5th View Bar and Food @ Waterstones in City of London, Westminster

Had a drink here because we would have a view here. There was a view, but that's all.

Sadly this lovely location is now very shabby, serving low quality food. The vibe is 80s cafeteria. It really needs modernising!!

Perhaps it was an off night but our early Saturday evening visit was disappointing. Nothing about the place was inviting or welcoming. We were reluctantly directed to our reserved place (a low table with sofas), the waitress didn't seem very happy to be there, the food was luke-warm both in temperature and substance and the atmosphere was flat. Such as shame as it has so much potential.

The food and the staff were good but the interior design is truly awful. Has no one spent more than £25 on the decor Black tablecloths and grim overhead lighting??? It’s a great space and needs some love and attention

Dreary and dull. Miserable. Came to use the WiFi for an urgent call after WiFi in the cafe downstairs stopped working after I’d paid for refreshments (solely to use the WiFi). Came up here and was continuously pestered whilst on a client call (not very professional). Then I offered to pay something since I used the miserable space, and was presented with a list of very overpriced teas (I am clearly not the first to try this), settled on a £4.50 bottle of sparkling water, served without a smile. Bleak place. Looks like a dying Wetherspoon in the suburbs of Scunthorpe. Happy Christmas everyone 🤶🏼

Very bad, the service was not friendly. And their prices don't match what they charge. And if you tell them, they have a strange explanation that the drink you took is supposedly more expensive than what it says...

Off hand staff, no ambience, poor service. Eventually acknowledged, grudgingly given a menu then ignored for 5 minutes… so we left

NOT SUITABLE FOR SOLO ATTENDEES If you are attending as an individual you will not get table service. On multiple occasions have had to wait up to 90 minutes before staff (who know you are there because they seated you) will take an order. Very expensive (e.g. soft drink bottle is £5.25).

Super fun bar at the top of the bookstore. 2 for 1 cocktails. Brilliant service and great drinks. Not to be missed. A real gem.

I’d seen reviews recommending this place for its views, so I walked there especially to check it out. Very disappointed, after waiting to be seated in a half-empty cafe at 3.10pm, to be told that they weren’t serving for an hour, not even coffee. They were, however, taking out trays of coffees to existing customers. So, I didn’t get to see whether or not there was a good view or to try the coffee. The basement café was ok, but no view. The bookshop itself is excellent.

서점 5층에 있는 가게입니다. 무난한 정도이니 큰 기대는 하지 않으면 됩니다.

The food is great the people are sweet ate here two times both times really enjoyed it

Unfortunately let down today by poor service as we waited ages to be served others actually walked out after waiting ages... Food was ok but not exceptional...

Lovely staff and atmosphere. Went in with a friend and had a very good time. Very good hazelnut latte!

On the 5th floor of a bookshop, what's not to like. There are couches and chairs throughout the store which were well used by potential clientele. Plenty of room in the bar/cafe when we got there at 1445hrs and we chose to be seated at the windows. Service was prompt, but not everything was on the printed menu, niether the carrot cake nor apple and cinnamon pie were there. Nice atmosphere, quiet, only two kids with maw and paw next to us and they were well behaved. 10% service charged added to the bill, when I asked if there was a tips jar the staff didn't seem to know what I was on about- maybe just my provincial West of Scotland burr.

Au dessus de la libraire , si vous voulez vous rafraîchir ou manger un bout. Pas exceptionnel mais dépanne pour un petit 4h

Not child friendly at all! My sister and I got shoved in a corner at back of the room because we had two prams with us. There was plenty of room on the view side was but the waitress insisted there wasn't and ushered us to the dingy dark side which was absolutely baking hot. The chairs and carpet were filthy also. I really wouldn't recommend, especially if you have children with you.

Had a nice drink there while waiting for hubby and daughter book shopping. Nice atmosphere.

