photo: courtesy of Clifton Henri, pictured:
Volo It's about time to fire up the grills, pack the picnic baskets and dodge eating inside whenever possible. Whether you're looking for a noisy beer garden or a secluded and serene patio, we've found some of the city's best alfresco options.
Secluded spots
Art Institute's Garden Restaurant
From late spring to early fall, this shady courtyard, with tables set up around Carl Mille's gurgling "Fountain of the Tritons," offers alfresco dining for art lovers. With salads, sandwiches and entrees costing $10-$15, The Garden isn't a cheap lunch date, but the seasonal menu of contemporary American cuisine sets it apart from more popular Loop lunchtime spots. If visual art just isn't your thing, though, you’ll still come to appreciate live music on Thursday and Friday nights.
Cafe Selmarie
There's no shortage of delightful Euro imports in Lincoln Square. Every block in the neighborhood lands you steps from a stein of Spaten or a freshly baked baguette. But on any given summer night at Cafe Selmarie, you can relax on its sprawling patio on the ped mall and watch locals learn to tango. It just doesn't get any more Euro than that. Part bakery, part restaurant, Selmarie dishes up homemade pastries and rich bistro-inspired fare. Grab a chocolate hazelnut butter cream torte and a glass of red to feel like a Parisian in no time.
Crust
Seasoned entrepreneur/chef Michael Altenberg is the sustainability-conscious mind behind Chicago's first certified organic restaurant. Crust's back patio offers seating for 120 in a closed-off space safe from street noise. Take a seat at a wrought-iron table and dig in to Altenberg's individual-size flatbreads ($10-$14), which look like thin-crust pizzas but have a more refined attitude. Wash 'em down with a lemon- and lemongrass-infused Rain organic vodka on the rocks.
El Nuevo Mexicano
Do you look back on Spring Break in Cancun and wish you could go back? If so, grab your sunglasses and hurry on down to this authentic Mexican restaurant with high-quality, hearty dishes and a killer patio. Nestled into a row of residential backyards, the garden seating affords a certain amount of privacy for couples playing footsy and drunken men loudly reminiscing about their college days. Since nothing goes better with sunshine than tequila, be sure to order a pomegranate margarita—or two. Just stay away from any body shots.
Volo
This wine bar's backyard turns a gussied up, 100-year-old patina barn into a cocktail space, replete with cabana beds, an organic garden and wine tasting events. Enveloped by trees, sprinkled with fountains and huddled into a row of homey buildings on Roscoe, it couldn't be a more perfect oenophile oasis than if a river of pinot ran through it. Go on Monday, when bottles of wine are half-price, though any day will do for munching on a cheese plate and a sweet pea pizza.
Beer garden state
Sheffield's
The beer garden here, spacious and generously shaded by a towering cottonwood, is a Lakeview legend. Dig through the bar's stash of board games (Scrabble, anyone?), and then grab a seat at one of the many picnic tables or high-tops. You could spend countless days here trying to land on triple-word squares and browsing through the 34-page almanac of microbrews. It might take you awhile to find the perfect ale to pair with your pulled-pork sammie or grilled cheese.
Montrose Saloon
How many other Chicago beer gardens can offer games and plenty of space for kicking back? Montrose's patio, which is twice the size of the no-frills inside, feels more like a drunk uncle's side yard in the sticks than anything urban. You'll find a tent and grill for parties, tables built on tree stumps and a horseshoe pit where veteran regulars school rookies in the art of pitching. Games are free every day on a first-come, first-served basis; if the pit is crowded, hit the Sox vs. Cubs-theme bean bag toss instead.
Happy Village
The main room of the Happy Village isn't much to look at: a bar, a juke and some runaway patio furniture. But, behold the beer garden! Glowing with kitschy, garden party ambiance, with room for up to 100 patrons, it's bordered by a row of dense hedge. The space, which has a pond, wooden arches draped with greenery, plenty of flimsy plastic chairs and dowdy cement angel statues, stays open until the neighbors start to complain.
Cody's Public House
Sure, you've heard of BYOB, but what about BYOM? That's Bring Your Own Meat, which you can do at this West Lakeview tap, where patrons get free reign of the beer garden's grills. Tall trees loom overhead, vines wrap around the fence and white metallic patio chairs give the patio a sense of grace. Leashed pups bark at bad bocce ball tosses as they fall outside the regulation-size court. If you're lucky, one of the friendly regulars from the bar will step outside for some fresh air and chat you up.
Sidewalk this way!
Jane's
This enchanting house-turned-restaurant sits tucked away on a tree-lined side street. For a truly romantic dining experience, lovebirds can reserve one of the seven tables on the deck. The menu here pleases gourmet palates: New Orleans-style black grouper with sake-ginger sauce and, for vegetarians with refined tastes, goat cheese, vegetable and tofu burrito served with pico de gallo and avocado mousse.
Orso's
When the weather is warm, this authentic Italian restaurant's Wells Street sidewalk patio offers prime people watching, or you can visit the secluded garden out back, which sets the perfect scene for enjoying a glass of wine or a hearty dish of lasagna Bolognese. The grapevine overhang will keep you cool, lest you polish off a few too many bottles of vino.
Marigold
Sit among the marigolds on this elegant Indian restaurant's patio in Uptown. Located in front of the business, the small outdoor area, which seats about 20 people, is surrounded by mahogany planters filled with—you guessed it—marigolds. Enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine while you sit back, take in the contrasting urban atmosphere of Broadway Avenue, and dig into a plate of tandoori-style chicken.
photo: courtesy of Bridget Cicenia; Pontiac's patio
There is life beyond the giant, lovely, wonderful patio here (the front doors roll up to reveal an interior that literally pales in comparison to the brightness outdoors), but outside is where you'll want to park it. You'll find plenty of wire, patio-like tables and a row of plastic chairs lining the thick orange railing. Bargoers lazing on the sprawling space can try their hands at bocce ball. There's no charge and no deposit to bowl on the sand court; just step up and start tossing.
Best of the 'burbs
Jimmy's Grill
Jimmy's huge outdoor patio located at a busy intersection in downtown Naperville makes for the best people watching west of the city. Go during the day, and you'll see families taking their dogs for a stroll. Go at night, and this intersection turns into a lively nightlife scene full of college kids and young suburbanites hopping from one bar to the next. Plan to arrive early or you may have to wait in line for a seat.
Palmer Place
From American microbrews to Australian ales, just about any beer under the sun can be had at Palmer Place in downtown LaGrange. This spot even carries a beer from Nambia! As if a copious amount of chilled brews wasn't enough to draw in the summer crowd, a double-decker outdoor patio really seals the deal. Bonus points for the sunshine-perfect menu of barbecue, brats and gourmet burgers.
Hackney's on Harms
Though its sister locations (including one in the South Loop) have respectable patios, this Hackney's boasts one of the best outdoor dining environs in the Chicagoland area. Towering silver poplars line the stately restaurant's backyard. Order a pint of Stiegl, a legendary burger served on rye and a thick-as-a-brick fried-onion loaf. If you feel energized after eating, the North Branch Trail runs right across the street; take it seven miles north to the Chicago Botanic Garden for the perfect end to a warm, sunny day.
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