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A back patio filled with lush greenery at Oleana in Cambridge, MA is pictured on July 30, 2019. — Oleana’s back patio.

15 Delightful Hidden Patios Around Boston

Dine outside in charmingly secluded spots

by Eater Staff Updated Mar 17, 2023, 1:35pm EDT

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Oleana’s back patio.

| Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

by Eater Staff Updated Mar 17, 2023, 1:35pm EDT

Patio season in Boston is a too-brief but glorious time, so start prepping now. Many restaurants offer charming sidewalk dining or patios out front, right in the thick of all the action in the neighborhood, 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 alfresco. (Looking for rooftop patios? Find those here.)

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Daddy Jones

Eat spanakopita, lamb burgers, gyros, and other Greek favorites on Daddy Jones’s colorful and sunny Magoun Square patio. Walk-ins only.

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525 Medford St, Somerville, MA 02145

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Overhead view of a restaurant patio with an assortment of colorful metal chairs, round white tables, trees, and umbrellas. — The patio at Daddy Jones.

Brewer's Fork

Brewer’s Fork has made itself quite a destination, serving up irresistible pizzas, one of the best beer lists around, and more. The family-friendly patio, too, is a standout.

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7 Moulton St, Charlestown, MA 02129

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A small restaurant patio, set up against a red brick building, features wooden tables, string lights, and trees lining the edge. — The Brewer’s Fork patio.

Oleana

One of the most beautiful patios in the area can be found at Oleana in Cambridge, where diners can enjoy chef Ana Sortun’s award-winning Mediterranean cuisine in a garden-like setting behind the restaurant. Patio seating is in high demand and is first come, first served; good luck.

134 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139

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An outdoor restaurant patio features small wooden tables on a brick surface, heat lamps, and lush greenery. — The Oleana patio.

Also featured in:

Seabiscuit

Located in an artsy shipyard with stunning views of downtown Boston, East Boston’s Seabiscuit serves excellent Australian meat pies — carrying on the tradition and recipes of the space’s former occupant, KO Catering & Pies — and an enviable year-round patio worth the trek it takes to find it.

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256 Marginal St Building 16, Boston, MA 02128

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Mare Oyster Bar

Away from the street and the crowds of tourists that pack the North End on a warm day, Mare, a seafood-focused restaurant from local restaurateur Frank DePasquale, is a great option for a lounge-like feel. This outdoor space is complete with fire pits, couches, tables, and a great view of the Financial District skyline.

223 Hanover St, 3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113

Visit Website

A restaurant’s outdoor patio with fire pits, white umbrellas, and lounge seating with red cushions — The patio at Mare Oyster Bar.

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Lone Star Taco Bar

When beloved Allston bar Deep Ellum closed in 2020 after a 13-year run, its sibling and neighbor, Lone Star Taco Bar, expanded into the space — including the popular patio hidden out back — so all was not lost. Frozen margaritas and beef barbacoa tacos in the great outdoors, tucked away from the busy street? Yes, please.

Open in Google Maps

479 Cambridge St #477, Allston, MA 02134

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Also featured in:

Devlin's

This one’s quite sizable for a hidden patio, but it’s away from the street, set back down an alleyway next to the restaurant. The Devlin’s patio features a mix of covered and uncovered sections, and there’s a shipping container bar. Patio seating is first come, first served.

332 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Select Oyster Bar

Tucked behind the restaurant, the Select Oyster Bar patio has a dark and moody feel with a covering and sparse lighting. Bright artwork adorns the nearby brick wall. Bring a date and share a big raw bar platter. (There’s also a less hidden, sunny patio out front.)

Open in Google Maps

50 Gloucester St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Porto

Porto — the Mediterranean seafood restaurant from the Trade team — features an oasis of a patio in Back Bay, up above street level and full of cozy lounge furniture and bar. A retractable awning provides sun protection when needed, and a television comes out for special events. (Plus, it’s heated in colder weather.)

Open in Google Maps

Ring Rd, Boston, MA 02199

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Also featured in:

Audubon

Right near Fenway, Trina’s Starlite sibling Audubon is an energy-packed spot on game days or any time. The uncovered, bamboo-filled patio behind the restaurant is enclosed by a tall fence, giving it a secluded feel. Heaters are available in cooler weather.

