Best Patio Dining

It's huge. Like, more than 25 tables and booths of varying sizes huge. So huge, that you'll almost never have to wait for a spot to sit down, though you may end up at opposite ends of a long table with a pair of strangers. But that's also one of the many charms of the Midway Pub patio - lots of smiling faces there to enjoy a beer (or three), just like you. More than just dog-friendly, Midway's staff and patio are downright dog-enthusiastic, all warm smiles, water bowls, and welcoming words of admiration. A wooden overhang protects from sun and precipitation, and it's adorned with assorted greenery. In fact, Midway boasts some of the finest bar plants around: succulents, evergreens, herbs (that are used in Midway's food), and various viney, flowering specimens that are going to be a joy to watch develop in the years to come. With 32 rotating drafts, more than 100 bottles, and a food selection that goes beyond standard pub grub, you might want to bring a sleeping bag - it's a little too easy to make yourself at home on this concrete slab. less...

There's an Old World charm to the courtyard at SHAUN'S. Snugly enclosed by aged brick walls and climbing vines, the 50-seat patio is a fitting backdrop for chef Shaun Doty's classy, Southern-meets-Mediterranean cuisine. It's also a great place to delve into the restaurant's clever cocktail menu while whittling away a lazy Sunday afternoon (or hazy weekend night). The vibe is more relaxed than in the restaurant proper, evoking a slow, European pace more common to the piazzas of Rome. Patrons trend toward the young and hip, and the menu toward the chic but unfussy – the chicken-liver fettuccine and the sockeye salmon with Anson Mills grits are both standouts. The patio experience is complete when punctuated on the half hour by the clanging church bell at the 19th-century sanctuary next door, just like in the old country. less...

There’s nothing on Earth like a majestic Southern river, and no place in the city to eat overlooking one as beautiful as the patio at CANOE. The view of the Chattahoochee is breathtaking, as are the incredible gardens that surround the restaurant. Sometimes in a big city it’s easy to forget the great outdoors, but Canoe gives us a reason to reconnect with nature. less...

4199 Paces Ferry Road 770-432-2663 http://www.canoe-atl.com There's nothing on Earth like a majestic Southern river, and no place in the city to eat overlooking one as beautiful as the patio at CANOE. The view of the Chattahoochee is breathtaking, as are the incredible gardens that surround the restaurant. Sometimes in a big city it's easy to forget the great outdoors, but Canoe gives us a reason to reconnect with nature. less...