrace fills first and fastest, and on a warm Friday it is the hardest seat in the building to claim without a booking.
Who it is for
It is for after-work groups who want a view with their first round, for weekend brunchers after a terrace and a DJ, and for anyone entertaining clients who needs a room that impresses without much effort. It is not a hidden local or a cheap night; this is a City rooftop priced like one. For lower-key options, our after-work collection covers the alternatives nearby.
Best time to go
Aim for early evening on a clear day, roughly 5.30 to 7.30pm, to catch the light over the City before the after-work rush peaks. Weekends belong to the Birdsong Brunch, which books out, so reserve. The terrace is weather-led, so a dry forecast is worth chasing.
Sources: Montcalm Royal London House official site; ETM Collection; The Rooftop Guide; DesignMyNight. Address and floor verified June 2026.
