Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations
Slide Nr 1When it comes to eating, doesn’t food taste a little better outside, in a place where the vibe resonates and the setting inspires? Luckily the world is full of spots like this, where the food is served with a side of something extra: sand in your toes, a hidden courtyard, fresh alpine air, volcano views. So don your bib, pull up a chair, and check out these 20 fabulous al fresco dining finds. No reservations required for this journey.
0/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 2Foreign Cinema in San Francisco, USA – Dinner and a movie does the twist at this Mission District favourite, beloved by out-of-towners and locals alike who come for the acclaimed cuisine, oysters and one of the city’s top weekend brunches, best savoured on the interior patio where Edison lights crisscross overhead and 35-mm films flicker on the wall every evening, beginning at dusk. Date night just upped its game. foreigncinema.com
1/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 3L’Opera in Saint Tropez, France – Over-the-top is de rigueur in Saint Tropez, especially at L’Opera whose dining room sprawls under parasol pines with full frontal views of the sherbet-coloured port. Breakfast and lunch are fine, but the real show begins after dark, when tables become runways, and Cirque de Soleil-style entertainers sing and swing to loud music and flashing lights in what is one of the French Riviera’s most unique dining experiences. opera-saint-tropez.com
2/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 4Quicks Hole Taqueria in Woods Hole (Massachusetts), USA – If a Baja-style taco joint married a New England clam shack, this jumping joint would be the delicious offspring. Conveniently located just a flip-flop throw from the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, Quicks Hole Taqueria serves out-of-this-world lobster tacos, wicked-fresh salads and quahog (clam) chowder on a water-view deck. Stop in on Thursday or Friday nights when local band Brothers Rye play sets as the sun sets. quicksholewickedfresh.com
3/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 5Bench 1775 in Okanagan Valley, Canada – World-class wineries bordering Lake Okanagan are the norm in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, making it difficult to choose a favourite sipping spot. But Bench 1775 has extra pinch-me appeal, thanks to a casual waterfront picnic area and bistro where freshly prepared food and wood-fired pizzas pair well with their array of award-winning wines. Live music on summer weekends, 300 metres of beachfront, and coveted vineyard and lake views add to the dreaminess. bench1775.com
4/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 6Sense on the Edge in Oman – At 300 metres above sea level, these views of the rugged coast and sparkling waters of the Gulf of Oman can’t be beat. The dinner-only restaurant is open Thursday to Saturday, and arriving for sunset is a must. At night, the skies twinkle in a ceiling of sapphire blue, while candles light the patio. Diners choose from three-, five- or seven-course menus featuring organic and local produce, meat and fish. sixsenses.com
5/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 7Parson’s Chicken & Fish in Chicago, USA – Backyard barbeques are as American as apple pie, and no one does it better (outside your own fence, of course) than this ultra-casual Logan Square hotspot where fried chicken and fish, baked beans, oysters and killer drinks (Negroni slushy anyone?) make this picnic- and ping-pong-table-filled patio feel like the best house party ever. parsonschickenandfish.com
6/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 8Café Amelie in New Orleans, USA – There’s no shortage of quaint scene-stealers in New Orleans, but Café Amelie stands out for its 150-year-old Princess of Monaco Courtyard that feels miles away from the lively street life the Crescent City is famous for. Come for Cajun and Creole specialties served surrounded by historic buildings, lush foliage and trickling fountains that make this romantic hideaway a popular wedding venue, too. cafeamelie.com
7/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 9Do Brasil in St. Barthelemy, French West Indies – A short walk from colourful Gustavia Harbour, Shell Beach is a favourite with visitors and locals not only because the beach is covered in millions of tiny shells (hence the name), but also for the casual open-air restaurant where barefoot dining is totally fine. Fresh seafood, burgers, salads and Brazilian specialties are enjoyed under thatched umbrellas and accompanied by live music most days. dobrazil.com
8/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 10Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – Spectacular rooftop scenes in this UNESCO World Heritage city are nothing new, but the laidback yet elegant Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar raises the bar with international tapas, as well as cold drinks and cocktails coupled with 360-degree views across the town’s rooftops, bell towers and the iconic La Parroquia cathedral that’s unlike any other in Mexico. rosewoodhotels.com
9/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 11Victoria Restaurant in Dubrovnik Croatia – In a villa that once housed nobility, with a terrace draped in grapevines and looking onto the UNESCO World Heritage site of Dubrovnik’s old town, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere dreamier in Croatia. Victoria also happens to be the first Peruvian restaurant on the Adriatic, and young chef Roberto Chavez uses local ingredients with ethnic influences to create dishes that are unexpected and different, just like the setting. adriaticluxuryhotels.com
