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

15 Delightful Hidden Patios Around Boston

Dine outside in charmingly secluded spots

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Oleana’s back patio.
| Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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

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

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

Brewer's Fork

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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.

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.
Brewer’s Fork

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.

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

Seabiscuit

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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.

Mare Oyster Bar

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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.

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

Lone Star Taco Bar

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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.

Devlin's

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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.

Select Oyster Bar

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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.)

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.)

A white patio with white tables and chairs and green vines with yellow lemons strung overhead.
The summery Porto patio.
Porto

Audubon

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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.

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

B&G Oysters

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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?

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.
Susie Cushner/B&G Oysters

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.

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

Publico Street Bistro & Garden

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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.

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

Vee Vee

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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.

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.

Daddy Jones

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

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

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.
Brewer’s Fork

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.)

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.)

A white patio with white tables and chairs and green vines with yellow lemons strung overhead.
The summery Porto patio.
Porto

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.

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

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?

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.
Susie Cushner/B&G Oysters

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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