15 Top Calgary Restaurants for Outdoor Dining

Hawaii is a long way from Calgary, but this Pacific Rim-themed bar and restaurant offers a taste of the tropics, especially when it’s warm enough to roll open the big garage-style doors at the front of the building that lead out to the sidewalk patio. Fresh and flavourful food dominates the menu, with playful bites such as hot dog bao buns, house-made spam skewers, and loco moco rice, all of which pair nicely with the bar’s over-the-top tiki-style cocktails and a little bit of sunshine.

Downtown’s Stephen Avenue is Calgary’s premium place for sitting and watching the world go by. Closed to cars during the daytime and bubbling with energy in the evening, the strip is always full of interesting pedestrian traffic and plenty of action. Klein/Harris’s street-level patio is a lovely place to drink in the Stephen Avenue vibe while eating chef James Waters’s uniquely Canadiana dishes and sipping on one of co-owner Christina Mah’s much-celebrated cocktails.

The Living Room has been a fixture on 17th Avenue for 20 years and is well-known for its breathtaking patio, which has a secluded backyard feel despite being right on one of Calgary’s busiest commercial streets. The wood-walled space is fit with plenty of lights, gorgeous plant life, and a fireplace to make the restaurant’s contemporary shareable cuisine and much-loved fondue dinners feel even more special.

This chic wine bar has two patios, one on the street level and another on the rooftop, and while the upper deck offers great views of the vibrant Mission neighbourhood, the lower area is popular with dog lovers looking to enjoy a nice international meal and a glass or two of premium wine with their pets at their feet. Owner Phoebe Fung is a true dog lover (her dog Dom is practically a local celebrity) and not only allows dogs on the patio but also hosts dog-related events and provides treats and “pawsecco” for canine friends.

Bonterra has become a local go-to because of its consistently delicious higher-end Italian fare, but the trattoria’s most powerful asset is its luxurious patio, widely considered to be one of the most beautiful in all of Calgary. The outdoor dining area is technically part of an inner-city parking lot, but its clever construction, terracotta tiles, rustic styling, and abundant greenery make it feel like a scene straight out of Tuscany.

Situated in a historic bank building, dining indoors at Teatro is a quintessential Calgary experience, but the venerable restaurant also has a lesser-known outdoor dining space. Sitting just off of Olympic Plaza and steps away from both Calgary’s Municipal Building and Arts Commons theatre complex, this tucked-away corner offers a serene spot to indulge in some Mediterranean-inspired fine dining and a bottle from Teatro’s legendary wine list.

Billed as a “modern diner,” The Beltliner is best known as a laid-back brunch spot, but also has a nice happy hour, with wings, burgers, and various cocktails all on offer at a discounted rate. The patio along the side of the building faces a park for great people-watching opportunities and is also dog-friendly, making it a top choice for brunchers who want to while away the day with their pups in tow.

Located way down in the south end of the city in a landmark historical home, it’s hard to beat a special occasion Canadian meal on Bow Valley Ranche’s picturesque outdoor veranda. For a different view of the property, the fine dining restaurant’s parent company, the Great Events Group, also hosts gourmet outdoor private dome dinners in the restaurant’s back garden under its “Foodies in the Park” banner.

Part of the Charcut/Charbar family of restaurants, this bar on the top of the historic Simmons Mattress factory offers an absolutely unparalleled view of the Bow River, historic Inglewood, or downtown Calgary, depending on which direction you’re facing. Once up top, diners can relax with a drink and a pie from Connie and John’s Pizza, a New York-style pizza project run by Charbar proprietors John Jackson and Connie DeSousa.

From the outside, Last Best doesn’t look like it has an outdoor dining area, which makes its courtyard patio feel all the more secretive and magical. Sheltered from the wind and fitted with a firepit to help extend the patio season, it’s a popular fixture in a brewpub that is already much embraced for its excellent line of beers and above-average pub food.