One New Change Terrace

The lowdown

One New Change is a shopping centre right behind St Paul's, designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel, and most people never realise its best feature is on the roof and completely free. A glass lift on the top floor carries you up to an open public terrace, and the view that opens up is the reason to come.

You are level with the dome of St Paul's, close enough to pick out the stonework, with the cathedral filling the sky in front of you and the City towers stacked up behind. It is the nearest free elevated view of Wren's masterpiece anywhere, framed perfectly by the modern glass around you.

There is a bar and restaurant up there if you want one, but the terrace itself costs nothing and you are welcome just to ride the lift up, take it in and come back down. A two minute detour off any City walk for one of the best free photos in London.