Sky Garden

20 Fenchurch Street, universally called the Walkie-Talkie for its shape, was designed by Rafael Vinoly and completed in 2014 after a difficult planning process; the public garden on floors thirty-five to thirty-seven was part of the deal that got it approved, which is why entry is free. The garden is planted with Mediterranean and South African species under a glass roof, with terraces and a viewing deck facing south over the Thames. The building itself has a poor reputation: it widens as it rises, its concave south face focused sunlight so intensely in 2013 that it melted parts of a parked car, and it won the Carbuncle Cup for the worst new building of 2015. The view, however, is genuinely the best free one in the City.

What you actually see

• The planted terraces - Mediterranean and South African species under glass.
• The south-facing deck - an open-air terrace over the river and the Shard.
• The free entry - a public garden secured through the planning process.
• The Walkie-Talkie shape - a tower that widens as it rises.

When to go

Year-round; slots must be booked online in advance, released about three weeks ahead, and they go quickly for evenings and weekends. Weekday mornings are the easiest to get. Sunset slots are the most contested.

Honest expectations

Free slots must be booked well in advance and walk-up entry is not possible; unbooked visitors can pay for a bar reservation instead. Security screening is airport-style. The garden is smaller than the name suggests and crowded at peak times.

Nearby

The Monument and Leadenhall Market are minutes away; Tower Bridge lies east.