Toronto's best patios ranked — rooftop bars with CN Tower views, hidden courtyard restaurants, and waterfront spots worth the lineup.
Toronto summers are what locals live for. The moment it hits 18°C, every decent patio in the city fills up and stays that way until October. If you don't have a list, you're wasting precious patio season. Here's ours.
We've ranked these on: quality of the actual outdoor space (not a sidewalk beside a truck loading dock), the drink and food situation, and whether you'd actually want to be there for two hours on a Tuesday.
WVRST is the gold standard for Toronto patio culture. It's a German beer hall — communal tables, a rotating tap list of 36 craft beers, and house-made sausages you order off a chalkboard. The patio wraps around the building on King West and catches afternoon sun perfectly. It gets loud, it gets packed, and it's exactly what a Toronto summer should feel like.
View WVRST → — See the full WVRST listing on WTF Toronto
King West has the most dense concentration of rooftop bars in the city. The Drake Hotel has a legendary rooftop that books up fast. Lavelle on King West is worth it for the pool and skyline view (go on a weekday to actually get in). For something slightly more chill, the Baro rooftop is underrated.
Harbourfront doesn't get enough credit as a patio destination. The outdoor spaces along the water are genuinely beautiful — Lake Ontario to one side, the Toronto Islands to the other, and the CN Tower in the distance. Boxcar Social Harbourfront has excellent coffee and natural wine in a waterfront setting that'll make you forget you're in a city of 3 million.
View Harbourfront → — Explore the Harbourfront Centre area
The Distillery District is pedestrian-only, which means the whole thing is essentially a patio. Every restaurant spills out onto the cobblestones. El Catrin has the best outdoor setup — Mexican-inspired cocktails, heated terrace for shoulder season, and murals you'll end up Instagramming. Also check the back courtyard at Balzac's Coffee for a quieter sit.
The Amsterdam Brewhouse on the waterfront near Queens Quay has the biggest outdoor space of any restaurant patio in downtown Toronto. Long communal tables, the brewery on-site, and decent pub food. It's not the most sophisticated place in the world, but it fits 300 people and never feels like you're on top of each other.
Weekday vs weekend The difference between a weekday patio and a Friday night patio is enormous. If you want the best experience without the stress, go Thursday evening — full patio energy, no hour-long waits.
Reservations Patios at popular spots fill up fast on weekends. OpenTable reservations go live 30 days ahead — book when they open. Walk-in patios are hit or miss from June through August.
Explore Food & Drink → — Browse all Toronto restaurants and patios
WTF Toronto creates guides using independent editorial research, official sources, local knowledge and firsthand experience where available. Commercial relationships are disclosed where applicable.