The 11 best restaurants to dine outdoors in Denver

One of the prettiest Flatiron Mountain views can be found on the outdoor patio at Corrida, restaurateur Bryan Dayton’s Spanish-influenced chophouse. Take a seat outside on warmer days (ideally during sunset) while digging into excellent Mediterranean-accented dishes. Beef is also a Corrida specialty—the restaurant sources Japanese Wagyu and American beef from places practicing regenerative ranching. Level up your alfresco feast with a drink from the roving gin and tonic cart.

Head to this Jefferson Park brewpub for a craft beer, burger, and a killer view from the rooftop patio, and you’ll see why it’s been a local favorite since 2013. The beer list is prolific, with rotating options like It’s Dangerous to Gose Malone, a watermelon gose. On warmer days, there’s partial covering to keep the sun from bearing down on diners. Go downstairs for a more casual outdoor biergarten experience—it gets bonus points for being dog friendly.

the plimoth was one of the first restaurants in Denver to go all-in on farm-to-table dining when it opened in 2014. Chef-owner Peter Ryan works with local farms to source the best produce for dishes like spinach salad with Calabrian chile almonds and cracklin’ chicken with hot-honey mushrooms. Sit along the street on the restaurant’s rustic-chic brick-laden patio under soft lights when the weather permits. But outside tables are limited—and popular—so secure a spot by reserving well in advance.

The airy lot at Happy Camper is decked with twinkle lights, picnic tables, and faux grass. The lively beer, cocktail, and comfort food spot comes from Chicago, where the two original locations are going strong. Given its Windy City roots, it’s no surprise pizza is a big deal here. And the alfresco fun doesn’t stop once the summer ends: A full canopy and outdoor heaters give diners full access to patio seats, even when it’s snowing.

Play a couple of rounds of ping pong before digging into ramen and spicy tiger wings at this high-energy Uptown restaurant. Ace Eat Serve lives in what used to be a mechanic’s garage and is loved for a large open space ideal for year-round outdoor dining on a partially covered and heated patio. Ping pong tables pack the place, but even if you don’t play, the creative pan-Asian plates and an eclectic sake and craft cocktail menu are reason enough to spend an evening here.

This orchard-side cider house restaurant is about 30 minutes from Denver and has one of the dreamiest mountain views around. Snag a reservation on the outdoor deck for the full foothills effect, or grab a seat in the dog-friendly cider garden. The menu changes with the seasons, but you might find tasty cider-friendly food like Asiago lobster dip, or a Colorado lamb burger with goat cheese. Plus, there’s a playground and large kid-friendly lawn, which make it great for the whole family.

Sweeping downtown views are the draw at this LoHi eatery, best experienced at sunset. Linger is all about global street food, and the outdoor menu is a more compact version of what’s served inside—a lot of it gets dished out from a food truck perched on the rooftop. Get a warm-weather drink like a frozen rosé or a rum-forward frozen Painkiller and snack on Korean fried chicken bao, salmon poke tostadas, and king trumpet skewers.

A recently expanded outdoor space at this downtown Mexican destination means you can now choose whether you want to sip your margaritas on the lower level patio or take the party to the roomy, flower-filled roof deck and look out over the Rocky Mountains. There’s no wrong answer, as long as you have smoked crab guacamole and chicken tinga enchiladas to feast on. No matter where you end up parking, it’s easy to see why this Richard Sandoval restaurant has been going strong since 2001.

Mizu Izakaya is popular for a roomy outdoor seating area that can be curtained off when the Denver sun shines a little too brightly. In the warmer months, the windows open onto the patio, making part of the interiors feel breezy, too. Come winter, portable heaters keep things toasty. While sushi is the house specialty, the bustling izakaya also serves sizzling skewers, uni carbonara, and more. Wash it down with a drink from the large sake and cocktail menu.

This gem of a bistro is home to a quaint patio that feels like it could be plucked from a Parisian street with string lights and wrought-iron furniture. Large blue umbrellas shield you from the heat in the summer, and when the temps drop, there are bowls of steaming bison chili. West 29th’s warm and unpretentious backdrop is a great match for fuss-free French American food like ratatouille lasagna and pan-seared Colorado striped bass.

If this stretch of Highlands feels like an endless patio, it’s because Culinary Creative—the hospitality group behind Bar Dough—has other standout outdoor spots (Fox and The Hen, Highland Tap & Burger) on the block. When the Italian cravings hit, book a seat under an outdoor umbrella for chef Russell Stippich’s green garlic cream and roasted maitake pizza and duck fat potatoes. The restaurant’s outdoor space also shines in the winter for its patio heaters, fire pits, and festive lights.