Aqua Kyoto

High above Argyll Street, a few steps from Oxford Circus, Aqua Kyoto occupies the top floor of the former Dickins & Jones building with a contemporary Japanese kitchen and a rooftop that keeps a crowd long after the plates are cleared. The dining room is the space people remember: a long run of low banquettes beneath a wall of illuminated geometric panelling, with a robata grill and a sushi counter at its heart. Its sister restaurant Aqua Nueva shares the floor, and the two open onto the same terrace.

The energy shifts at Aqua Spirit, the rooftop cocktail bar, where a canopy of foliage hangs over a red-lit bar and resident DJs play across the open-air terrace. It is one of central London's better-known rooftop bars, and the reason the venue reads as a destination for a party rather than only a dinner.

For private events the whole floor is available: taken exclusively it seats up to 170, and a drinks reception across the restaurant, bar and terrace takes up to 400. The restaurant on its own seats 100 or holds 250 standing, group dining is arranged within it, and taking the neighbouring Aqua Nueva alongside opens the rooftop to larger receptions. The resident DJ setup and the open terrace make it a natural fit for a launch or a celebration that runs late.