Patio season in Boston is a glorious time — and it’s here, sort of. Boston just resumed the outdoor dining program it created last year to make it easier for restaurants to create outdoor dining spaces, which is great, but this post focuses on dedicated patios.
Many restaurants offer sidewalk dining or patios out front, right in the thick of all the action in the neighborhood (especially now that the city has made it easier for restaurants to do so). But sometimes when the patio mood strikes, you're looking for a bit of seclusion in a quiet garden hidden from the busy street, or in a pleasant alleyway, or in an enclosed courtyard.
Here are some lovely Boston-area patios that are off the beaten path, worth seeking out when you want to peacefully dine al fresco. (Looking for rooftop patios? Find those here.)
See also: The Eater Boston Outdoor Dining Guide for 2021
Please note that a number of Massachusetts restaurants have resumed dine-in service. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: For updated information on coronavirus cases in the area, please visit the Massachusetts coronavirus website.
Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines. At the moment, restaurants in Massachusetts must place all tables six feet apart. All that said, there are still risks involved with outdoor dining. Masks still have to come off for eating and drinking; small outdoor tables and patios often don’t allow for proper social distancing, especially while meeting with friends or family from another household; and if alcohol is involved, people tend to let their guards down.
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This map was originally published on May 11, 2016; it is updated periodically, and the date of the most recent update appears above.
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