Oleana
134 Hampshire St., 617-661-0505
Located in Kendall Square—an area known more
for technology firms and cutting-edge
educational institution MIT than fine
dining—the 50-seat patio at Oleana
represents an oasis of beauty in a sometimes
starkly modern area. The lovely garden patio
at Oleana is a perfect summer setting in
which to enjoy Turkish/ Mediterranean dishes
like falafel, warm buttered hummus, lamb
steaks, beef shish kebobs and more.
OM
92 Winthrop St., 617-576-2800
Already lauded as much for its uniquely
beautiful and artistic interior as it is for
chef Rachel Klein’s cutting-edge cuisine,
Harvard Square’s chic and funky OM now
brings a bit of Tibetan charm to Winthrop
Street with its new patio. Fully fenced off
from the street, this private hideaway is
decorated with the authentic Tibetan
sculptures and art—including a massive
hand-carved door leading into the
space—found inside, and ambiance is enhanced
by a gently babbling fountain and ample
plantlife.
Hamersley’s Bistro
553 Tremont St., 617-423-2700 The culinary
grand dame of the South End, Gordon and
Fiona Hamersley’s acclaimed French bistro
helped put the eclectic South End dining
scene on the map—and its comfortable brick
patio puts diners front and center in the
middle of that scene. Guests can sit
overlooking the bustle of activity on
Tremont Street—this artsy neighborhood’s
center of commerce and fine dining and home
to the theatrical/visual arts complex the
Boston Center for the Arts (just adjacent to
Hamersley’s)—while they sample delicious
Hamersley’s classics like the roast chicken
with garlic, lemon and parsley and summer
desserts like souffled lemon custard or warm
peach and blueberry cobbler with sweet corn
ice cream.
B&G Oysters
550 Tremont St., 617-423-0550
There’s lots to see on Tremont Street, but
sometimes privacy trumps all. That’s what
makes the sunken stone garden patio at B&G
Oysters—home to one of the Hub’s best raw
bars—a hidden jewel for those who love
outdoor dining.
The Barking Crab
88 Sleeper St., 617-426-2722 (pictured
right) Fancy it’s not—heck, you’re sitting
under a big yellow tent, at a long picnic
table next to people you don’t even know,
and eating your dinner from plastic buckets.
But if it’s great seafood and real seaside
ambience you’re shooting for—you’re so close
to Boston Harbor you could literally cast a
fishing rod over your shoulder and catch
your dinner yourself—the Barking Crab
delivers both in spades.
The Water Café at the ICA
100 Northern Ave., 617-478-3291
Combining an unparalleled view of Boston
Harbor with light cuisine (including
pastries, sandwiches and soups) from
Wolfgang Puck Catering, the eatery at the
brand-new Institute of Contemporary Art is
just one more thing of beauty in a building
full of them.
Liberty Fleet
Departing daily from Long Wharf,
617-742-0333 (pictured right) When is a
patio not a patio? When it’s cutting a path
through the rolling waves of the Atlantic
Ocean, that’s when. For a dinnertime view
that beats the pants off anything those
landlocked types in Nebraska are used to,
hop on one of the special dinner cruises
offered aboard the Liberty Clipper,
including weekend steak and lobster dinner
sails and Sunday brunch sails.
Bouchee
159 Newbury St., 617-450-4343 Boston’s
swanky answer to Rodeo Drive—loaded with all
the glammest boutiques and international
designers—is perhaps the Hub’s single best
thoroughfare for that favorite summer
pastime, people-watching. At popular French
bistro Bouchee, the 46-seat patio is sunk
below street level, so you can scope out the
passing crowds somewhat surreptitiously,
while in the process enjoying some of the
city’s finest French fare. Classics like
croque-monsieur, coq au vin and steak frites
are all on the menu, and the picturesque
views of fashionable crowds and gorgeous old
Back Bay buildings will have you feeling
like you’re sitting along the
Champs-Elysees.
Stephanie’s on Newbury
190 Newbury St., 617-236-0990 Another great
locale for peeping at the beautiful folk,
Stephanie’s 100-seat patio is as expansive
and welcoming as the upscale comfort food
served here—everything from meatloaf to mac
and cheese and a top-notch lobster roll.
The Other Side Cosmic Café
407 Newbury St., 617-536-8437 For the
absolute flipside of the Newbury Street
experience, try the Other Side—a
counterculture café where bohemians,
hippies, artists and young alterna-hipsters
gather to relax on the café’s front patio to
smoke, drink and eat healthy fare in
convivial bliss.
McCormick & Schmick’s
North Market, 617-720-5522 (pictured right)
Faneuil Hall Marketplace attracts throngs of
people every day to shop to their hearts’
content—which, as anyone can tell you, works
up a sizable appetite. Lovers of fresh
seafood tend to satisfy those appetites at
McCormick & Schmick, a popular seafood chain
that boasts a location in Faneuil Hall
that’s prime for outdoor dining. Guests can
sit in comfort, the cobblestone streets
beneath their feet, and sample pretty much
anything that swims while enjoying live,
free entertainment with their meals from the
street performers that take up residence
outside the Quincy Market building.
Dick’s Last Resort
Quincy Market Building,
617-267-8080 People come to Dick’s for the
buckets of delicious no-frills grub and the
antics of the mouthy waitstaff, but they
come to Faneuil Hall to kick back in the
open air while they watch the world go by
and admire century-old buildings where
democracy was born. Since moving from the
Prudential Center to this location—complete
with large outdoor seating area—customers
have enjoyed the best of both worlds.
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