Bad service and simply way too expensive

Tl;dr: this was the worst brunch I ever had in my entire life. Went there for lunch on a Sunday. Nobody brought us to a table; the staff told us to pick up a menu and choose a table. There was no A/C but the windows were wide open and we had a “view” from the top floor - that’s the only positive. The menu is basically a classic pub menu with burgers, roast and fish and chips; plus a brunch section (variations around a basic avocado toast). I went for the avocado toast with a poached egg & bacon. We asked do the same thing for our 5y old daughter but if they could scramble the egg. The waitress asked the kitchen and they REFUSED. (I still don’t understand how you can’t scramble an egg when you serve poached eggs). So I ordered a fish & chips instead… My wife ordered the quinoa salad as she’s celiac. 20mn later the waitress comes back saying they don’t have any quinoa… we asked for the gluten free options and the only one they offered was their roast chicken… alright… 20mn later we get the dishes. Fish & chips: chips were ok - just missed salt. Fish batter was really bad; overfried (I suspect they pre-fry them and re-fry them on demand…). And there was a ton of coarse salt on it. Chicken: meat was ok - nothing special. The veggies were definitely pre-cooked and reheated on demand - bleh. Avocado toast: first, it wasn’t a toast since the bread wasn’t toasted… the avocado wasn’t fresh - they use that guacamole paste you can find in supermarkets - yuck!!! And the poached eggs were over cooked (not runny at all) BUT also cold… no salt, no pepper. Bacon was cold as well. It was so disgusting that we ate quickly. The waitress was cleaning a table next to us so I politely asked for the bill. She shushed me (yep!) to ask (shout) for a bottle of water to the front desk and then was ok for me to ask for their bill. Paid 63£ for that “meal”. Worst service, worst meal ever. Avoid like plague.

For the location we were expecting more. The decor is dated and quite shabby and the menu is limited. However the friendly prompt service made up for it.

Booked a table for 8 of us to celebrate Mum's birthday. Staff were lovely and the food was too. We very much enjoyed the view over London and were delighted when they presented Mum with a homemade treat from the chef! It is a real find in the heart of London and half price cocktails were appreciated! Would recommend! Thanks especially to Kay our waitress and Mahir the chef!!!!!

Just had a coffee here, bit was great. Next time for cocktails.

Good spot to meet for a pre theatre drink and meal above Waterstones on Piccadilly. Nice spacious top floor location with good views. Decor getting tired but staff very friendly and food and drink met our varied tastes. Particular mention for our waitress Kay and the chef Mahir.

We went to the cocktail after a few books shopping, around 20:15 waitresses was telling us all the time than they close in 30 min, however we order quick and the glasses of wine arrived 15 mins later at 8:45 she was telling us guys you have to go we are closing, she was rude and very pushy. They could have take less time too to bring three glasses of wine. She even clean the table with the drinks no even finished. Customer service very poor she didn’t have manners.

A very nice place to drink something with great views :)

The food was good, but the service was quite unfriendly when we asked to pay separately. Also it took very long

Massively over-priced uninspiring cocktails, Bar/restaurant was fairly quiet yet tables left uncleared until we sat down and the staff were too busy chatting to each other instead of serving customers. Very disappointing visit and do not recommend, plenty of other nice places to go for a drink.

Looked appealing when we walked in but the menu is very bad and expensive. Ordered the avocado and egg and the avocado was inedible because of whatever they put into it, there was also a horrible sauce on the burger my partner got that wasn’t mentioned on the menu, then when we asked for the bill the waitress brought over the card machine without even showing us the bill. It was after we paid she put the bill down and we seen a 10% service charge. For two people getting lunch I found this ridiculous. Wouldn’t recommend or come back again.

Excellent view of the city from the vantage point from the top floor of Waterstones at Piccadilly. Latte was smooth but not generous. Service was too attentive and constantly disruptive of conversation. As it gets busy, a queue builds. In the end for peace of mind, we adjourned to Chinatown to continue over dinner.

