A quick scour of my usual London resources reveal lists of top ten al fresco restaurants in London, most of which will set you back a significant amount of cash which is not ideal. So, I've hopefully managed to find some more reasonable options and as I try them out, will update you here about them.
First up is The Gourmet Pizza Company, Gabriel's Wharf on the south bank.
Gabriel's Wharf is a cute little enclave of shops, bars and cafes that has a really nice feel to it and the Gourmet Pizza Co. is one of the first restaurants you encounter as you enter from the riverside. It makes for a really good outdoor option with a lovely terrace alongside the restaurant and out onto the south bank as well. I rang up at lunch time on the same day and was able to book a table for dinner which was great as I had actually intended to visit a different restaurant that refused to take a booking. It was great being able to saunter to the front of the queue, if a little awkward but I have excellent death stare deflection abilities. We had a short wait for a table which thankfully, was outside. I don't think booking guarantees you outside but I got the impression that you had priority which was good. I would recommend waiting if it's a hot day as the inside temperature in the restaurant was about that of the pizza oven. If you don't book, I would guess that you would have at least half an hour wait.
On to the food, pizza is the obvious choice given the restaurant name! They are all reasonably priced and excellent quality and they offer a range of specials too. On my visit, I had a starter of bruschetta followed by a bacon and goats cheese pizza which was delicious. I was anxious about the level of service in the jam packed restaurant but they know what they're doing and we were served promptly by a very friendly waitress. The food didn't disappoint and it all arrived very swiftly. I mean it's pizza so it was nothing life changing but a good spot to enjoy some wine, pizza and a good amount of