A New Era of Al Fresco Dining in Minnesota
There’s no better way to enjoy a warm-weather day than by sitting on a patio surrounded by greenery, florals, just enough shade, and a parade of plates and icy cold drinks. Every summer, restaurants unveil fresh landscaping, colorful umbrellas, and new menus while navigating the ever-changing weather forecast. This year, the al fresco dining scene is more vibrant than ever, with new patios that promise unforgettable experiences.
Here are our top 10 new patios for the summer of 2025 — so far.
Aster House: A Modern Supper Club with European Piazza Vibe
This modern take on a supper club, which opened on the Minneapolis riverfront last fall, has recently added a sprawling 100-seat back patio with European piazza vibes. The space features brick-lined paths, striped and colorful umbrellas, flower beds, and wrought iron tables and chairs. It feels as classic and timeless as its surroundings. On Wednesday evenings, the patio comes alive with yacht rock music nights. Weekend brunch is also available, giving guests more options to enjoy their meal either outdoors or inside the restaurant.
The Lazy Susan is a must-order starter, featuring a carefully curated mix of meats, cheeses, pickled items, and dips, including a delicious smoked fish spread. For cocktail lovers, the program here is top-tier, making it a standout among newcomers to the scene.
Black Duck: A Neighborhood Plaza with Fire-Fueled Entrees
Chef/owner Jason Sawicki always knew there was room for a gorgeous patio when he found this restaurant space for what would eventually become Black Duck. This season, the idea finally bloomed. The expansive area in front feels like a neighborhood plaza, offering views of people moving in and out of shops or watching traffic pass by. Florals and greenery frame the area, adding warmth to the stone surroundings. It’s a fitting backdrop for fire-fueled entrees like the famous duck burger and smoky double-cut pork chop, as well as cozy small bites like pierogies and icy, fresh cocktails.
Boardwalk: A Massive 300-Seat Patio with Everything You Need
Boardwalk’s massive 300-seat, 18,000-square-foot patio alongside Canterbury Park’s racetrack offers a wraparound bar, turf grass, TV screens, games, and kids’ play areas. There are several seating options, including umbrella-covered picnic tables, fireside couches, and Adirondack chairs. The menu is equally varied, with highlights such as fresh pasta and wood-fired entrees, Southern shareables like pimento cheese and shrimp hush puppies, and seafood dishes like calamari, smoked salmon, oysters, mussels, and crabcakes. Don’t miss the house focaccia. Drinks include fun specialty cocktails, spritzes, beer (including neighbor Badger Hill Brewing), and non-alcoholic options.
Butcher & the Boar: A Shiny New Patio with Multiple Spaces
The North Loop restaurant’s shiny new 120-seat Butcher & the Boar patio carves out multiple spaces to suit a variety of moods. There’s a covered outdoor bar area with frosé and frozen rose machines, loungey booth seats with overhead fans for those seeking shade, and a lawn area for those wanting to soak up the sun. Umbrellas are available if the weather changes. When the sun sets, the soft glow of string lights helps set the mood. The patio has a separate menu featuring salads, finger foods, handhelds, brats, burgers, and smoked meats. One of the standout dishes is the Crispy Thai Sausage Spring Roll, a deep-fried pork egg roll with bright Thai basil and lemongrass notes.
Cabana Anna: Dockside Vibes with Lake Views
Lake Minnetonka now has another dockside patio thanks to the addition of this restaurant in the new Shoreline Hotel. Arrive by car or boat and snag a seat at one of the colorful umbrella-topped tables. Enjoy vistas of the lake, watch boats dock at the 32-slip marina, and give in to Cabana Anna’s relaxed beach vibes. The menu features Florida Coastal cuisine with dishes such as frito misto de mare and plenty of tropical drinks, further setting the tone. The place is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making it a perfect spot to come early or stay late.
Cabana Club: Contemporary Resort-Style Vibe
Aster House isn’t the only new riverfront restaurant with a patio to show off. While the former has a classic Old World feel, the nearby Cabana Club brings contemporary resort-style vibes and global cuisine. Every time we’ve visited or passed by this summer, the patio is hopping, just like it did when the space was Vic’s restaurant. The L-shaped wooden deck overlooks Nicollet Island and the Mississippi River, and straw umbrella tents carry that resort theme outside.
Dark Horse: A Neighborhood Hangout with a New Look
Lowertown St. Paul’s neighborhood hangout is back and may be better than ever. Its new owners brought the space back from closure, and the group that also has St. Paul Brewing knows a thing or two about creating a patio oasis. The alleyway is tucked off E. 7th Street, within easy walking distance to CHS Field. Chef Shane Oporto pours his years of fine-dining and St. Paul experience into the menu with pizzas, a serious burger, and more crowd-pleasers.
Eloise: A Petite Streetside Patio with Large-Format Cocktails
Eloise might be across the street and over the train tracks from the sparkling waters, but we’ll take a Lake Minnetonka view when and where we can get one. Especially during peak summer, when it seems everyone is out to stroll, eat, and drink along the promenade. It was easy to grab a spot on the petite streetside patio of the supper clubby Eloise, neighboring the packed Grocer’s Table. Tables are small, which means small-bites only. But they don’t hold back on the large-format cocktails, with $40 rotating punchbowls that can serve a crowd. The night we went, it was peach sangria.
Rosalia Pizza: A Green Space with a Pizza-Centric Menu
The second outpost of Daniel del Prado’s pizza-centered restaurant opened earlier this summer with a sweet green space tucked between the condo buildings that surround it and neighboring Surdyk’s. The greenery, landscaping, and midday sun ease into shaded evenings, all overlooking the activity on E. Hennepin Avenue. The menu of pizzas, charred veggies, select small plates, and cocktails is the same as the original Linden Hills location, and it’s worth noting that there are gluten-friendly flatbread and pizza crusts available.
El Sazón: A Backyard Patio with Original Margaritas
One of the buzziest restaurants of 2025 has ushered in the al fresco dining season with a new 24-seat backyard patio, lined with flower beds and featuring a pergola draped with twinkle lights. And we can’t think of a better way to complement the east suburban restaurant’s very original margaritas and bright interpretations on Mayan cuisine. Highly recommended are the fried Brussels sprouts with deep-fried pork belly to accompany casual taco spins and knife-and-fork entrees, such as chicken in pepián, pork shank achiote, and short rib in chile demi-glace. In addition to tequilas and other spirit-forward drinks, there’s also a sizable spirit-free drink menu that’s just as ambitious and fun to explore, using the same approach of extracting flavors out of ingredients to create fresh-as-can-be syrups, juices, and more.
