Sabine Holborn: A rooftop cocktail bar ready to party come rain or shine
A rooftop retreat with a weather-beating secret weapon.
There are two kinds of Londoners in spring. The first lot buy SPF 50, book a train to Margate and pretend they’ve always preferred pebbles to pavements. The second lot climb onto the nearest rooftop with a £16 cocktail and stare meaningfully at the skyline while pretending they’re in a perfume advert.
There are also two kinds of London in spring. The first hovers around the 12-degree mark and comes with an umbrella, while the second boils the mercury and turns the Thames into a riviera.
Sabine Holborn is ready for both eventualities. A rooftop terrace with a difference, it’s following in the footsteps of its St Paul’s counterpart, with great views, great drinks and an easy-going atmosphere — and is a top choice for seeing in next week’s sweltering heatwave.
WHERE IS IT?
You’ll find Sabine Holborn perched on top of the NYX Hotel in Holborn, just a short stumble from Holborn station and within easy walking distance of Covent Garden, Bloomsbury and the British Museum. It’s a great location to cap off a day of adventuring in the capital — or to settle in for a night of fun.
It’s a summer-y vibe to decor, with coral tones, rattan chairs and floral prints. Yep, there’s the de rigeur neon quote sign for the ‘gram, but it's otherwise a tasteful and breezy spot.
WHAT’S SPECIAL?
London has no shortage of rooftop bars, but Sabine Holborn has a secret weapon — it’s got a retractable motorised roof and windows that make it ready for any weather eventuality. That’s a smart move in London, where rooftop season often lasts roughly eleven minutes.
If the sky has a wobble and comes over all grey and moody, the windows roll up and the roof is pulled over for a cosy hideaway. But when the sun’s ready to put on a show, that can all be stripped back with a moment’s notice with a motorised system that invites the rays back in and the sunglasses back on.
WHAT’S NEW?
The whole venue is new, a makeover from the previous bar space at the hotel’s top. Sabine Holborn is the brand’s second London location, opening in spring 2026 after the runaway popularity of the St Paul’s original.
The drinks list focuses on signature cocktails and lighter serves alongside a menu of small plates and sharing dishes. There’s also a stronger events focus here, with private hire spaces and flexible seating designed for birthdays, launches and corporate shindigs.
WHO SHOULD YOU BRING?
A date, definitely. Few things flatter mediocre flirting like a skyline view and low lighting.
It’s also ideal for post-work drinks with colleagues you actually like, birthdays where nobody wants a sticky pub carpet, or visiting friends who insist they want some nice photos to come back home with. This is not really a family lunch sort of place unless your children enjoy £15 cocktails and house music.
WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR?
Smart casual is the sweet spot. You can probably get away with clean trainers, but this isn’t the place for football shirts. You can also safely dress optimistically for the best possible weather — if it all goes wrong, that roof comes to the rescue.
WHAT WILL YOU PAY?
Cocktails hover around the typical central London rooftop range — expect roughly £14 - £18 a drink. Small plates and sharing dishes mean a proper evening of drinks and food will probably land somewhere around £60 - £90 per person if you’re letting go rather than budgeting aggressively. Expensive? A bit. Outrageous by rooftop-bar standards? Not really.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DRINK?
The signature cocktails are the obvious move here. Sabine’s wider brand already leans into floral, botanical serves and skyline-friendly presentation, so you’ll find plenty of elegant glassware and drinks designed for the eyes as well as the tastebuds.
If they carry over favourites from St Paul’s, you’re looking at spritz variations, seasonal signatures and lighter aperitif-style cocktails rather than heavy old-fashioneds. The non-alcoholic options also sound more thoughtful than the usual sad lemonade situation, which is increasingly rare for London rooftops.
We settled on three of the signature serves:
First up was the Aurelian (£19.50, Belvedere Pure, Ancho Reyes Chile, Passion Fruit, Lemongrass & Mango Tea, tonic), a herbal, lightly spiced mule-meets-highball that proved refreshingly dry.
Next up was the Sol Feugo 3. (£19, Volcan de mi Tierra Reposado, Cointreau Noir, Pineapple and Pandan), a tropical take on an Old Fashioned, with sweet fruit and citric orange notes.
Finally we gave the Amber Mirage a go (£19, Glenmorangie X, Ardberg 10, Peach, Apple and Sage), the two whiskies duelling with their peaty and vanilla-y textures against the crisp apple and peach flavours, served tall.
There’s a tightly-curated wine menu too if cocktails aren’t your thing, and a greatest hits package of top-notch whisky if you’re after a short. The bar team is happy to go off the menu too, and served us up a great classic Old Fashioned to send us on our way.
MUST-TRY DISHES?
The menu revolves around small plates and elevated bar snacks rather than full-scale dining, but that’s probably the right call when most people are here to drink and stare at the skyline.
We tucked away three simple but delicious dishes: Sourdough bread (£9), whose expensive price tag was easy to swallow given its warm and fluffy texture, paired with delicious whipped chilli and lime butter; Salt and Pepper Calamari Fries (£15), serving up the seafood more like a mozzarella stick than a traditional calamari plate, making them ideal for sharing; and the Lamb Kofta (£20), served with a Biwaz salad and rich tahini, the meat perfectly spiced, with just enough bite to its grilled outer coating.
It’s also worth noting that my guest for the night had a unique dietary allergy — one he said isn’t always very well catered for at cocktail bars. But the incredible staff at Sabine Holborn were attentive and careful throughout, in a way that let him enjoy himself without keeping one eye on the EpiPen.
GET ON THE GUESTLIST?
Sabine Holborn is a game of London rooftop bingo that you’ve already won: skyline views, dangerously drinkable cocktails, and the safety net feature of a covered option if the skies open. You can book in advance with the will-it-wont-it weather, and be safe in the knowledge you’re guaranteed a great time whatever the heavens prescribe.
Reservations are strongly advised as a result, especially for sunset slots and weekends, and if the weather holds, expect this one to become one of the capital’s busiest rooftop hangs by mid-summer.
Sabine Holborn can be found at, 50 – 60 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AR, at the top of the NYX Hotel. Make a reservation through Sevenrooms.
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