After a few false starts, al fresco season has finally arrived in Park City. The summer portable patios are popping up on Main Street as restaurants take advantage of every square foot and ray of sunshine. All of us at CMFH love dining outside whenever we can, so we took an office survey and came up with a list of our favorite restaurant patios from morning to dusk.

Best Outdoor Breakfast – Deer Valley Grocery Café
The only thing more glorious than the breakfast menu at this tiny café is the deck that overlooks a large pond. Opening at 7:30am, you can grab a quick egg Panini to go, or sit out for hours on their deck enjoying such creations as their Skillet Fired Dutch Baby: a mouth-watering lemon ricotta pancake slathered in orange vanilla bean butter with a mountain of blueberries and raspberries on top. They also have all the standard breakfast fare and feature a kid’s meal that’s as delicious as it is healthy.

Best Outdoor Lunch – Maxwell’s
Maxwell’s large patio is well shaded and away from street traffic. Well known for its pizza, Maxwell’s has stepped up their game on fresh salads just in time for the al fresco season. We can’t stop talking about their Arugula and Melon Salad that features shaved cantaloupe and honeydew on top of a large bed of baby arugula. It’s topped with sweet golden raisins, savory sunflower kernels, and rich goat cheese, all tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette. It’s the perfect weekday lunch because it’s filling, but won’t have you yawning by 2:00.

Best Outdoor 5:00 Cocktail – The Boneyard
Centrally located with plenty of off-street parking, The Boneyard is perfect for grabbing a quick glass of wine with a friend after work. Their rooftop patio has full-menu service and is the great place to savor the hot afternoons turning into cool dusk. Their appetizers are also great – we think they may serve the best wings in town.

Best Outdoor Dinner – St Regis, Deer Valley
This could have been a tie between several places in town, until the St. Regis Deer Valley came up. It was unanimously voted as best dinner with a view. Open year-round, their Terrace has sweeping panoramas of the mountains and ski runs. This is the perfect place to watch the sun go down while enjoying world-renowned St. Regis cuisine and cocktails. We love everything on the menu, but a must-try is their Ginger Margarita – out of this world! After dark, the fire pits are lit and the atmosphere turns relaxed, even romantic.

Honorable Mentions
When we initially took our in-office survey, we were unaware that so many us would have very strong opinions about this subject. So we want to give honorable mentions to a few places that really are spectacular, but not everyone in the office has been to.

Best Small Plates With a View – Silver Star Café

Best Garden Patio – Grappa

Best Main Street Patio – Café Terigo

Best Patio Bar – High West Distillery

We’re sure we didn’t get them all, but we did our best. We’d love to hear from you what you’re favorite outdoor seating is in Park City during the summer months. All of us at CMFH hope to see you at one of them soon!