These 15 Los Angeles restaurants crush the outdoor dining game

Mediterranean restaurant Casaléna is sweeping in every sense of the word: The sprawling space has several different dining rooms, and the menu spans everything from Greek salads to housemade pastas to chicken Santorini. The photogenic garden, which clocks in at 2,000 square feet, is equally impressive in both scale and beauty. It’s the sort of comfortable spot where you could happily brunch with mimosas made with fresh-squeezed juice, or spend a romantic evening splitting a Wagyu tomahawk steak.

Fia’s garden patio is magical, made extra-romantic with string lights, old-growth trees, and an outdoor bar that brings the buzz. Come with a date to bask in the charming space and bond over Californian Italian plates like housemade cavatelli with brown butter and black truffle and whole-grilled seabass with tomato bruschetta. Go for the prix-fixe garden brunch for a daytime hangout, bookable through OpenTable Experiences.

Perch LA’s two-story rooftop overlooks Pershing Square, Downtown, and beyond. Couches, cane chairs, tables, plants, bars, and live music come together to create a lively scene. Toast the stunning view with a well-crafted cocktail like Penthouse Passion (tequila, mint, lime, and passionfruit) and French classics like steak frites and an unmissable orange cardamom crème brûlée.

A.O.C. in Beverly Grove has long been a go-to for special occasions thanks to chef Suzanne Goin’s refined Californian Mediterranean small plates. The restaurant’s Spanish courtyard-style patio is a stunner all year round, full of ivy, trees, and even balconies. Grab a seat and order favorites like bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Parmesan and green quinoa dumplings with sumac yogurt. The wine list is also a winner for its extensive organic, biodynamic, and sustainable selections.

A lush rooftop garden is the draw at Openaire, set on the second floor of the trendy Line Hotel. Award-winning chef Josiah Citrin—behind the two-MICHELIN-starred Mélisse—runs the kitchen, and his menu celebrates California-centric flavors and local ingredients in dishes like charred sprouted cauliflower and slow-roasted trout with cannellini beans and pea tendrils. A chic brunch, with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys, pairs especially well with this swanky poolside venue.

To properly earn LA stripes, you need to have an alfresco meal at Castaway. The scenic steakhouse is known for an outdoor dining area that has one of most breathtaking views of the city and the valley. Drink in the sunset with a cocktail like the citrusy-tasting Shiso Vain with shiso-infused tequila. No matter the occasion, the views at Burbank landmark will turn your night into a special memory.

Soak up the sun on top of the Santa Monica Proper Hotel at this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant. The poolside spot channels a coastal getaway with hand-woven furniture and palms that offer plenty of privacy. Impress out-of-towners or close friends with an elegant outdoor spread that includes charred octopus, hummus, and herbed labneh. For a heartier meal, Calabra serves mains like Moroccan-spiced grilled rack of lamb and a goat cheese-topped burger with za’atar fries.

Like the Hauser & Wirth gallery that gives this Arts District favorite its home, Manuela is known for vibrant flavors. Its dog-friendly patio sits in a courtyard that art enthusiasts walk through to explore the exhibits, making it great for people watching. Executive chef Kris Tominaga can be found working in the courtyard’s kitchen garden, prepping vegetables for a seasonal Californian menu with dishes like roasted Liberty duck breast with smoked soubise and satsuma tangerines.

Canopy Club is perched on top of the posh Shay hotel. Peach-tinged patio umbrellas shade the cabanas, day beds, and lounges that circle the pool, evoking Palm Springs in the heart of Culver City. Summery cocktails like the vodka- and elderflower-forward Thirst Trap go well with beachy bites like hamachi crudo and crispy fish tacos. Saturday lunch plans could easily become an all-out staycation at this buzzy hotel hotspot.

Mexican seafood spot Loreto has thrilled Frogtown diners with its modern space, mezcal martinis, and dry-aged fish since it opened in 2023. Opt for a ceviche and tostada dinner alfresco on the compact outdoor patio, which brings the restaurant’s chic warehouse atmosphere outside. A showstopping zarandeado—a whole fish served with accouterments like black beans, avocado, habanero onions, and mini quesadillas—is a must for big groups who want a taste of the California peninsula.

For a meal smack-dab on the Pacific shore, go to Paradise Cove, an idyllic cafe on its namesake pier. With tables set up—quite literally—in the sand, it might be some of the closest oceanfront dining in all of Los Angeles. After you’re done sharing a seafood tower and fish tacos piled high with guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream for lunch, mosey on over to the rental table to reserve a chaise lounge or a palapa on-site and make an entire day of it.

With a sweeping green patio and tables covered with fringed Mexican fabrics, Gracias Madre is the ideal place for a pitch-perfect margarita and jalapeño-studded guacamole served with chips. Vegan Mexican food is the name of the game here, and with plenty of shareable dishes like queso fundido (made with cashew cheese) and soy chorizo empanadas, it’s a go-to for gathering with a crew on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Chef Neal Fraser’s Redbird sits in a former cathedral in Downtown LA and is easily one of the most stunning restaurants in the city. Its open-air dining room with views of the cathedral’s bell tower is a gorgeous place to experience Fraser’s elegant New American food. Get cozy in a cherry-colored banquette under the stars while you dig into shishito peppers with bottarga and a knockout heritage pork chop. And don’t miss a pre-dinner cocktail from Redbird’s award-winning list.

With a pedigree that includes MICHELIN-starred restaurants, chef John Fraser is known for next-level vegetable-forward cuisine. He brings that approach to the West Hollywood EDITION hotel with Ardor, where highlights also include an oasis-like terrace with leafy plants that seem to cover every possible square inch. It’s a fitting backdrop for Fraser’s deftly prepared produce, such as cedar-grilled asparagus with truffle aioli and cured egg yolk or roasted oyster mushrooms with lemon garlic oil.

Located in a charming two-story brick building in the heart of Old Town Pasadena, Cafe Santorini is one of the area’s longest-standing restaurants. Its transportive second-floor balcony, surrounded by plants, offers bird’s-eye views of the courtyard below. Settle in for a Mediterranean meal of classic mezze like hummus and baba ganoush before moving on to moussaka or whole-roasted branzino with lemon.