Seabird at The Hoxton, Southwark

Seabird sits 14 floors above Blackfriars Road, a Southern-European seafood room created with the James Beard-winning team behind New York's Maison Premiere. It's built around a marble raw bar and what the venue bills as London's longest oyster list, backed by crudo, a Basque-style bouillabaisse and Mediterranean small plates. The bar mixes house cocktails served bottled, frozen and on draught alongside biodynamic wines, and the north-facing terrace looks straight across the Thames to St Paul's, a view reviews single out at golden hour. It's more polished restaurant than party bar, which makes it a strong pick for a date or a relaxed celebration rather than a big rowdy group. Some walk-in bar space exists, but the best terrace tables and sunset windows go to those who book, so reserve ahead if the view is the point.