Nice lounge if you are looking for a quiet beer or cocktail!

I love the place its an oasis of tranquility in a very unexpected location

Eat in the restaurant over priced for average food

Dated decor and exceptionally expensive soft drinks, would not recommend.

Went for a cup of tea up on the 5th floor and found it has become very expensive now. The slice of cake we shared was okay but nothing special and to be honest, the carrot cake from sainsbury is much nicer and you get a whole cake for half the price. The staff were a bit sniffy too :(

We were recommended this place, so we don’t know whether this is a one-off bad experience or not… We arrived, waited awhile to be served so went up to the bar to order, where we were told by the waitress that she would come to us to take our order. 20 minutes go by, and no one came to us so we decided to leave. Decor was a bit shabby and in need of TLC too.

A nice quiet place for lunch with a good menu and professional friendly service

Experiência ótima. A janela bem posicionada consegue proporcionar raios de sol gostosos, enquanto se degusta um ótimo cappuccino. Atendimento impecável do Marcus. Super atencioso e eficiente. Recomendo e voltarei!

Stunning view at sunset, oasis of calm with reasonable priced tasty food

Don’t ever come here for the afternoon tea, we prebooked for my friends birthday all veggie. We got unmelted cheese on slice of toast, when we questioned just got told it’s the best they could do. Avoid

Someone has taken their eye off the ball! Fantastic location, great potential, amateur errors for ridiculous prices. Apple and cinnamon pie with custard: great idea! Came with ice cream rather than custard. When queried, waiter returned with cold bought custard!! Even the apples could have come from a tin ☹️. All for £7!! The noise didn’t come from customers - it came from the staff stacking dishes and talking loudly. The ladies toilets were out of order and there was no soap in the one functioning toilet. Fantastic space - but so so primitively furnished. What has gone wrong???

Suggested by waiter to try mushroom soup, however when it turned up it was Thai soup, re-ordered a minute steak sandwich was not a minute more like 10 would not go again.

Staff are lovely, and prices are reasonable. But this is so shabby, Waterstones should be embarrassed this is the bar/café in its flagship London shop. Picture the grottiest Wetherspoon you've been in and you'll come close to the decor. Carpets are threadbare and tables are damaged. The seating on the side of the room with the view is weirdly arranged not to take advantage. And you have the choice between plastic covered sofas or plastic school canteen style chairs. On the plus side the place was basically empty on a Friday evening so if you can't find anywhere to go it's a great option.

Nice staff and good food. Decor needs updating as it's old and damaged.

To be asked as a customer three times by the waitress if you want the bill is extremely inhospitable and unwelcoming. It was us feel offended, uncomfortable and we left the place. Despite being overpriced this would not have mattered if they treated us with respect and courtesy. Please invest in training your staff on hospitality

I held some Christmas drinks at 5th View this week and they were fantastic. We had a huge space to ourselves and they'd set everything up we'd asked for and were really communicative. A great venue!

Genuinely awful. Service slow, food mediocre at best. Wrong food arrived. Used to be half decent spot this but clearly not now.

Ten years ago, I loved this place. Mostly quiet, a unique view over London rooftops, nice cocktails, and perfectly good food. Came recently, and I felt like I was in the kitchen of some backstreet restaurant or a school cafeteria. Instead of background music, there is a CONSTANT clanking noise of crockery and cutlery. Constant. My watch makes fewer ticks than the kitchen clanks things together in a minute. And there is nothing to absorb that sound, or the sound of all the voices. And food is average. I am deeply regretting sitting here at all, as the noise is making it exhausting to be here. And I have noise-cancelling headphones on… which help, but the clanking does cut througuh too clearly for comfort. Would NOT recommend visiting, unless you have poor hearing, or excellent earplugs. Because this is auditory hell.

Quiet and cosy place. Despite having *literally* nothing to do, the woman who took my order took over 15mins to bring me a small bottle of sparkling water. I left and figured it would be faster to get it somewhere else. Very disappointed.

