Patio-dining has always been something special but during the pandemic, it became a sink-or-swim necessity for area restaurants. One of the positives that came from that awful time was realizing how much people love eating outside, how creative they could be in making patio space available, and how restaurants could make the most of these new spaces. Now, with more patio dining opportunities than ever before, we celebrate our favorites in this 2023 roundup.
Here, in no particular order, are some of our favorite patios and the reasons we love them. Note that some show up in more than one category because they’re just adaptable like that. We want to hear from you though! What are some of your favorite patios? We know we’ve barely scratched the surface here. One criteria, we are talking permanent patio situations, not those that are bumped out into the street with cement barriers that may be temporary. We’re talking purposeful, structural patios, on the sidewalk or rooftop. Leave your comments below – we’d love to add to our patio time!
Restaurant Patios we find to be In Good Taste…and why
Family-Friendly
Breckenridge Brewery – Like the big back yard of your dreams, complete with a place for some musicians to play.
Hops & Pie opened a heated, covered 3,000-square-foot patio in 2023 that’s game, baby, pizza, and beer-friendly.
Ironton Distillery – We love the various outdoor “rooms” with enough space to keep an eye on the kids as they wander just a bit. It has also received raves for its dog-friendly nature.
Opportunities for People-Watching
Bezel Denver– Sleek, elegant, and with a finger on the pulse of the Mall.
Blanco Cocina & Cantina – Channel some south of the border time on this wrap-around patio that lends itself to lingering a while.
Cherry Cricket Cherry Creek – The original patio spills out onto a whole other, really spacious patio. That one has TV’s for sports fan, yard games, and fire pits.
Culinary Dropout – Whether you sit at a table, at a high-top, or the lounges, there isn’t a bad seat in the (outdoor) house.
Deviation Distilling – Located in the alley of the Dairy Block, just outside of the distillery’s space in a refurbished 1800s firehouse. Creative and pretty cocktails catch glimpses from passersby who are separated from the seating area by large steely planters. It’s especially pretty at night.
Gray’s Coors Tavern – Watch (and hear) the shiny Harley’s pull up as you sit among flowering hanging baskets while sipping a schooner and eating a Slopper (it’s the birthplace of them, afterall), in Pueblo.
Larimer Square – We hope the street stays blocked off forever because letting the restaurants spill out with their romantic patios is the way we born-and-bred-Denverites always imagined the block could be.
Lowry Beer Garden – Tons and tons of outdoor space means lots of folks to observe while sipping beers. And with some of the long tables being shareable, you may just make some like-minded friends.
Wynkoop Brewing Co. – With people coming and going at Denver Union Station, it’s primo people-viewing. Read about our brunch experience there, here.
Romantic
Fire Lounge at the ART Hotel– Edgy, sleek, great city views, it’s just plain sexy.
glo Noodle House – Twinkly lights and location away from the busy road make it feel secluded. See why we love this place, here.
Le Bilboquet – Who couldn’t use a virtual escape to Paris (by way of Cherry Creek North)?
Tropical
Adrift Tiki Bar – Hanging blowfish lamps, island murals, grass-lined umbrellas and tiki decor (and drinks)? You can’t help but go on “island time” despite being on South Broadway.
Happier Happy Houring
Barcelona Wine Bar – Tucked behind the LoHi restaurant, peeking out onto Larimer Street, Barcelona’s long, narrow, woody patio is secluded and cozy. Go for Happy Hour when Tapas are a real deal.
Cattivella – While we also love enjoying their generous happy hour at the chef’s counter inside, the patio’s a mighty pretty and off-street way to take in the good deals.
Officer’s Club – One of our favorite places to feel retro while in a modern atmosphere, the vibe hearkens back to Lowry Air Force Base’s original, official hangout. The happy hour menu is great and, order the Maryland Crab Cakes from the regular menu for the best you’ve ever had.
Game Playing
Culinary Dropout – How many restaurant patios create a very designated and large area just for yard games?
FlyteCo Tower – Spread out, play some Putt, and enjoy the food and drink scene where the owners’ passion for aviation has landed at the control tower building in the Central Park neighborhood.
Channeling Europe
The Hive Garden Bistro at Denver Botanic Gardens – It’s #1 for pretending you’re at Giverny, in Monet’s Garden.
Le Bilboquet – Besides being very romantic (see above), in true French fashion, the patio is as much about seeing as being seen.
Sunset Sightings
Los Chingones in Eastbridge – Big skies, the former airport tower, and sunsets make for spectacular rooftop viewing. More chips and salsa, please!
Red Barber – It’s what other patios want to be when they grow up, expansive, with nearly uninterrupted views all around for great sunsets and city views.
Tamayo – Which is more stunning, the food and drink, or the sunsets you catch from this rooftop spot?
Feel Homey and Cozy
Carm & Gia Metropolitan – We love the pink cement blocks enclosing this patio almost as much as we love the food.
Dagabi Tapas Bar – Subterranean and tucked away, it’s one of Boulder’s best patios you’d only know about if someone told you. Like we just did.
Postino Wine Cafe at 8th and Colorado Blvd. – Set off from the busy road a bit, next to some grass, it just draws you in and makes us say, “we’ve got to go back there,” every time we drive by.
Red Rocks Beer Garden in Morrison – If you could put up a bunch of tables and chairs all around your own backyard, all of your friends would want to hang out there and have beers as much as they do at this spot.
River & Woods – The restaurant is a former house and the patio dining happens in the backyard. Can it get homier than this?
The Garden at The Ramble Hotel (coming May 20, 2023) – Operated by the Death & Co team, will offer colorful drinks to be enjoyed under a canopy covering about 75% of the patio, allowing for sun and shade per your whims, starting at 3pm daily during the summer months. We love the looks of this place and look forward to its opening.
Toro in Cherry Creek – Although large, because it’s in a courtyard, it’s easy to let the outside world fall away, especially with their amazing ceviches.
City Views
Avanti Food & Beverage – After the lucky challenge of deciding what you’ll order at this food hall, you deserve to enjoy your meal with spanning city views.
Grange Hall – The large patio is a wide-open, sunset-positioned extension of this food hall.
Mountain Views
Pindustry – have your food, drink, play games, and a stunning view too.
Stem Ciders Acreage – Located in Lafayette, perched on a hill with views of the Rocky Mountains, you can recline in an Adirondack chair, a hammock, or sit at a picnic table to enjoy sips and nibbles.
Viewhouse off I-25 – Look beyond the I-25 traffic to appreciate the western views
Getting Close to Nature
Edgewater Cafe & Lakeside Deli – Overlooking Keystone lake (turned ice skating rink in the winter), we love this place for breakfast on the patio, taking in the views of the flowers, water, and mountainside. After eating, go down to the dock to see oodles of trout hanging out, then go for a walk around the lake to work off that meal.
Great Divide Brewery and Roadhouse – One whole side wall opens to the outdoors. And that outdoors is a creekside with tall trees and a pedestrian and cycling path. It’s a nice oasis.
The one we miss the most
RIP to The Med in Boulder – Between the plush red geraniums, tiled fountain, trees growing right in the middle of it, and the sangria and tapas, it was our all-time favorite patio, hands down, for years.
-Story and photos (except where noted) by In Good Taste Denver
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