Though the city does have many restaurant patios to choose from, most are small and in great demand when the weather is warm. And, be warned, not all take reservations. The following is a selection of top outdoor patios well worth the wait.
Hidden away behind this 17th Avenue Southwest restaurant is a high-fenced, vine-clad courtyard. Under its canopy of trees, you feel like this patio was created just for your dining party. There’s something more than a little apropos about enjoying Cilantro’s game-focused Southwest cuisine out in the fresh air.
The city’s music and arts intelligentsia rub shoulders with all comers on this hip and often packed 17th Avenue Southwest pub patio. Pints of craft beer and well-crafted pub food are the order of every day at this well-worn Brit-style watering hole.
Situated in a conspicuous converted red house in Inglewood, Rouge is an internationally renowned French-influenced, fine-dining restaurant. Its homey patio is beautifully situated in its sprawling side yard surrounded by trees and hedges and overlooking the establishment’s vegetable garden.
One of the Mission district's hottest restaurants, Vin Room serves sharable tapas-style eats and a first-class international wine selection. It also features a sweet rooftop patio that overlooks the shops, restaurants and lively foot traffic of Fourth Street Southwest. When the sun gets too hot, retreat beneath the patio’s large central umbrella.