I usually visit London only a few times a year and when I do, I try to embrace something new (to me) about the city. It can be a little tricky sometimes considering there are lots to be seen, done, and tasted in the Big Smoke.
This time, I wanted to see London from above. High above. More precisely from the 34th floor of the Sky Garden located at 20 Fenchurch skyscraper, also known as, The “Walkie Talkie”.
The Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden and it receives thousands of visitors a year looking forward to checking the 360-degree uninterrupted views of the city.
The building was designed by Rafael Vinõly, a world-renowned architect from Uruguay. Its distinctive features divide opinions. Hating or loving it, everybody has to agree that views from the Sky Garden are absolutely stunning. I had a blast!
The Walkie Talkie is the fifth-highest building in the city of London. And the remarkable landscaped gardens placed in this exquisite skyscraper make the experience just better.
For being extremely popular every day, it’s pretty important to highlight the visit to The Sky Garden has to be booked online in advance.
The entrance is free but you may expect queues and rigid security procedures to enter the building. It’s also necessary to take an identification document to go up to the 34th floor where the Sky Garden is located.
But believe me, it’s worth it to go through all this procedure to be rewarded with one of the best views of London town.
Besides its observation decks and open-air terrace, the Sky Garden is also an excellent spot for all types of foodies. Fenchurch restaurant, Darwin Brasserie, City Garden Bar, and Sky Pod Bar are the places to eat of your choice.
It was too early to enjoy a four-course meal during my visit, so I decided to go for some light snack from the City Garden Bar.
They serve gorgeous food over there my dried tomato and mozzarella sandwich and pineapple (which I request to have some mint on it*) did the trick quite well. That was certainly a “grabbing a bite with the best view of London” that weekend for me.
Walking through the landscape designed by Gillespies fulfilled with the Mediterranean and South African plants is a delightful experience. I want to believe people working at The Walkie Talkie make the most of these gardens. A nice spot for relaxing despite the many tourists around every day.
And what to say about the views? Pardon, the uninterrupted 360 degrees view of London. The skyscraper aficionados will love it and tourists will save time checking important landmarks before exploring the city itself.
It’s stunning indeed. And a great way of having a tour of the London skyline from high above.
There are signs all over the place to find your favourite spots. Impossible not to fall in love again and again with London after visiting the Sky Garden.
This looks great! I’ve never heard of it before, but will be checking this out whenever I am next in London 🙂
It’s gorgeous up there. Plus, there are some nice places to eat too. You should definitely visit it.:)