10/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 12Kamalame Cay in The Bahamas – A private island fantasy gets real at Kamalame Cay’s monthly luncheon, served on the palm-fringed sand, just off Andros Island in the Bahamas. The 60-person feast is open to anyone who reserves in advance, and guests arrive by helicopter, ferry or seaplane for signature cocktails and canapés, followed by a family-style, multi-course feast, washed down with lots of wine and guaranteed to transport you from reality for the afternoon. kamalame.com
11/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 13Mariposa in Sedona (Arizona), USA – High atop a bluff in central Arizona, Mariposa’s floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive outdoor terrace puts Sedona’s renowned red rock formations on full display. Dine on South-American-inspired dishes such as empanadas, ceviche, chorizo and fresh fish cooked on a parilla wood-fired grill while the desert colours change with the light, and are especially spectacular at sunset when the crimson rocks seem to glow. mariposasedona.com
12/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 14Rock Bar in Bali, Indonesia – With Indian Ocean waves crashing 13 metres below on the Jimbaran coastline, and a minimalist design that promotes a floating-on-air sensation, Rock Bar is one of south Bali’s chicest sunset gazing spots. Soak in original cocktails and tapas during happy hour, then sit down to an al fresco seafood dinner once the sun goes down. Live bands sometimes play amongst the rocks, adding to the palpable ‘wow’ factor. ayana.com [Photo: AYANA]
13/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 15Social Drink and Food in New York City, USA – A slice of heaven in Hell’s Kitchen sits atop YOTEL, the rainbow-hued 650-square-metre outdoor space blends city views with happy hour cocktail specials and a deep bench of edibles, from shared plates and Middle Eastern cuisine to Mediterranean specialties and pizza. The comfortable lounge chairs and sofas have multi-colour cushions and are surrounded by a forest of leafy plants, giving the place secret garden appeal. socialdrinkandfood.com [Photo: Michael Tulipan]
14/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 166.8 Palopó in Lake Atitlán Guatemala – The veranda’s 8-10 tables set under twinkling candelabras make the setting romantic and inspiring, as do the postcard views of Atitlán, a deep freshwater lake flecked with colourful Mayan towns and set against three 3,000-metre volcanic peaks: Toliman, Atitlán and San Pedro. Chef Mario Miralles brings locally sourced ingredients to his inventive international menu, so don’t be surprised to find traditional black beans and rice alongside shrimp wontons. casapalopo.com
15/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 17Outstanding in the Field, Worldwide – What started in Santa Cruz in 1999 has become the al fresco dinner date for food lovers who love to celebrate local farms. This moveable feast has visited all 50 states and 11 countries, while welcoming more than 100,000 people to pull up a chair – in fields and fruit orchards, on beaches and atop mountains – and indulge in meals prepared by talented chefs, including Top Chefs and James Beard award-winners and nominees. outstandinginthefield.com [Photo: Ilana Freddye]
16/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 18Le Foundouk in Marrakech, Morocco – After a twirl in the labyrinthine streets of the medina, this stylish foundouk, traditionally an old merchant’s inn, is a thousand-and-one-nights fantasy. Refined French-Moroccan cuisine is served on three floors, but the terrace is the pièce-de-resistance, with flickering lanterns and views over the medina including of the Minaret of La Koutoubia and the Atlas Mountains in the distance. foundouk.com
17/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 19Sirocco in Bangkok, Thailand – Haute cuisine soars to a new level at Sirocco, title holder of the world’s highest open-air restaurant: 63 floors up at the Dome at lebua, a sky-scratching hotel in Bangkok’s Silom Area. Have a drink at Skybar, or dine hovering over the city while indulging in dishes created by Chef Gabriele Castellanza, whose refined Mediterranean fare leaves no doubt he’s on top of his game. lebua.com
18/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 20Sunset Tavern by Paraskeva in Ammoudi, Greece – More than 200 steps below the village of Oia, the picturesque fisherman’s port of Ammoudi appears hewn from yesteryear (don’t worry, you can taxi there, too). The blue dining chairs and tables are so close to the terrace edge you can dip your toes into the Aegean Sea while watching boats bob offshore and fishermen pull in fresh catch. Don’t miss the lobster spaghetti – it’s as unforgettable as the Santorini sunset. sunset-ammoudi.gr
19/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
Slide Nr 21Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl in St. Moritz, Switzerland – Ski bum or hiking hero, you’ll love this heavenly setting as much for the slopes and trails as for the roughly 300 days of alpine sun per year. Take the funicular up for lunch or après ski on the Panorama terrace, where you can dine while snuggling on sheepskin pelts in the winter or soak up the summer sun on the outdoor sofas. Guaranteed: year-round postcard views of the Alps and upper Engadin lakes. muottasmuragl.ch
20/21
Food
Make Mine Al Fresco: The Top 20 Outdoor Dining Destinations.
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