Meet the tastemakers
10 best patios in Dallas have been nominated for 2024 Tastemaker Awards
Dolce Riviera's elegant patio
Dallas does not lack for patios, but which are the best? Which combines pretty views, comfortable seating, good food & drink, all with a connection to the great outdoors?
Patios are the subject of this installment in our 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, our annual awards event honoring the best in Dallas food and drink.
Every year we celebrate industry pros for awards in 10 categories, with the nominees spotlighted in a special editorial series. We've already profiled candidates for Rising Star Chef, Neighborhood Restaurant, and Bars, and now we've arrived at the 10 finalists for Best Patio, as voted by our panel of esteemed judges.
The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on May 16 at the Fashion Industry Gallery, where we'll toast the nominees, while indulging in bites and sips. Tickets are on sale now.
These are the nominees for Best Patio in Dallas, in alphabetical order:
400 Gradi
Hotshot pizza concept caused quite a buzz when it opened in 2019 as the first U.S. location from Australian chef Johnny Di Francesco, a food TV favorite who has appeared on shows such as MasterChef Australia, The Mentor, and Everyday Gourmet. The pizza is fantastic, the service is swell, and there's a nice list of Italian wines. But the surprise is the patio, a spacious haven facing busy Ross Avenue, across from the DMA, with plenty of people watching and an urban aura that summons the East Coast.
Dolce Riviera
Nestled in the heart of the Harwood District, this fine-dining Italian concept is from Harwood Hospitality, a company that always configures its outdoor spaces carefully. Their goal was to re-create the spirit of the world's best-known resort, the Côte d'Azur. The ambience is light and airy, with blue hues inspired by the Mediterranean Sea, blue & white tablecloths, comfy banquettes, and European-style gardens with long, crawling plants throughout the space including an actual lemon tree.
El Carlos Elegante
Mexico City-inspired eatery in the Design District from Duro Hospitality has earned raves for its innovative food menu and standout mezcal program, as well as its global list of wines and champagnes. But as befits a Duro concept, the setting is also a stunner: an oasis of soft lighting, vibrant colors, and mid-century modern Mexican decor. There are front and back courtyards sporting retractable roofs, plus fountains and fireplaces that round out the perfect cozy space, begging you to linger all day and night.
Fearing's / Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas from acclaimed chef Dean Fearing is a perennial best-of list maker, for its creative Southwest food. But it wins on atmosphere, too, with no less than seven dining experiences, ranging from the intimate Chef’s Table to the famed Live Oak patio. Enclosed by a privacy wall of hedges, it's a sanctuary in the center of the city, and elegantly outfitted with a gondola at the center, massive fireplace, and various swanky seating options, all under the graceful canopy of several large oak trees.
The Libertine Bar
Laid-back yet cosmopolitan gastropub in a vintage building on Lower Greenville was ahead of the curve in the craft beer trend and remains a reliable place to get a good beer on tap. They've also always had way-better-than-average bar food and cocktails, and offer generous happy hours, like Fridays from 12-7 pm. In 2017, they added the missing piece: a street-side patio with wooden benches, umbrellas, and hanging plants with ringside views of Greenville Avenue - now one of the hottest tables for Sunday brunch.
The Playwright Irish Pub
Irish pub at 1722 Routh St. is prospering in a location that previously saw numerous establishments come and go. Their formula includes good pub food at moderate prices, lots of beers on tap, hundreds of whiskeys and scotches, plus consistent and late-night hours. The space has an expansive patio which spills onto the courtyard of One Arts Plaza and also wraps around the front of the restaurant, where diners get views of the bustling Dallas Arts District and a backdrop of downtown.
Sidecar Social
Massive restaurant-bar-entertainment venue in Addison's Village on the Parkway has a little of everything: food, drink, games, big-screen TVs, outdoor stages, live music, karaoke - and a cozy patio facing Montfort Drive. Built on a wooden deck platform, it's a casual space that carefully incorporates mature trees which have been at that location dating back to when it was a Harold's clothing store; now those trees are blanketed with strings of festive lights. (A second Sidecar with an even bigger patio opened in Frisco in 2023.)
Sundown at Granada
Sundown at Granada is the historic Granada Theater’s younger next door sibling, and it’s all about patios. At 3520 Greenville Ave., they’ve got a rooftop patio as well as a covered patio, outdoor heated patio, and a rooftop patio. They have a solid beer selection and an innovative menu with plentiful vegan options. They've become known for rooftop movie nights, and they’re also a popular destination for a Sunday patio brunch or for grabbing a drink after a show at the Granada Theater.
Taco Y Vino
Taqueria and wine bar in the Bishop Arts District is beloved both to its Oak Cliff neighbors as well as local foodies and fans of hospitable founder Jimmy Contreras, whose experience as a wine rep not only inspired him to do a place combining tacos with wine, but also to create a notable wine list that makes it an oenophile destination. It's set in a cute white house with a spacious patio and backyard area with shady umbrellas and hanging twinkling lights. It’s comfy, casual, and colorful.
Wriggly Tin
Beer and pizza joint with its own in-house brewed beers is famous for being situated in a Quonset hut at 1906 S. Haskell Ave., whose interior has been transformed into a character-filled space lined with unique trinkets and charm. But it's their extra-large patio space that truly stands out. Enthusiastically dog-friendly, it boasts pristine landscaping, umbrellas, lazy lean-back chairs, and an aqua-and-white color scheme to complete its relaxed, summery vibe.
Frita, a Cuban-style burger. Photo by Noah Fecks