Where to Dine Outside in Vancouver This Summer

Nuba serves fresh Lebanese cuisine using organic and local ingredients whenever possible. Patios are at two of its four locations: in Kits, there’s a shaded permanent terrace plus a temporary street patio with picnic tables, and the Yaletown location has two small permanent sidewalk terraces framed by potted hedges and partially protected by awnings. Pick-up and delivery (including meal kits) are also available.

Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen is upstairs in a century-old house on Davie Street with plenty of outdoor seating options. In addition to the lantern-bedecked heated patio above the back alley, there are two streetside patios. The lunch and dinner menus focus on freshly prepared Nepali dishes with lots of vegetarian and vegan choices. Order takeout and delivery direct.

Like sister restaurant Miku, Minami focuses on aburi, or flame-seared sushi — enhancing the texture and flavour of the fresh fish without compromising the balance and beauty that characterize sushi. Also on the menu are aburi-style beef and vegetable dishes, plus creative cocktails. The plant-filled hidden garden courtyard is open weather permitting. Takeout and delivery are also on offer.

This West Coast-Asian fusion bistro is upstairs in the Vancouver Art Gallery, with proceeds supporting the Gallery (Gallery members get a 10 percent discount). The large, 120-seat terrace overlooks the elegant facades of Robson Square and is open weather permitting, with patio seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t miss the afternoon tea and happy hour menus — happy hour is all night long on Tuesdays. Takeout (with a 10 percent discount) and delivery are available, too.

Behind the Granville Island Hotel on the quieter eastern side of Granville Island, Dockside’s award-winning patio is sunny from morning to late afternoon. Umbrellas, curtained tents, and a pergola protect many of the tables. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and takeout, Dockside serves classics, Oceanwise seafood, and house brews from its own brewery.

Find fun attitudes — a live DJ on weekend evenings keeps things lively — and contemporary Mexican cuisine for brunch, lunch, and dinner at El Guapo, with a discounted happy hour menu. The elevated sidewalk patio has a large glass awning; in bad weather, roll-down plastic “walls” make it almost an indoor space. Takeout and delivery are on offer too.

At Ferguson Point in Stanley Park, the iconic Teahouse’s heated terrace has views of both the North Shore mountains and English Bay’s longest sunsets. The patio is partially protected from the elements by sun shades and glass half-walls, and despite the Stanley Park bike lane reopening in May, cars are still able to access the restaurant. The menu features contemporary classics such as rack of lamb and duck confit, with several gluten-free options, too. Temporary hours are Thursdays through Sundays beginning at 4pm.

Hidden on the Rosewood hotel’s fourth floor is a walled terrace complete with waterfall, trees hanging with lanterns, and a swank vibe. Chefs prepare high-end tapas, lunch, dinner, and brunch along one side of the open-air room while bartenders concoct original and classic drinks on the other. A glass roof protects half the terrace from any rain.

Gotham’s sunny walled upstairs terrace welcomes you for lunch, dinner, and drinks with shade trees, umbrellas, and a massive fireplace. High-end classics such as prime grade beef and lobster tail are paired with award-winning wines, and the special prices of the afternoon social hour menu are available in both the lounge and patio. “Go with Gotham!” takeout and delivery are options, too.

This French-infuenced restaurant has three outdoor dining areas with views of the Seawall and the masts of the Quayside Marina. The permanent sidewalk patio is under awnings and overhead heaters, the quieter garden patio is around the corner from the main Marinaside Crescent entrance, and the wood-framed temporary eating area (with column heaters) is on the street. Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner; takeout includes Provence at Home meal kits which have optional wine pairings.

Latin American and Pacific coastal cuisine combine at this vibrant spot on The Drive. Boozy slushies and fun cocktails accompany ceviche, tacos, tostones, vegetable bowls, and more. This is a great place for families, too — the kids’ menu includes free happy hour weekend brunch pancakes for those eight and under. Seating on the covered back patio and at the street-side tables is first-come, first-served, and the to-go menu includes some beers and wines.

On “The Rise” of one of Vancouver’s favourite shopping streets, The Rise Eatery’s covered patio is hidden around back and open weather permitting. The brunch, lunch, happy hour, and dinner menus blend a little of the Americas and Europe with a lot of Asia — think dishes such as squid ink pasta with sea urchin cream, house-made XO sauce, and sautéed Oceanwise prawns. Select menu highlights are available to go, and the restaurant participates in Mealshare so you can help donate healthy meals to youth in need.

The award-winning team at Boulevard impresses with its West Coast fine dining menus and service. The permanent terrace’s ten tables are atop a beautiful grey-and-white tile floor next to the Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver’s circular driveway, and the temporary patio is under a tent between the driveway and Burrard Street. Expect refined dishes such as charcoal grilled sablefish with a soy-sake glaze or Japanese Wagyu with a seasonal side. For dine-at-home, chef Alex Chen’s meal kits include instructional videos, plus you can order ready-to-cook or -reheat BLVD Provisions for pick up or delivery.

This seafood-forward restaurant is perched on stilts for spectacular views of Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, and the North Shore mountains from both indoors and out. Choose from the rooftop deck or wrap-around patio with “vanishing” fold-away windows. Some tables are protected from downpours by awnings or from sprinkles by umbrellas. Given the demand, patio tables are first-come, first-served and may have a 1.5-hour time limit. Curbside pickup is available, too.