Summer is the best time for outdoor dining. Pull up your spot under a shady umbrella or soak up the sun directly if that is more your style. Here is a list of our favorite restaurant patios for al fresco dining.

Patio or Courtyard Dining

More private than sidewalk dining, these outside dining spaces are often gardens set back off the street, quiet corners outback behind the restaurant, or comfortable interiors open to the sky. Enjoy the separation from the street and the hubbub of outside activity and instead focus your attention to the cheerful hum of the courtyard or the quiet peace of the shady patio.