Just had a simple glass of wine and the view was amazing. The food im sure would be amazing but sadly can't comment on it..

Looked like a really nice bar and looking forward to 2 for 1 cocktails but everything with mint was not available so no mojitos. We asked for a dark and stormy with no mint but they had run out of rum. ‘What about an espresso martini’? Sorry no kahlua….I asked for a pint of moretti only to be told they had run out of that also

I cannot praise the staff enough for a great service especially Muhammed. They can defo improve on the sandwiches, but I loved my fish and chips meal. 5th View is cozy and not to forget a great view. Great place to grab lunch after shopping.

Came here for Afternoon Tea as a gift but left deeply embarrassed. The sandwich fingers (two) were shockingly bad but one was genuinely a bright yellow cheese slice. The scones were nice and the staff were incredibly friendly but honestly, this was awful- bearing in mind what people go to afternoon tea for- to be treated. £35 for two 6p cheese slices and choc torte dryer than a 4,000 page history of Brexit? I'd genuinely be ashamed to serve that.

So 5 or 6 years ago this place was buzzing and bustling with great food and fab cocktails, a hidden gem within a bookshop. It is now tired, deserted, faded and sad. Although there were only two tables with people, on both occasions I waited 20 minutes for a menu or any staff contact and both times ended up walking out, still with no menu or order taken. When I came in no one greeted me or seated me or acknowledged I was there. This seemed to be the experience of one of the other two tables and we exchanged rueful glances. The upholstery is stained and torn, the carpet and wallpaper dirty and faded. The views are still spectacular and the bookshop itself a delight. Why is this embarrassing remnant left to moulder on the top floor, such a let down. I won't be back and judging from the tumbleweeds neither will anyone else. Sad....

Apparently “fully booked” when there were at least 15 empty tables. I’m sure somewhere else will happily take my money.

Nice place at first sight, but super slow waiters who ignored us for 15min, no chance to receive a menu or even order something. Absolutely disappointing, will never try again.

Der "Ausblick" liegt zum Innenhof. Cola 5 Pfund, Aperol Sprizz 14 Pfund. Das Aperol Glas war am Fuß defekt. Der Spiegel an der Wand war dreckig von mindestens einer Woche Kinderhände. Die Einrichtung hat Kantinen Charme.

The view is very nice but the service is poor. Very rude staff.

I’ve been a fan of this bar for years but haven’t been since the pandemic. All I can say is that everything has failed. The service was shocking. We were purposefully ignored by staff. Served substandard cocktails and talked down to the whole time. I literally saw a bar man pour Ribena into one of our “blackcurrant” cocktails. It’s a shocking drop in standards

Booked through Groupon but unable to use due to administrative error in booking, limited warmth from the staff ( we got a free prosecco) who did nothing really to help other than blame Groupon and told me voucher had already been used. ( It certainly hadn't as I've never visited the place before) The food/furniture was nothing like the picture on the website and I really would not pay £35.49 for a latte, diet coke, 4 sandwiches, 2 scones and 3 cakes considering, Ive visited quite a few places recently and they had been warm, clean, welcoming, helpful and no issues with accepting a Groupon voucher

Somewhat of a hidden gem, with one of the best views in the West End. Great for a coffee and cake pitstop, afternoon tea or dinner.

Lovely view, but overpriced £7 for mixed nuts

Food is just not good. Everything seems a bit old and worn, the view is okay but not worth coming here for more than a coffee.

This restaurant could be so much nicer than it is...lovely view and layout, but the food is really bad. Very limited and slightly odd menu (2 types of chicken burger but no beef burger??) The food we had tasted oily and was just frozen food chucked in a fryer. The tea was nice though!

I used to visit this lunch restaurant at the top of one of the finest book stores in Europe and fell welcome and inspired. But not anymore.. It’s sad for the Waterstones brand and the booklovers of London. The food and menu is under average, the restaurant is worn down and the staff is doing their best in a sad situation.

