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Discover 25+ of 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.
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 and beef bourguignon for evening mains.
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 beer battered cheese curds, a fried chicken sandwich and Cajun shrimp & grits.
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.
This Italian-American eatery is an ideal destination if you’re craving artisanal pizzas from a deck oven. Seated along the Anacostia River, the vast patio and rooftop deck make for the perfect spot for a pre-game drink, family dinner or date night.
Enjoy chic cocktails and flavorful bites among the quaint patio at Residents Café & Bar in Dupont Circle. Elevate your open-air dining experience with an ambiance featuring decorative pillows, fans and heaters and adorned in lush, seasonal décor covering the outdoor roof (think: spring cherry blossoms, autumnal leaves, wintry pine).
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.
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.
The 17,000-square-foot District Winery is home to 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.
Chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s Masseria presents an unforgettable dining experience in the midst of the buzzworthy Union Market. With a menu consisting of 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.
Located in West End near Georgetown, neighborhood restaurant Blue Duck Tavern serves creative American cuisine crafted from the region’s freshest ingredients. Its menu reflects the chef’s creative mood and also updates frequently with the seasons, giving locals and travelers classic American cuisine with a fresh flavor attitude. The full menu is available outside, as the restaurant features a 45-seat sunken outdoor garden terrace, bordered by the chefs' herb garden. Seating is first-come, first-served in the terrace but reservations are offered for indoor dining. A pro-tip, explore the wine list complete with exceptional wines from its glass-encased, floor-to-ceiling cellar.
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. Take advantage of the outdoor patio with a glass of wine in hand from RPM’s extensive list.
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.
Shilling Canning Company
The legacy of the Shilling family's Baltimore canning company continues on in Navy Yard, where the Chesapeake region shines through wood-fired flavors, locally-sourced seafood and popular thick-cut fries. On the rustic but modern outdoor patio, diners can sit back and relax surrounded by beds of greens and herbs to be used in the seasonally changing menu.
Founded by former investment analyst Andre McCain, HalfSmoke combines a gastro pub, restaurant and café. The Florida Avenue hot spot is obviously well known for its namesake, a beloved DC dish cooked on a wood-fired grill. However, the menu goes much deeper than that. The Snack Time and Muncheez offerings include fun items like crab fries, garlic knots and fried pickles, while the dinner menu fills you up via dishes like baby back ribs, skillet mac n' cheese and shrimp and grits. HalfSmoke also offers loaded breakfast sandwiches and bottomless brunch.
Dauphine's
Tucked away amidst the corporate buildings of bustling downtown is the covered courtyard at Dauphine's, which touts New Orleans-meets-Chesapeake-style dishes with butter and béarnaise galore. Beverages are a focal point for owner Neal Bodenheimer, who was awarded the "best bar" honor by the James Beard Foundation for his hometown venture in NOLA. In DC, the team at Dauphine's takes Saints' City favorites and pushes them outside the box – the frozen Grasshopper and Tequila Roffignac are particularly perfect for patio-going.
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.
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.
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 neighborhood. The beer menu sports local brews as well as German and Austrian flavors, and you can also order up wine, cider and food from a featured food vendor. 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.
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.
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.
Nina May
On 11th Street in Shaw, one of DC's premier foodie neighborhoods, Nina May puts farm-to-table first. Enjoy a warm summer night out on one of two patios – ground-level or rooftop – with a Chef's Choice spread of curated culinary dishes, all sourced from farms within 150 miles of your seat. A la carte options abound as well, whether for dinner, brunch or a snack at the daytime café, and the cocktail menu is sure to surprise and delight.
El Rey’s outdoor garden is bursting with pinata décor, flavorful food and margarita pitchers. This U Street taqueria features a hefty taco selection, including a DC taco with fried chicken, crispy potatoes and a house-made mumbo sauce. 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.
Venture just beyond Chinatown and you'll discover Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, which brings Havana vibes to 9th and H Street NW. Sit amid palms and verdant plant life on the patio, and sip on a minty mojito. Feast on the chorizo- and shrimp-packed paella mixta or put down a crave-worthy Cuban, inspired by the kind that made Tampa's Ybor City famous.
City Ridge
Anyone can get a taste of resort life at City Ridge's modern and exclusive Rooftop Kitchen. Over a burger and cocktails, soak in not only pool vistas, but a 360-degree DC panorama from one of the highest points of the city. Other buzzworthy features include gas fire pits and large outdoor screens, making it a perfect spot to follow major sporting events.
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