Street Fare

Twenty-four restaurants you didn't know had outdoor dining

t says a lot about the weather around here that restaurants are technically banned by the state from allowing outdoor dining until May. (No one seems to pay attention to this law.) That’s in case there’s an April snowstorm since chairs and tables on the sidewalks might get in the way of snow removal. However, restaurants shouldn’t be letting weather conditions get in the way of their guest’s desire to dine outside. An opportunity to sit outside and eat attracts more customers and when the rain or snow hits, it’s easy to invest in a permanent gazebo to fend off the weather. An easy solution! In Boston, the law is widely ignored, and as temperatures begin to rise and spring and summer settle in, al fresco dining makes its appearance along Newbury and Boylston streets. So do long lines for tables. No matter. It may be one of the hottest trends in dining, but we have some great secrets of eating outdoors, often where you’d least expect to find it, and usually without a wait:

A trendy South End restaurant you didn’t know had outdoor dining

Where to eat great food in the Seaport under the stars, with a skyline view

A great suburban bakery with hidden-away tables beside a bubbling brook

A little-noticed patio behind a crowded city bar

A trattoria with courtyard dining, hiding in plain sight

Authentic crepes in Davis Square and outdoor tables that are great for people-watching

Italian tapas-style dishes that will carry you to Tuscany, and that you can eat outside

A sophisticated take on a classic comfort food, with outdoor picnic tables

The cozy café where the other chefs come to eat, indoors and out

Champion chowder at a South Boston haunt with outdoor seating

Urban hip in the suburbs, with live entertainment and outdoor dining

An historic setting for a quiet meal, indoors or out

A secret (beer) garden for the in-the-know

Where you can eat, indoors or out, like a future CEO

An elegant restaurant with singular cocktails and outdoor dining

Popovers so good, they’re worth finding, and enjoying outdoors

A restaurant that’s on a mission, with al fresco seating

A little bit of Montmartre on Beacon Hill

Live entertainment and outdoor seating without a shakedown at the door

The creations of Boston’s top chefs, and outdoor tables, all in one place

A restaurant with a vertical indoor garden, and outdoor seating

Downtown-quality food, off the beaten path

An innovative seafood restaurant that serves till 2, inside and out

Enjoy high-end gourmet sandwiches and burgers streetside, in Kendall Square