Aviary does not do winter quietly. It rises above it. Ten floors over the City, the rooftop slips out of its usual summer sparkle and steps straight into full chalet fantasy, the kind that makes you forget you are technically still in London and not halfway up a mountain with rosy cheeks and questionable ski technique.
Chalet Nights is the moment the terrace turns into a woodland dream. Think pine trees, warm light, the faint scent of cold air hitting hot cocktails, and a skyline so wide it feels like it should come with its own soundtrack. The centrepieces are the heated igloos scattered across the terrace, each one glowing like its own little snow globe. Inside, it is all soft sheepskin, soft lantern light, soft everything, really, except the cocktails which have enough spirit to liven even the frostiest December mood. They seat up to ten people, which is ideal for everything from a shamelessly cosy date to a full squad celebration.
This year, the bar has teamed with PATRÓN to create a winter cocktail list that is frankly a problem for anyone trying to behave. The Holy Berry Margarita leans festive without going full novelty jumper. PATRÓN Silver infused with red berries meets Cointreau and lime and suddenly the whole evening looks brighter. If you want heat, the Spicy Tommy’s answers with chilli and a gentle burn that should come with a warning. There is also a Green Spicy Margarita with pineapple, coriander, mint and lemongrass that tastes like someone turned a tropical holiday into a London nightcap. DJs take over later, easing everyone from after work drinks into a rooftop party that tends to go on longer than planned.
Inside the restaurant, Chalet Nights keeps the mountain lodge energy but switches the mood to feasting. The festive set menus stack the table with the kind of classics that never lose their charm. Think crispy duck, roast Norfolk Turkey with every trimming you can imagine, slow cooked beef cheek that barely needs a knife, and a dark chocolate Biscoff Swiss roll that leans decadent in all the right ways. The three course festive menus start from forty-nine pounds, which feels almost suspiciously reasonable for this much atmosphere.
If you want the whole place to yourself, that is also on the table. Aviary offers exclusive hire for up to two hundred and fifty guests, complete with skyline views and trays of canapés that make everyone rethink their life choices. Smoked salmon blinis, panko king prawns with spiced apricot, lamb merguez rolls, that sort of thing. Essentially the kind of party that becomes a story.
For the first time, Aviary is also opening on Christmas Day. The four-course menu is a proper celebration, with Champagne the moment you arrive and dishes like Grassroots Farm Beef Wellington, Salmon en Croute and the obligatory Norfolk Turkey. It is one hundred and fifty pounds per person which includes the bubbles and the canapés and the smug feeling of not cooking a thing.
New Year’s Eve brings the full rooftop moment. Champagne on arrival, DJs until two in the morning, panoramic views that do half the work for your midnight photos. You can book an igloo, dinner, or simple terrace access which starts from seventy-five pounds.
Chalet Nights runs until the end of March which gives you several excuses to go back. Heated igloos, winter cocktails, glittering decor, and that unbeatable rooftop view all wrapped up in one place.
Winter in London rarely feels this good.
@aviaryldn | etmcollection.co.uk
Royal London House, 22-25 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1DX
