Our picks for outdoor dining to see and be seen. See the rest of the Pioneer Press 2026 patio guide here.

BOROUGH RESTAURANT AND PARLOUR BAR, 730 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-354-3135; boroughmpls.com: Be a part of the North Loop action at this contemporary restaurant with a spacious dockside patio with a bar. Or grab one of the sidewalk seats out front.

A Manhattan on the Butcher's Tale patio, photographed in May 2021. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

BUTCHER’S TALE, 1121 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-236-4075; butcherstale.com: Downtown Minneapolis’ most magical outdoor space has reopened with a new owner and new name, but the original butcher (chef Peter Botcher) from Butcher & The Boar is back, this time helming the kitchen. The meat-centric menu is as good as ever.

COLITA, 5400 Penn Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-886-1606; colitampls.com: Colita serves some of the best contemporary Mexican fare and cocktails around, and the hot spot comes with two patios to sit back and relax on. A few tables on the sidewalk are available, but the majority of the restaurant’s 46 patio seats can be found in an enclosed space on the east side of the building. Plants, wood accents and a pergola for shade add to the charm. Garage doors adjoin the indoor and outdoor dining areas.

DARIO, 323 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-614-2560; dariorestaurant.com: This North Loop hot spot brings its ’80s color palette outdoors with seafoam green tables surrounded by fencing, planters and trees. Chef Joe Rolle is serving up not-so-classic Italian dishes, getting creative with vegetables, meats, and especially the best-in-class house-made pastas.

EMBER & ICE, Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, 2611 Nordic Way, Eagan; 651-689-9800; omnihotels.com/hotels/viking-lakes-minnesota: The contemporary Ember & Ice, the Omni Vikings Lakes Hotel second-floor patio connected to Ember & Ice lounge, boasts several seating areas, firepits, its own bar and a great view overlooking the Vikings practice field. All this while being able to enjoy a great cocktail and food list. The vibe in the lounge takes on Icelandic culture of the North, and that philosophy extends onto the patio.

The upper deck patio at Forepaugh's in St. Paul has a lovely view. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

FOREPAUGH’S, 276 S. Exchange St., St. Paul; 651-666-3636; forepaughs.com: This gorgeous mansion just outside of downtown St. Paul is as good, or maybe better, than ever, and surrounded by quaint outdoor spaces, including a few front-porch tables, some on the front lawn and the coveted second-floor terrace, just a few feet from where the servant who allegedly haunts the place met her untimely demise in the 1880s. The house-made pastas and elegant meat and fish dishes are special-occasion worthy, and the bar menu includes plenty of options for a quick, pre-event meal, including a fantastic burger.

HEWING HOTEL ROOFTOP BAR AND LOUNGE, 300 Washington Ave. N. Minneapolis; 651-468-0400; hewinghotel.com: Contemporary rooftop bar and lounge at the Hewing Hotel has a spectacular view of the city. Not only that, the food and drinks are always reliable.

JOAN’S IN THE PARK, 631 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul; 651-690-3297; joansinthepark.com: We’re loving the creative use of concrete space next to this tasting-menu-only gem in Highland Park. Outdoor rugs, white tablecloths, a privacy fence with cute shaded windows and twinkly lights set the ambiance for your special occasion or just Friday-after-a-long-week dinner.

THE LEXINGTON, 1096 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-289-4990; thelexmn.com: The 80-seat rooftop retreat offers plenty of choices for sun or shade. An upstairs bar and kitchen guarantee that drinks and food come out at just the right pace. A second-floor private event space seating up to 120 people is also available.

LOUIS RISTORANTE & BAR, 211 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-222-3476; cossettas.com: Located off the third-floor sit-down Italian restaurant, the large terrace has its own bar, pretty Italian villa accents and flower beds. And then there’s the gorgeous view of the Cathedral of St. Paul. For something more low-key, the second-floor wrap-around patio is part of the more casual Cossetta restaurant.

MAISON MARGAUX, 224 First St. N., Minneapolis; 612-900-1800; maisonmargauxmpls.com: What might be chef David Fhima’s most personal restaurant yet, the stunning new Maison Margaux in Minneapolis’ North Loop has Parisian style in spades, including on its outdoor terrace, which sports a pretty pergola, classic bistro chairs and strings of lights for ambiance. The classic French cuisine here — they even have frog legs — is dynamite, as are the cocktails. There’s also a very eclectic, very large wine list.

Spring pea pancakes at Meritage in downtown St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

MERITAGE, 410 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-222-5670; meritage-stpaul.com: Bustling sidewalk terrace with brasserie charm aims to whisk you away. Spectacular French dishes, the freshest oysters in town and a stellar wine list add to the ambiance.

RIVA TERRACE on the Four Seasons Hotel rooftop, 245 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; fourseasons.com/minneapolis/dining/restaurants/riva: As you might imagine, this rooftop patio in the heart of downtown Minneapolis is full of fancy people drinking fancy drinks in a very fancy space with lots of flowers and greenery, an outdoor bar and a pool that’s accessible only to guests. It’s a great pre-theater option in the warmer months, and they even have a happy hour (they call it apertivo hour) where prices, though still not cheap, come down to a level that even the un-fancy among us can afford.

SMACK SHACK, 603 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-259-7288; or 3801 Minnesota Drive, Bloomington; 952-333-7722; smack-shack.com: Grab a seat on the long, 150-seat patio at this popular North Loop seafood spot and make sure oysters and lobster rolls are part of your group’s order. Retractable coverings can be adjusted according to whether you want sun or shade. Water-tight overhangs also make the patio a reliable option for dining al fresco even if it starts to drizzle. The new Bloomington location, in a former Fuddruckers, also has a new 120-seat paved patio with Edison lights strung everywhere, umbrellas for shade, and a bonus — parking there is a breeze.

W.A. FROST, 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-224-5715; wafrost.com: This perennial favorite on Cathedral Hill has long been a crowd-pleaser for its classy vibe, fancy stonework and abundant gardens. The spot is even more breathtaking when lit up at night, making it one of the most romantic — and popular, so don’t forget a reservation — spots around.