Discover the best restaurants and bars for outdoor dining in the nation’s capital.
Discover French flair on this Lafayette Square patio adorned with plant life, umbrellas and fire pits. Opaline Bar & Brasserie, located at Sofitel Washington, DC Lafayette Square, features delicious items like French onion soup and escargots.
The heated terrace at Fig & Olive is an idyllic location inside CityCenterDC, Downtown’s luxury shopping destination. Spend an afternoon under sunshine while enjoying Fig & Olive’s menu, which includes delicious small plates, outstanding seafood and pasta selections and even a prix-fixe option. Please review how Fig & Olive keeps guests safe by visiting the restaurant's website.
Café du Parc
When it comes to finding the perfect al fresco locale, it’s tough to top the terrace at Café du Parc on Pennsylvania Avenue, aka America’s Main Street. The Parisian-style restaurant is located at the Willard InterContinental hotel, just steps from the National Mall. Prime people-watching and sightseeing can all be done from your table while tucking into French-inspired fare, from croqué madame during Sunday brunch to mussels mariniere for an evening main.
The Shaw neighborhood is a hotbed for DC dining, so it’s fitting that Right Proper Brewing Company hosts its brewpub and kitchen there, with an outdoor patio featuring heaters and tents that will let you get more acquainted with the scenery. Located next door to the historic Howard Theatre, the neighborhood abode offers a regularly rotating selection of house-made brews and a Southern-tinged menu featuring baby back ribs, fried green tomatoes and even grilled cheese.
Situated near Yards Park in Capitol Riverfront, Osteria Morini is a rustic escape to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. After you take in the ragus, pastas and affordable wines, you can expose your taste buds to the wonderful dessert creations. Your meal will taste even better on the outdoor patio, where you can relax and experience the sights and sounds of one of DC’s emerging neighborhoods. Reservations are open for indoor and outdoor seating and you can learn more about the restaurant's safety measures.
You’ll truly feel like you’ve left DC and landed on the Champs Élysées when you dine at Le Diplomate, renowned restaurateur Stephen Starr’s wildly popular French bistro. Authentic French fare (think: onion soup gratinée, steak frites) at “Le Dip,” as the locals call it, is best enjoyed on the outdoor brick patio. The restaurant is now open daily for patio service walk-ins and also takes reservations. Streetside chateaus ensure a safe and socially distant experience.
This classic 14th Street establishment dishes out delectable rustic Italian dishes in an intimate setting, including burrata and calamari antipasti and homemade pizzas and pastas. A meal under the Edison bulbs on the outdoor patio – a tough seat to come by in the District – makes for the perfect people-watching/dining activity. Lupo Verde's patio is open until midnight daily.
A visit to chef Kyle Bailey’s The Salt Line on the Capitol Riverfront transports diners from the District to an idyllic New England setting straight from a postcard. The outdoor patio, which offers heaters and blankets for every table, overlooks the Anacostia River. You can also cozy up to the bar and traverse the Eastern seaboard, sampling oysters from Virginia to Maine.
Fabio and Maria Trabocchi’s Italian seafood eatery rests right along the Georgetown waterfront, combining acclaimed offerings with stunning optics. The Kennedy Lounge is the restaurant’s outdoor dining area, where you can indulge in Fabio’s famous takes on antipasti, pasta and locally sourced seafood, whether it’s for lunch, brunch or dinner. Heated winter igloos for up to six guests are also available for reservation. You can view the restaurant's menu before you go.
Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s Michelin-starred Masseria presents an unforgettable dining experience in the midst of NoMa's buzzworthy Union Market. With a menu consisting of three to six courses, each plate is equipped with loads of Italian flavor and pristine culinary style. You will feel as if you’ve been transported to the Italian coast, especially when you take your meal outdoors in the restaurant's courtyard area, complete with firepits. Make a reservation now.
The 17,000-square-foot District Winery is home to Ana, a restaurant specializing in unique new American dishes. Start your wine-filled day with a tasting at the bar before settling down for seasonal fare and waterfront views on the outdoor patio, where there’s space for 80 diners.