838 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02215

Visit Website

Bamboo stalks and a high wooden fence surround a casual restaurant patio, with string lights hanging above. — The Audubon patio.

Also featured in:

B&G Oysters

The pretty, sunken patio at B&G Oysters has lots of greenery, a mix of sunny and shady spots, and heat lamps when needed. Why not indulge in one of the best lobster rolls in town on it?

Open in Google Maps

550 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

Light-colored tables and chairs sit on a nice wooden restaurant patio with trees coming over one wall and string lights above. — The B&G Oysters patio.

Also featured in:

SRV

The pleasant string light-bedecked, 40-seat patio behind the restaurant is surrounded by brick walls and ivy — the perfect place to enjoy SRV’s outstanding Venice-inspired small plates, pasta, and other Italian cuisine.

Open in Google Maps

569 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

A wooden restaurant patio is surrounded on two sides by brick buildings, one covered in ivy. There are string lights above. — SRV patio.

Also featured in:

Publico Street Bistro & Garden

Publico Street Bistro & Garden is one of the only places in town to find a European-style courtyard fully surrounded by a building. It features covered lounge areas, its own bar, and televisions. Courtyard seating is first come, first served, but you can note your preference with your reservation, and the restaurant will try to accommodate.

11 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127

Visit Website

A courtyard within a tall building features nice patio furniture, including a table under a vine-covered trellis. — The Publico Street Bistro & Garden courtyard.

Also featured in:

Vee Vee

Vee Vee, a longstanding neighborhood favorite in Jamaica Plain, finally debuted its brick-lined “secret patio” in spring 2022 after extensive renovations to an under-utilized courtyard. As the weather warms up, find a seat at covered and uncovered tables under string lights where folks can enjoy the seasonal American cuisine and tasty desserts, like coconut cake.

763 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Dbar

From the outside, you’d never know that Dbar — sibling to Boston Chops and Deuxave, and an essential piece of Boston’s gay nightlife scene — houses a gorgeous patio. The artsy oasis is fairly isolated from the bustle of Dorchester Avenue and contains a mix of covered and uncovered areas, eclectic light fixtures, murals, and greenery.

1236 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA 02125

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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Daddy Jones

525 Medford St, Somerville, MA 02145

Eat spanakopita, lamb burgers, gyros, and other Greek favorites on Daddy Jones’s colorful and sunny Magoun Square patio. Walk-ins only.

Open in Google Maps

525 Medford St, Somerville, MA 02145

Visit Website

Overhead view of a restaurant patio with an assortment of colorful metal chairs, round white tables, trees, and umbrellas. — The patio at Daddy Jones.

Brewer's Fork

7 Moulton St, Charlestown, MA 02129

Brewer’s Fork has made itself quite a destination, serving up irresistible pizzas, one of the best beer lists around, and more. The family-friendly patio, too, is a standout.

Open in Google Maps

7 Moulton St, Charlestown, MA 02129

Visit Website

A small restaurant patio, set up against a red brick building, features wooden tables, string lights, and trees lining the edge. — The Brewer’s Fork patio.

Oleana

134 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139

One of the most beautiful patios in the area can be found at Oleana in Cambridge, where diners can enjoy chef Ana Sortun’s award-winning Mediterranean cuisine in a garden-like setting behind the restaurant. Patio seating is in high demand and is first come, first served; good luck.

134 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Visit Website

An outdoor restaurant patio features small wooden tables on a brick surface, heat lamps, and lush greenery. — The Oleana patio.

Seabiscuit

256 Marginal St Building 16, Boston, MA 02128

Located in an artsy shipyard with stunning views of downtown Boston, East Boston’s Seabiscuit serves excellent Australian meat pies — carrying on the tradition and recipes of the space’s former occupant, KO Catering & Pies — and an enviable year-round patio worth the trek it takes to find it.

Open in Google Maps

256 Marginal St Building 16, Boston, MA 02128

Visit Website

Mare Oyster Bar

223 Hanover St, 3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113

Away from the street and the crowds of tourists that pack the North End on a warm day, Mare, a seafood-focused restaurant from local restaurateur Frank DePasquale, is a great option for a lounge-like feel. This outdoor space is complete with fire pits, couches, tables, and a great view of the Financial District skyline.