Myself and my husband visited the 5th View Bar at Waterstones today for afternoon tea . We ordered this amazing deal through Groupon! The whole team at the bar were friendly and courteous ! We would definitely recommend this deal to anyone, We will definitely be back for lunch or even just drinks! A very calm and relaxing atmosphere! Thanks once again team, your hospitality went above and beyond !

Excellent service. Cocktails amazing 🤩…

What a lovely afternoon, Franco, Oscar and rest of the team made our visit amazing, we didnt want to leave but had to dash to theatre show. So pleased with their attentiveness from them, and those cocktails, wow. They made us feel like Queens on the Jubillee Weekend. THANK YOU X

Ótimo espaço, com funcionários muito atenciosos, com o destaque do Marcos que atendeu a gente muito bem. Além de que das 17 as 19 tem promoção de dois drinks pelo valor de um. Muito bom, super recomendo.

La vue ne vend pas énormément de rêve, contrairement à ce qui est dit dans certains guides. En revanche, le fish and chips est à tomber ! Le premier que nous avons goûté et nous n'avons pas été déçues. Depuis, nous en avons mangé un autre dans un autre restaurant et en toute honnêteté je ne peux que vous conseiller celui de 5th view. La qualité du poisson est excellente, tout comme la friture et les 'chips' qui sont parfaits. Un peu déçues par le second plat, un toast avocat oeuf poché, qui n'a pas su nous séduire.

I felt sorry for the staff, they tried, but I think they knew it was done for. The food was absolutely hideous. We sent it back. The drinks were ok but the laminated menu is so tacky and doesn’t fit with the area. I’m upset for them as the 5th has many opportunities to be an amazing getaway from the bustle of London life.

Befindet sich im 5. Stock von Waterstones Bestellen muss man beim Tresen KellnerInnen sind sehr langsam und können sich die Bestellung kaum merken

Welcoming & friendly service. Great spot to get away from hustle and bustle of the city and unwind with a drink and/or a bite to eat in a tranquil surrounding with beautiful skyline views. Love their fresh mint tea & veggie panini. Wish they had more vegan options on the menu.

Had a lunch at 5th view, it was lovely and enjoyed my time here very much. Would definitely come back again for the experience.

Excellent Service. I had the 2 for 1 cocktail promotion. Unexpectedly I decided to have a tea and finally I got the cokctail offer. Nice and quiet place to read or have a nice talk. I suppose it would be busier as it was shut for a while.

Came here for a quick bite and thought it would be your average waterstones cafe... it was not. Asked for a minute to order and 15 minutes later we were still waiting. After catching the attention of the waiter we asked to order, he came back not once but twice to tell us what we wanted was sold out- though it was still early in the day so I question if they actually had any to begin with. When our "chocolate and orange tarts" arrived they were nice enough, maybe a bit stale (matching the damp peeling walls). Now the real issue arose: a small cup of coffee, 330ml of diet coke and two slivers of tart (that was our third choice) came to around £15. And they had the gall to add a 10% service charge? If I wanted to pay that much for the little amount we got, I would have walked the 5 minutes to Fortnam and Mason. Would not return and could not recommend. Its safe to say that "London's best kept secret" is infact, best if its kept as a secret. EDIT: I forgot to mention the table next to us, who were served out of date clotted cream and were not given a replacement when asked.

This is not the "5th View" we have enjoyed several times in the past - it was totally lacking any feel of a hospitable place - staff ignored you - lacked the old feel of comfort - cheap plastic seating - qr menu code couldn't...

Charged a service charge, for really poor service! Overpriced and quite a tacky area. Staff unfriendly and didn’t know the menu

Slowest waitresses ever. Can't speak basic English either. What a disappointment !

