Summer is approaching and as the temperatures are heating up, restaurants and bars across the city are tearing down their winterized patio structures and letting the cool breeze blow through. Chicagoans know to savor any and all bouts of warm, sunny weather. Parks and beaches are a natural draw, but so are restaurants and bars with outdoor seating, where we can laugh with a drink in one hand and a fork in the other amid peaceful vistas or vibrant cityscapes.
But where to snag a coveted chair? To help you out, the Tribune food team’s guide for outdoor patios contains spots where you can read or work for a spell, places with after-work happy hours to treat your team, plus patios fit for date night. Alfresco your future afternoons away with our list below: Take in skyscrapers and Chicago River vistas at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel’s Raised, where a patio three stories above street level makes fending off the corporate crowd and tourists worth the toil. While sometimes downtown bars skimp on flavor and service for million-dollar views, neither was sacrificed on my recent weeknight visit.
Choose from cushioned couches or high-top tables to dine on shared snacks from the new California-inspired summer menu from chef Oliver Melgar, like crunchy-savory ahi tuna tacos with wonton taco shells and avocado mousse, or crispy Taiwanese popcorn chicken with sweet chili sauce. Drinks like a jammy bourbon and red wine concoction or a creamsicle-like mocktail with orange juice a.
