Cozy Cafes to Rooftop Bars, 10 Best NYC Places for Outdoor Dining

The one silver lining from the COVID lockdowns in New York City was that outdoor dining became a year-round option. Sure, the sheds on the side of the street have their detractors – but they’ve kept a number of our favorite eateries in business, so we’re all in. Nevertheless, there’s a difference between outdoor dining in December and outdoor dining in June. We prefer June! Or any balmy night. With temperatures on the rise, this seems like the perfect moment to survey the best outdoor bars and restaurants in NYC right now. Here’s what our New York-based staff members had to say about the best cozy cafes, bars and restaurants with patio, garden or rooftop seating for outdoor dining in New York City (NYC).

Where are the best outdoor bars and restaurants in NYC?

Even though we’re only a month into spring, we can already feel summer calling. Whether it’s the unusually high temperatures, the blazing sun, or our reawakened desire to run outside and sprawl on the grass with our friends – we’re ready. Summer break may be a distant childhood memory, but the thrill of that first warm day is forever.

And as New Yorkers – most of whom don’t have a backyard where we can soak up the sun – we need to get a little creative about where we go to bask in summer’s glow.

Outdoor dining, it’s your time to shine.

This is the time of year where we turn to our favorite outdoor bars and restaurants, hopeful that they will help to usher in the sunniest season – and all the happy memories that we can’t wait to make. If you too are craving that first taste of summer, here are the ten places you should go.

10 best cafes, bars and restaurants for outdoor dining in NYC

1. The Springs

Strolling down a quiet Greenpoint sidewalk, you would never expect the absolute oasis that is The Springs. Hidden at the back end of their bar is one of the largest backyards we’ve ever seen at a dining establishment, and it’s the place we want to spend the summer. Whether it’s the ample seating – huge couches that are perfect for your next birthday party – the frozen drinks, or the fact that this place is pet-friendly, The Springs just seems to have it all. Come on date night, or with a group of your best friends, and step into what feels like the world’s best pocket dimension.

2. Baylander Steel Beach

When we say the words “outdoor dining,” you might think we’re talking about a backyard or a rooftop – or maybe those sidewalk shelters that have become so ubiquitous these past few years. And in most cases, you’d be right. But in the case of Baylander Steel Beach, we’re actually talking about a boat. This Harlem restaurants sits in the middle of the Hudson, ready to transform your ordinary evening into one that you’ll never forget. With great burgers, appetizers, and desserts – and even better frozen cocktails – it’s a party every day on the Baylander, and you must make it part of your summer rotation. Because where better to sit outside, than in the middle of the open water?  We’ll be the first ones in line when they reopen for the season on April 27^th.

3. 230 Fifth Avenue

There’s something about summer – it has us wanting a bit of a scene. And you’re not going to find more of a scene than at the iconic 230 Fifth Avenue – still the largest rooftop bar in the city, almost twenty years after it first opened. Though nights here can be a bit of a production – you’re going to want to buy a ticket, if you hope to skip line – we are going to be bold and say that they’re worth it. If you’ve never given this place a try, this should be the year you give it a few.

4. Bar Primi

Bar Primi is another classic spot – and one that’s worth revisiting this time of year. Because who doesn’t want to eat some of the city’s best spaghetti with their best friend? And by best friend, we mean your dog. Of course. Bar Primi’s outdoor seating is pet-friendly, and honestly, we can’t think of a better way to ride out the season. Sprawled along the Bowery, eating Italian food and petting the neighborhood’s cutest pups? Paradise.

5. Panorama Room

Panorama Room – New York (graduatehotels.com) is newer to the scene – its doors opened in 2021 – but it’s already sailed to the top of our favorites list. Candidly, if it weren’t on Roosevelt Island, we’d probably find ourselves there every week. But even so, their outdoor terrace is more than worth the trip. Sip on some fresh, delicious cocktails while you marvel over the unparalleled views. A summer must.

6. Thai Rock

We can’t wait to hit the beach. And in New York, “the beach” means Rockaway Beach (and sometimes Coney Island, and sometimes Jones). And once we’re out there, you bet we’re making a stop at| Thai Rock. Thai Rock offers both upscale dining and live music – so you can enjoy some first-rate Thai food and some tunes while you stare out at the rising tide. Though we love any and all outdoor dining, nothing really compares to eating by the beach.

7. Midnights

Midnights (midnightsbk.com) may be a neighborhood spot, but we happen to think more people should give it a try.  Their backyard is the platonic ideal of bar patios – really, we think everyone should aspire to be more like them – and their cocktails are no less seasonal and satisfying. Enjoy a glass of their “table dance” – which includes some tropical red bull – and get a pretzel or latke from the kitchen if you’re feeling peckish.

8. Brooklyn Crab

Not only is Red Hook’s Brooklyn Crab one of the best places to enjoy seafood in the city, they’re also one of the best places to enjoy the great outdoors. Place your order for a basket of fish n’ chips and then snag one of the highly-coveted picnic tables, and prepare yourself for what feels like an irresistible day party.

9. Maison Premiere

Why is it that Williamsburg has so many great outdoor dining options? Well, we’ll have to mull over that question while we spend a night Maison Premiere – another legendary spot that is always a favorite, and never more so than in the summer. Though every inch of the restaurant is worth a visit, the garden – which opens in May – is genuinely one of our favorite places in the borough.  Stop by for oysters and a cocktail, and bask in that late-spring glow.

10. Winner in the Park

We love boats, we love gardens, we love rooftops, but there’s nothing we love quite as much as a red-checkered picnic blanket spread across a patch of green grass. And luckily, ever since Winner – the best place to get coffee, sandwiches, and pastries in Brooklyn – opened a branch in the middle of Prospect Park, you don’t even need to bring your own food. The next time you’re looking for a place to get a bite to eat, grab your friends – and maybe even your dog – and head to their Prospect Park location. There’s no outdoor dining location that beats the park.

best cafes, bars and restaurants for outdoor dining in NYC

That’s our New York native’s advice on the where to find the best cozy cafes, restaurants with patios, hidden terraces, gardens and rooftop bars with outdoor seating when dining in New York City (NYC) right now. The hardest part is going to be deciding which one to hit first.