Why escape winter when you can embrace cool Canadian vibes at one of these local-fave heated patios?
Don’t limit alfresco dining to summer! Fact is, Canada gets snow. We get fresh, crisp air and beautifully sparkling winter nights. It’s time to celebrate the season in bold Toronto style—with stellar patio dining, all winter long.
Here are 10 hot spots where you can chase the chill with soul-warming food and drinks.
Bar Neon
Listen to a live acoustic set as you indulge in Greek meze and sip cocktails on the heated patio at Bar Neon.
Located in up-and-coming Bloordale, this neighbourhood fave offers mouthwatering summery drinks (including three different takes on sangria: red, white and sparkling), brick-oven pizza, and half-price oysters and souvlaki during its daily 3-6 p.m. Happy Hour.
Bar Piquette
Get cozy at this romantic spot in arty and eclectic Parkdale.
Sit under the stars (or city lights) in Bar Piquette’s glass-topped solarium and reconnect with your SO over fine wine and small plates. (Or bring the gang and go to town over a gooey pot of cheese fondue!)
Bar Raval
A Little Italy staple much loved for its Catalonian-style tapas and pintxos, creative cocktails and Gaudi-esque design (check out that eye-popping carved-mahogany interior!), the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Bar Raval has a heated patio that’s open late ’til 1 a.m. So, you can sate your grilled shrimp a la planxa fix into the wee hours of the night.
Bandit Brewery
Fully enclosed and toasty warm, this Roncey Village brewery’s patio is a lush oasis with trees and sparkling lights. Linger as you toast the season with a hoppy draught or seasonal pour.
Bandit offers an elevated, Asian-inspired menu with fried shishito peppers, kombu-cured salmon, K-cauliflower with gochujang sauce and other global bites.
Burdock
Another west-end craft brewery, Burdock offers a small but satisfying menu with brunchy options, plus bar food like pickled eggs, loaded fries, charcuterie, crudo and tartare.
Sip on their fave Ducks IPA on tap or try a cellared option like Best Fruits while staying cozy under a blanket on their covered and heated patio. Oh, and your dog is welcome, too!
ALSO SEE: Tips for Planning a Trip to Toronto With Your Dog
Dzô Viet Eatery
Sticklers may say Dzô Viet Eatery’s atrium isn’t a true patio, but they’d be missing the point.
With its expansive skylights, spilling vines and floating silk lanterns that cast a magical glow at night, this contempo bar-resto channels a verdant Southeast Asian vibe in the heart of winter.
Sip inventive cocktails and dig into shareable Vietnamese street food and noods across the street from the Art Gallery of Ontario.
El Catrin
El Catrin Destileria spices up the Victorian-era Distillery Historic District with a menu of shareable botanas, antojitos and—of course—tacos.
Say “salud” with margaritas, cocteles and cerveza on one of the city’s most popular patios, complete with heaters, firepits and blankets to keep the good vibes flowing. Bonus: it’s dog-friendly, too!
Fresh on Crawford
Toronto’s OG vegan restaurant chain, Fresh is a local success story with locations across town.
Its Crawford Street outpost on trendy Queen Street West is a family fave for its wholesome bowls, burgers, big salads and proximity to Trinity Bellwoods Park. Their cheerful streetside patio is fully enclosed, heated and oh-so-cozy.
Hemingway’s Restaurant & Bar
A Yorkville icon for four decades, Hemingway’s boasts a heated rooftop patio where it serves New Zealand-inflected dishes like lamb shank with mint jelly and standard pub fare like wings, poutine and nachos.
Between trivia nights and 20 TVs screening sports matches from rugby to cricket, locals are drawn to its casual, unpretentious energy.
Victory Cafe
This local hangout in the Annex neighbourhood is a relaxed place to sip a craft beer while catching up with friends on a cozy covered and heated patio.
Victory Cafe’s menu is rich with hearty comfort foods, such as wood-fired pizza, burgers and deep-fried mac and cheese, so bring your appetite.