Located in Mount Vernon Square, RPM Italian is owned by celebrity couple Bill and Giuliana Rancic. The eatery is great for a date night, with Italian classics dotting the menu crafted by acclaimed chef Doug Psaltis. You can take advantage of the outdoor patio now, and we highly recommend adding a glass of wine from RPM’s extensive list to your dining experience. Please make reservations to enjoy the restaurant's indoor and outdoor dining.
Maketto effortlessly combines a cafe, a fashionable retail outlet and a restaurant into one of the most unique locales in the District. Chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s kitchen churns out Cambodian and Taiwanese-style dishes that linger in your memory, especially the fried chicken and bread, which has quickly become one of the most talked-about meals in a city filled with buzzworthy creations. Head straight to the back of Maketto to dine on the scenic outdoor patio.
The Wet Dog Tavern near U Street is the ideal spot to enjoy a cold one al fresco. The small tavern leads to a vast dog-friendly patio complete with all the lawn games your heart desires. Choose from an extensive beer list and make sure to grab a burger from the outdoor grill. Currently, only outdoor and partly enclosed seating is available. Reservations can be made by phone at (202) 234-3334.
Tucked into the bustling and evolving Shaw neighborhood, Supra brings cuisine from the Republic of Georgia to the nation’s capital. Prepare yourself for a feast that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the District, a joyous celebration featuring khachapuri (housemade bread filled with cheese), knikali (soup dumplings), a multitude of meats, kebabs, hand-crafted cocktails and wine and beer selections that pair perfectly with what’s on your plate. Supra offers outdoor seating - visit the restaurant's website for more details.
José Andrés' Jaleo first opened in the same Penn Quarter neighborhood back in 1993, helping to enliven DC’s downtown along the way. The sleek and stylish eatery serves up some of the finest tapas in the District, as well as Spanish paellas. Drinks pair perfectly with the plates, as you can choose from Spanish wines, sherries, sangria and cocktails to make your (affordable) meal perfect. Reservations are available for the restaurant's outdoor patio.
Continue your culinary journey around the world with Andrés at Zaytinya, another Penn Quarter treasure from the renowned chef. This time, you’ll visit the Mediterranean, as Zaytinya’s mezze menu winds through Greek, Lebanese and Turkish cuisine. These small plates are meant to be enjoyed among friends, so gather up your group and tack on some specialty cocktails or scour the extensive wine list for the perfect pairing. It’s officially party time. The restaurant's patio features comfortable outdoor seating.
Wunder Garten brings an outdoor brew patio with pop-up vibes to the NoMa ‘hood. The beer menu sports local brews as well as German and Austrian flavors, and you can also order up wine, cider and snacks (chips or pretzels). The mod plaza is dotted with turf, potted trees and rough-hewn wooden tables, along with a fire pit that features a make-your-own-s’mores station in the colder months. At this time, Wundergarten is not taking any table reservations. All tables are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, but the cabanas are available to rent. For more information, please go to Wunder Garten's website.
It’s one big party at Hook Hall, a 13,000-square-foot space near Petworth where you could spend all day eating, drinking and playing games. Outside you’ll find a turf-lined beer garden with more than 30 draught lines, a rotating cast of food trucks and vendors, Adirondack chairs for relaxing and private cabanas available for rent. For the latest info on reserving an outdoor table or a fire pit, please go to Hook Hall's website.
Among the vibrant murals of Blagden Alley, you’ll discover the hidden gem that is Calico. The lively backyard bar features nostalgic options like adult juice box cocktails and tater tots, along with a variety of tomato pies (think rectangular pizza with extra sauce) and sandwiches. Calico is currently open for limited outdoor reservations.
Experience bright colors and Cuban flavors at Colada Shop. Soak up the sun at the 14th Street location, which offers patio and rooftop seating. We recommend not leaving without trying staples like the Cuban sandwich or the guava and cheese pastelitos.
El Rey’s outdoor garden is bursting with pinata décor, flavorful tacos and margarita pitchers. This U Street taqueria has a take-out window where guests can snag a margarita or a paloma to-go pouch. Satisfy your cravings seven days a week and note that the patio is open rain or shine, as it features a retractable roof.
This distinctive restaurant and bar in Chinatown, located inside the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC, blends Gotham-inspired decor and classical architecture into a stirring patio experience complete with curated cocktails. The open-air courtyard features an array of cozy fire pits.
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