Top Outdoor Dining Restaurants in Chicago

Outdoor dining at a restaurant epitomizes Chicago during the summer. After being cooped up inside all day during the long winter, most Chicagoans can’t wait to dine outside at their favorite restaurant. Late in May the restaurants slowly start setting up their outdoor dining on the sidewalk, on patios, and well, in any space they can find. The city of Chicago is full of great restuarnats with outdoors dining options, but there are definitely a few you should visit first. All of these restuarnats serve up great food, in casual atmosphere, and best of all they have a patio. The next time you are visiting Chicago, take a step or two off of the beaten tourist path and check out these great local spots for outdoor dining.

Dinotto Ristorante is a super affordable Italian restaurant in the heart of Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. If you are staying downtown, this is only a very short cab ride away. They have a great covered outdoor patio that is perfect for people watching. It faces North Avenue and swarms of people are always traipsing by. If you can look up from your big plate of great Italian food there is quite a lot to see. Old Town is a fun little area with lots of charm. I had the grilled Portobello mushroom. White wine, cheeses, and herbs rounded out this flavorful dish. It was perfect with a glass of house chardonnay. Dinotto Ristorante is located at 215 West North Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60610. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is quaint. It can get crowded, so expect a wait for a table. They can be reached at (312) 202-0302.