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Find great views and drinks with these bar and restaurant patios
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Located along the shores of Lake Michigan, Lakeview and Lincoln Park offer some of the loveliest outdoor dining destinations in the city. The neighborhoods boast striking rooftops and spaces right on the beach, dog-friendly patios perfect for people watching, and places to unwind after catching a Cubs game or visiting Lincoln Park Zoo. Make the most of a beautiful day by grabbing a drink outside at one of these spots.
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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.
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The Piggery boasts a rooftop with its own bar decorated with multicolored lights plus a patio with a fire pit and umbrella-topped tables. Both spaces offer plenty of TVs so visitors can watch sports while taking advantage of bottomless mimosas during weekend brunch or the extensive draft beer list while digging into a Cuban sandwich or a slab of ribs.
Located right across from Wrigley Field, the cocktail bar within Hotel Zachary features a second floor patio with a view of the ballpark. The team behind Billy Sunday designed the drink menu, which emphasizes rare and vintage spirits poured straight or blended into cocktails. Whiskey lovers can order a flight showcasing Avondale distillery Judson & Moore’s entire lineup for $30.
Cody’s Public House doesn’t serve any food, but drinkers are welcome to bring their own to grill in the dog-friendly garden while they sip some beers from a local brewery like Off Color or Pipeworks. The large space is strung with lights and features an area for darts plus a fire pit and a menu of hot cocktails when the weather gets chilly.
Groups pack the spacious beer garden at Kirkwood to share a Jumbo John Daly served in a one-gallon fishbowl or the Donkey Punch, a classic of peach Moscow mule poured in a massive copper mug. Try one with the similarly supersized chicken nachos or totchos loaded with black beans, chihuahua cheese and jalapeño.
Since COVID-19 hit, Lincoln Park has closed Schubert Avenue on weekends during the summer and early fall to create “Patio on Schubert,” packing the street with tables and tents. Drop by during aliveOne’s happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, when all drinks are half price, and try a few cocktails like the Thunder (gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice topped with prosecco) or Light My Fire (reposado tequila, mezcal and demerara syrup).
Stop by during happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to take advantage of 40 percent off wine and $4 off cocktails on the veranda or the restaurant’s dog-friendly garden patio. The menu of complex drinks includes the Flowers in Florence (gin, fennel shrub, chamomile honey syrup, and dill) and La Dolce Vita (vodka, lychee and violet liqueurs, and winter melon bitters). Learn a bit more about wine from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday with $13 drop-in tastings.
Decorated with ivy and planters, the covered dog-friendly patio at Gemini features ceiling fans to keep diners cool on a sweltering summer day. Visit for the $30 bottomless brunch, which offers 90 minutes of mimosas, bellinis, bloody marys, house wine, and margaritas to enjoy with steak & eggs or a vegetable frittata made with mushrooms, broccolini, and goat cheese.
Geja’s candlelit dining room has been a date night destination for more than 50 years, but come summer the best seats are on the patio, where diners can share fondue near one of the fireplaces. Pair your meal with a flight of three wines or just share a bottle of sangria with roasted marshmallows and Belgian chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Lounge on a couch and take in view of Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline and Lincoln Park from the rooftop of Hotel Lincoln. While seats are first come, first served, there’s plenty of room outside to soak up the sun and sip something from the Greek mythology-inspired cocktail menu like Demeter Hits Different, a frozen blend of vodka, green chartreuse, pineapple, coconut, and lime.
Try to snag a space on the first-come, first-served patio on North Avenue Beach, which offers up Mediterranean-inspired fare plus frozen cocktails like the Chicago Vice (rum, pineapple, strawberry, and coconut milk) and Spritzicle (aperol, Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom vodka, and fresh orange juice). The indecisive can order a frozen flight featuring miniature versions of six different drinks.
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The Piggery boasts a rooftop with its own bar decorated with multicolored lights plus a patio with a fire pit and umbrella-topped tables. Both spaces offer plenty of TVs so visitors can watch sports while taking advantage of bottomless mimosas during weekend brunch or the extensive draft beer list while digging into a Cuban sandwich or a slab of ribs.
Located right across from Wrigley Field, the cocktail bar within Hotel Zachary features a second floor patio with a view of the ballpark. The team behind Billy Sunday designed the drink menu, which emphasizes rare and vintage spirits poured straight or blended into cocktails. Whiskey lovers can order a flight showcasing Avondale distillery Judson & Moore’s entire lineup for $30.
Cody’s Public House doesn’t serve any food, but drinkers are welcome to bring their own to grill in the dog-friendly garden while they sip some beers from a local brewery like Off Color or Pipeworks. The large space is strung with lights and features an area for darts plus a fire pit and a menu of hot cocktails when the weather gets chilly.
Groups pack the spacious beer garden at Kirkwood to share a Jumbo John Daly served in a one-gallon fishbowl or the Donkey Punch, a classic of peach Moscow mule poured in a massive copper mug. Try one with the similarly supersized chicken nachos or totchos loaded with black beans, chihuahua cheese and jalapeño.
Since COVID-19 hit, Lincoln Park has closed Schubert Avenue on weekends during the summer and early fall to create “Patio on Schubert,” packing the street with tables and tents. Drop by during aliveOne’s happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, when all drinks are half price, and try a few cocktails like the Thunder (gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice topped with prosecco) or Light My Fire (reposado tequila, mezcal and demerara syrup).
Stop by during happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to take advantage of 40 percent off wine and $4 off cocktails on the veranda or the restaurant’s dog-friendly garden patio. The menu of complex drinks includes the Flowers in Florence (gin, fennel shrub, chamomile honey syrup, and dill) and La Dolce Vita (vodka, lychee and violet liqueurs, and winter melon bitters). Learn a bit more about wine from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday with $13 drop-in tastings.
Decorated with ivy and planters, the covered dog-friendly patio at Gemini features ceiling fans to keep diners cool on a sweltering summer day. Visit for the $30 bottomless brunch, which offers 90 minutes of mimosas, bellinis, bloody marys, house wine, and margaritas to enjoy with steak & eggs or a vegetable frittata made with mushrooms, broccolini, and goat cheese.
Geja’s candlelit dining room has been a date night destination for more than 50 years, but come summer the best seats are on the patio, where diners can share fondue near one of the fireplaces. Pair your meal with a flight of three wines or just share a bottle of sangria with roasted marshmallows and Belgian chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Lounge on a couch and take in view of Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline and Lincoln Park from the rooftop of Hotel Lincoln. While seats are first come, first served, there’s plenty of room outside to soak up the sun and sip something from the Greek mythology-inspired cocktail menu like Demeter Hits Different, a frozen blend of vodka, green chartreuse, pineapple, coconut, and lime.
Try to snag a space on the first-come, first-served patio on North Avenue Beach, which offers up Mediterranean-inspired fare plus frozen cocktails like the Chicago Vice (rum, pineapple, strawberry, and coconut milk) and Spritzicle (aperol, Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom vodka, and fresh orange juice). The indecisive can order a frozen flight featuring miniature versions of six different drinks.