Round off your summer the right way with a trip to John Lewis Roof Fest…
It’s a balmy summer evening as we battle the throngs of crowds in Oxford Street. Fighting through arms of shopping bags, slow walkers and commuters rushing to the tube station, it’s a relief when we burst through the cool doors of John Lewis. We head up the escalators, eyeing up the enviable homewares on the way, before making our way to the John Lewis Roof Fest. We emerge into the sunshine and are greeted with a true oasis – a far cry from the mayhem on the streets below. The air is thick with the scent of sizzling Filipino street food from Bong Bongs Manila kitchen and people are chinking ice gold G&T’s as they top up their tans.
Grass covers the floor, bunting sways in the breeze and there are so many beautiful plants around you really feel as though you’ve left the big smoke behind and landed in the middle of the country. A caravan holding a cinema screenplays Top Gun for avid film fans, who recline in deck chairs and listen through headphones while sipping wine and beer in their very own rooftop cinema.
We take our time wandering around, weaving past wooden benches where happy couples are sat basking in the rays. The atmosphere is both electric yet chilled at the same time, with revellers enjoying the respite from the city after a long day in the office. We head to Bong Bongs There are three bookable spaces here, the Boho Den Garden Den and Cherry Blossom Den, which are each made to suit groups and are beautifully decked out and just perfect for your Instagram.
As we sit and eat our way through our dishes, sipping our cocktails under the sunshine, music playing and a gentle summers breeze in the air, we feel ourselves truly relax. It’s a real treat to find somewhere in the centre of the city that offers true escapism and somewhere you can sip wine under the sun with friends and just chill out. It’s a space to can head to for a cheeky cocktail after work, or to spend the evening with a delicious dinner, listening to the music and just soaking in the atmosphere. John Lewis Roof Fest is around until the 29th of September, so make sure to head down while you can. Just be sure to leave time in your calendar to return, for when you’ve been there once, you’ll find it hard to stay away…
Monday – Saturday: 12 – 10pm (Last entry 9pm)
Sunday: 12 – 9pm (Last entry 8pm)
John Lewis & Partners
Oxford Street
W1C 1DX