Read the South Bank in both directions
The official South Bank guide provides a starting point for a riverside outing. A seat facing the river can have open space in front while buildings on the landward side obstruct sunlight from another direction. The river does not remove those shadows.
Compare the exact outdoor areas
Use the tourism office's South Bank food and drink listings to find potential stops, then verify the venue's terrace and current hours. Tables beside a facade, under a bridge or beneath an awning may behave differently from a nearby open promenade.
A pub garden is a separate location
A street-facing entrance can conceal a rear garden with walls and trees on several sides. Find that garden on the map and inspect its surroundings. Do not infer its orientation from the pub's frontage or from a photograph of the entrance.
Use the actual date, not a summer memory
London's lower winter sun can remain behind buildings that do not block the higher summer sun. For a long lunch, compare arrival, midpoint and departure. For an immediate outing, add walking and ordering time before judging a sunny patch.
Keep weather separate from the map
A building-shadow estimate does not show passing cloud. Check the forecast and keep a comfortable covered alternative if conditions change. Trees and awnings require an on-site check, even when the map shows no building shade.
Try the building-shadow check before you leave
Open Coffee in the Sun, find your chosen spot and compare the estimated building shadows at arrival and departure. The free app includes today's timeline and three time jumps per day. The model uses mapped buildings, whose coverage and accuracy vary; it excludes trees, awnings and terrain, and cloud cover is not part of the shadow answer.
Use the five-step terrace check to interpret the result. Keep a nearby alternative and confirm the real seating on arrival.
