Alfresco dining hot spots in London

With summer time almost upon us, we are blowing the clouds away by revealing details on three of the finest hidden al fresco venues in London. This is bound to brighten up dining and drinking experiences for visitors and London dwellers alike.

The venues are perfect for entertaining guests or simply kicking back on those long lazy summer days.

Eight Club - 1 Christopher Street, Moorgate, EC2

Uniquely designed Eight members club provides an exclusive, contemporary and discreet haven in which you can enjoy good British brassiere food, great service and a superb lounge.

The new venue offers unparalleled panoramic views of the city - a balcony stretches around the entire floor with an al fresco Chef's table for 16 guests and also features a BBQ / spit roast.

A cigar enclosure provides the perfect spot for summer-time smoking and guests can enjoy cigar evenings coupled with whiskey tastings at the venue.

The outdoor space would also be perfect for a private party, with capacity of up to 100 standing.

Gilgamesh - Camden View, Camden Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AH - gilgameshbar.com

Gilgamesh, located in Camden Town Stables Market offers a unique Eastern gastronomic and entertainment experience. The pan-Asian restaurant boasts a 40ft high ceiling with a fully retractable roof that opens with warmer weather. The floor to ceiling glass windows give the room an entirely al fresco feel when the roof is completely retracted. The Lapis stone bar is one of the Gilgamesh main features and is hand-crafted by the same 10,000 strong Indian design team responsible for the ancient Babylonian interior style throughout the building.

The Albion - 10 Thornhill Road, London N1 1HW - the-albion.co.uk

One of the main attractions of The Albion is its beautiful garden. The French windows in the restaurant area open onto over 450 sq metres of English country garden covered in wisteria and floral wilderness evocative of Georgian times.

The garden area, which has recently been updated with new garden furniture, seats over 120 people for dining and drinking surrounded by herb beds, fruit trees and an original Georgian walled garden. In the summer the garden comes into its own when there is a BBQ operating throughout the day (starting from May) complete with spit roast.

All of this makes The Albion one of the best alfresco eating and drinking spots in London.