Service none existent we sat and waited 20 mins and did not get served. We asked to order and no one bothered to come back to us. Meanwhile another customer walked straight in and got served immediately. Terrible service will never try this place again.0

All'ultimo piano della grande libreria Waterstone's, un bel locale tranquillo dall'atmosfera informale che non ci si aspetterebbe. Scelto per un...

Very disappointed: I travelled 3 hours from Staffordshire for a post-lockdown reunion only to find this venue closed. I purchased a voucher through groupon and booked my table at the restaurant online. Groupon say that my voucher has been used - when it has not...

Bei jedem unserer etlichen London-Aufenthalte waren wir hier und haben den 5-O-Clock-Tea genossen. Günstig, umfangreich und mit guter Aussicht. Leider...

That's it really. Pleasant space. The much vaunted view is pretty industrial. Service was fine. The coronavirus pandemic had started to take hold, so the restaurant was very very quiet. I had the catch of the day and my colleague had the fishcakes. (See photo...

Not as good as I expected and the view is obstructed by the many buildings.

This was such a disappointing lunch with friends. The burgers were tasteless, the chips were dried out and cold. The service was shocking - our waitress was miserable. Even the plants were dying! There are many other places to eat in this area!

Central London but still reasonably priced. Splendid views , good food, good service.

This is hardly what one expects to find at the top of a bookshop, but all the more agreeable for that: a large bar/restaurant area – somewhat dark at the back, but with comfortable seats along the windows, with expansive views south over the roof-tops....

Good food, the burger buns were soft and lovely, really good service from Gabriel.

Normally excellent but service not as good as normal.

Accommodating, ultimately, about an administrative error in booking but other than that there was limited warmth from the staff. The afternoon tea was fine, the view is a nice backdrop but in and of itself not actually that much to write home about. So, yeah, a good choice for an irregular coffee catch up, not a first choice for anything intended to be more memorable.

Teatime zum Genießen mit wunderbarem Ausblick auf London.

The place is dark, uncomfortable seating, view not great, windows full of condensation so couldn’t see much anyway definitely not was I expecting and it was my suggestion to go with a group of friends ... booked a Groupon which main picture shows slider mini burgers and also states there included In sharing platter, no mention of paying extra ! We booked 4pm and minute we arrived put under pressure to order as kitchen closes 4.30 but no mention of this prior plus tried to ring endless times prior to going, no one picks up and unable to leave message ! The women whom seated us looked like a supervisor extremely rude and miserable instantly said sliders only available at extra cost, I was trying to find original add when she said it doesn’t matter what you show that’s the way it is !!!!!! Found add and went up to speak to manager whom after a long discussion agreed to honour the add ... the toilets where dirty but cocktails where very nice .... service overall dreadful but we made sure we made best of the situation !

2 for 1 cocktails (not sure what time). Fast service. One side has a view over London.

En el quinto piso de Waterstones en Piccadilly hay una joya absoluta de un bar de cócteles.

Cozy, warm and with good service, it's the perfect place for a Friday night after work drink

A very disappointing afternoon tea experience. Service: We reserved a table but after being sat down near the windows, we were approached by another staff who told us that the table was reserved. They later explained that it was because some regular customers sit there. Food: There was only one scone and it was rock hard and served with store-bought clotted cream. They did not even put in the effort to serve the cream in another container. Sandwiches were dry and the beef inside the mini Yorkshire pudding was dry as well. The chocolate cake was hard and the ganache was too sweet. We could not tell what flavour the macaron was, but it was way too sweet as well. Overall food quality was not worth the price ($15.95pp).

Bit shabby and slow service. Presented with the wrong bill and waiter couldn't understand enough English to resolve. Manager took control but still slow to put right.

Really great food here and also the drinks. Quite undiscovered so usually not too busy! Maybe a little pricey for what it's worth. Even so, I still think it's worth it.

クリームティ6.5ポンドを注文しました。 ダージリンを注文したけれど、若い店員さんに伝わらなかったのか、グリーンティがき...