The SkyGarden – The Best View In London?

What better way to get your bearings in an unfamiliar city than way up high above the bustle of the traffic and march of pedestrians on the city streets?

Surely London’s tallest building would be the place to visit?

Well, not for me. I felt a little let down by The View From the Shard and found the SkyGarden at the top of London’s Walkie Talkie building much more laid back and pleasant experience. It’s possibly the best view in London.

It’s Free To Visit

The SkyGarden unlike the View From The Shard is actually free to visit as long as you book well in advance (a week or two before). Although it’s nowhere near as high as the Shard’s viewing platform it avoids having that feel of a tourist attraction.

Some have unfairly compared the SkyGarden to an airport terminal in the sky but I think the space allows you to wander, take your time, you can even sit and have a beer or coffee from the bar. It’s the perfect place to bring visitors and show them the London skyline and arguably the views are better than those from the Shard.

“It dominates the financial district of the city of London like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man bumbling through New York.”

Opened in January 2015 and nicknamed the Walkie Talkie, 20 Fenchurch Street bulges out as if it’s going to split at the seams whilst the top of the building overhangs the street below. It dominates the financial district of the city of London like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man bumbling through New York.

From the base the building looks much like any other modern office block and it’s difficult to quite know if you’re walking into the right place with your printed free tickets in hand. As you walk towards the lifts a member of staff scans your tickets and your bags are scanned, thankfully unlike the View From The Shard you aren’t coerced into posing for a Disney style photos of yourself at the top.

Views Across London

As you exit the lift and turn right into the sky pod bar you find yourself being drawn out to the viewing platform and the London skyline to the South with The Shard centre stage.

The sky pod bar does taking bookings (SkyGarden) but you can also walk in and find a seat if there is one. The bar doubles as a cafe that serves food but I’d recommend visiting at night for a cocktail and views of London.

If you really want to push the boat out the SkyGarden also has a the Darwin Brasserie for more casual dining and also the higher end Fenchurch Restaurant.

The main disappointment with the SkyGarden is the token effort to create a garden. Compared to the original plans to create a real space for plant life and gardens the building doesn’t really deliver as most of the space is taken up with solid shiny flooring resembling a 5 star hotel. Despite this the SkyGarden manages to create a space that you can take your time, wander and admire views across London in all directions. It’s open to the public and hopefully will remain a place open to the public and not a tourist attraction like the View from the Shard.