223 Hanover St, 3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113

Visit Website

A restaurant’s outdoor patio with fire pits, white umbrellas, and lounge seating with red cushions — The patio at Mare Oyster Bar.

Lone Star Taco Bar

479 Cambridge St #477, Allston, MA 02134

When beloved Allston bar Deep Ellum closed in 2020 after a 13-year run, its sibling and neighbor, Lone Star Taco Bar, expanded into the space — including the popular patio hidden out back — so all was not lost. Frozen margaritas and beef barbacoa tacos in the great outdoors, tucked away from the busy street? Yes, please.

Open in Google Maps

479 Cambridge St #477, Allston, MA 02134

Visit Website

Devlin's

332 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135

This one’s quite sizable for a hidden patio, but it’s away from the street, set back down an alleyway next to the restaurant. The Devlin’s patio features a mix of covered and uncovered sections, and there’s a shipping container bar. Patio seating is first come, first served.

332 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135

Visit Website

Select Oyster Bar

50 Gloucester St, Boston, MA 02115

Tucked behind the restaurant, the Select Oyster Bar patio has a dark and moody feel with a covering and sparse lighting. Bright artwork adorns the nearby brick wall. Bring a date and share a big raw bar platter. (There’s also a less hidden, sunny patio out front.)

Open in Google Maps

50 Gloucester St, Boston, MA 02115

Visit Website

Porto

Ring Rd, Boston, MA 02199

Porto — the Mediterranean seafood restaurant from the Trade team — features an oasis of a patio in Back Bay, up above street level and full of cozy lounge furniture and bar. A retractable awning provides sun protection when needed, and a television comes out for special events. (Plus, it’s heated in colder weather.)

Open in Google Maps

Ring Rd, Boston, MA 02199

Visit Website

Audubon

838 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02215

Right near Fenway, Trina’s Starlite sibling Audubon is an energy-packed spot on game days or any time. The uncovered, bamboo-filled patio behind the restaurant is enclosed by a tall fence, giving it a secluded feel. Heaters are available in cooler weather.

838 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02215

Visit Website

Bamboo stalks and a high wooden fence surround a casual restaurant patio, with string lights hanging above. — The Audubon patio.

B&G Oysters

550 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

The pretty, sunken patio at B&G Oysters has lots of greenery, a mix of sunny and shady spots, and heat lamps when needed. Why not indulge in one of the best lobster rolls in town on it?

Open in Google Maps

550 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Visit Website

Light-colored tables and chairs sit on a nice wooden restaurant patio with trees coming over one wall and string lights above. — The B&G Oysters patio.

SRV

569 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02118

The pleasant string light-bedecked, 40-seat patio behind the restaurant is surrounded by brick walls and ivy — the perfect place to enjoy SRV’s outstanding Venice-inspired small plates, pasta, and other Italian cuisine.

Open in Google Maps

569 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02118

Visit Website

A wooden restaurant patio is surrounded on two sides by brick buildings, one covered in ivy. There are string lights above. — SRV patio.

Publico Street Bistro & Garden

11 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127

Publico Street Bistro & Garden is one of the only places in town to find a European-style courtyard fully surrounded by a building. It features covered lounge areas, its own bar, and televisions. Courtyard seating is first come, first served, but you can note your preference with your reservation, and the restaurant will try to accommodate.

11 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127

Visit Website

A courtyard within a tall building features nice patio furniture, including a table under a vine-covered trellis. — The Publico Street Bistro & Garden courtyard.

Vee Vee

763 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Vee Vee, a longstanding neighborhood favorite in Jamaica Plain, finally debuted its brick-lined “secret patio” in spring 2022 after extensive renovations to an under-utilized courtyard. As the weather warms up, find a seat at covered and uncovered tables under string lights where folks can enjoy the seasonal American cuisine and tasty desserts, like coconut cake.

763 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Visit Website

Dbar

1236 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA 02125

From the outside, you’d never know that Dbar — sibling to Boston Chops and Deuxave, and an essential piece of Boston’s gay nightlife scene — houses a gorgeous patio. The artsy oasis is fairly isolated from the bustle of Dorchester Avenue and contains a mix of covered and uncovered areas, eclectic light fixtures, murals, and greenery.

1236 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA 02125

Visit Website

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