Lofty new-build hotels and rooftop lounges by the park.
Evening & Night
(2)Hotel rooftop bars. More relaxed than central London.
The Gantry
A design-forward new-build in Stratford — part of the Curio Collection but feeling independent — with the Union Social bar and a rooftop looking across East London. Take drinks on the rooftop for the panorama, best at sunset, or the good cocktails in the lobby bar. It works anytime as a considerably better option than the area's chain hotels, with Westfield literally attached for convenience. It is design-minded without being cold — a smart, contemporary base in a fast-changing part of the city, with a rooftop that makes the most of Stratford's wide eastern skyline and the shopping centre on the doorstep.
Inked$$
Order: Drinks on the rooftop for the east London panorama. The lobby bar does good cocktails too.Best: Sunset on the rooftop. Or anytime if you're in for Westfield and want something better than chain hotels.
The Stratford
East London's sleekest hotel tower, by the Olympic Park — a triple-height lobby with the Mezzanine cocktail bar and clean, modern rooms. Take a cocktail at Mezzanine to take in those soaring ceilings; the bar snacks are solid. Come early evening when the lobby light is best, or post-show from the nearby theatres. The Olympic Park is right there for a morning run, and the Elizabeth Line runs straight into central, making Stratford far better connected than its reputation suggests. It is the area's most polished stay — architectural drama in the lobby, a serious cocktail bar, and the park and fast trains on the doorstep.
Inked$$$
Order: Cocktail at Mezzanine bar to take in those triple-height ceilings. The bar snacks are solid.Best: Early evening when the lobby light is best. Or post-show if catching something at the nearby theatres.