Five new Toronto patios worth checking out this summer
Bar Etc, Bar Allegro, The Frederick, Bar Eugenie, and Dirty Laundry are among the best outdoor seats opening across the city.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Toronto's too-short patio season just got a lot better. A fresh wave of outdoor spaces opened this summer, giving locals more reasons to close the laptop and claim a seat in the sun.
Bar Etc, on Gerrard Street East, inherited a groovy backyard patio from its predecessor, the Dive Shop. The vibe is tropical — expect plants, palm-patterned cushions, and twinkly lights. The plates are made for sharing: jerk fried chicken, bird's eye chili shrimp, lemongrass beef tataki. Cocktails like the frozen daiquiri (white rum, green mango, curry leaf, lime) are transportive.
Bar Allegro, on College Street in Little Italy, is the third iteration of the space (previously Pompette and Vinoteca Pompette). It's an Italian aperitivo bar specializing in negronis, americanos, and other sessionable cocktails. Chef Martine Bauer's food is smart and snacky — bone marrow, mussels with 'nduja, cheese plates. The patio sits on a busy stretch of College, perfect for people-watching. Bonus: it's covered, so rain won't ruin your night.
The Frederick, Chef Cory Vitiello's project on the Financial District's Temperance Street, feels glitzy but serves pure comfort: buttermilk fried chicken, club sandwiches, the Harbord Room burger. The wrap-around streetside patio, lined with big umbrellas and shrubbery, is built for the see-and-be-seen crowd.
Bar Eugenie on Harbord Street offers a quiet, romantic respite in the backyard of a Victorian building. Seasonal vegetables are starting to pop up on Chef Rebekah Bruce's menu, making now the time to move the party outside.
Dirty Laundry, the massive new bar from industry veterans Robin Goodfellow and Aldo Pescatore on Queen West, is shaping up to be Toronto's it spot this summer. Cocktails are $16 or less, wine by the glass runs $9, and there are sharable boozy punch bowls for four. The menu leans Tex-Mex. Best of all: the massive corner patio.
