SUMMER PATIO PICKS

Cassis Bistro

420 West Pender, 604 605-0420

One of Vancouver’s best-kept secrets. Cassis’ diminutive sliver of a patio lies at the rear of the room and looks out into an open lot in one of Crosstown’s sketchier back alleys. It can be positively idyllic at lunch, but it morphs into an eye-opener late in the evening. Try the Coq au Vin — superb, and a bargain!

Crave

3941 Main, 604 872-3663

What? A patio on Main that doesn’t face the street? This smallish lovely is tucked away in the back and stays relatively serene, even when full. Owner/chef Wayne Martin may have cut himself from the Four Seasons cloth (he was the executive chef downtown), but don’t let his whimsical menu fool you. The truffle-Parmesan fries in the poutine are served with a mayo made with foie gras and the gravy is a short-rib jus. For real.

DARBY’S

2001 MacDonald, 604 731-0617

A part of the Kitsilano landscape for over 25 years, Darby’s offers virtually everything you could want from a no-nonsense pub: a straightforward but consistently well-executed menu (burgers and steaks have earned their status as crowd favourites), big-screen TVs tuned in to the game, and an unpretentious all-ages crowd.

DOCKSIDE RESTAURANT

1253 Johnston, Granville Island, 604 685-7070

This Granville Island mainstay’s floor-to-ceiling windows (looking out onto stunning city and water views) and on-site brewery have made it a year-round magnet for tourists and locals alike. A succinct but pleasing menu (divided into “Water,” “Land” and “Off the Rotisserie”) delivers plenty of hits.    

Fiddlehead Joe’s

1-1012 Beach Ave, 604 688-1969

An unpretentious, undersung, and very much improved little restaurant on the False Creek seawall that does gangbusters in summer due to an even-keeled kitchen and a hot-ticket patio. If you’re into measuring the wide strides of svelte rollerbladers while tucking into braised pork belly, it doesn’t get much better than this.

THE FROG AND FIRKIN

1941 West Broadway, 604 734-3418

Facing out onto the bustle of West Broadway, the Frog and Firkin patio is a perennially popular spot — especially among weekend and after-work crowds, who settle down to its parasol-covered tables for classic, unpretentious English pub fare and well-priced pints of beer. Service is always friendly, and the place always pulses with the friendliness of a laid-back summer day.

THE GALLEY PATIO & GRILL

1300 Discovery, 604 222-1331

Perched on the second floor of the Jericho Sailing Centre, the Galley patio’s panoramic ocean and mountain views justify making the short trip from downtown Vancouver. The menu is strictly of the cheap and casual variety — burgers, dogs, wraps, a kids’ menu, and an 18-inch nacho platter that’s a group outing in itself.

NEW INDIA BUFFET & RESTAURANT

805 West Broadway, 604 874-5800

The sprawling all-you-can-eat buffet brings ’em in by the dozens. But even if you don’t associate rich and spicy Indian cuisine with the summer months, New India’s balcony seating (with impressive views of the downtown lights) makes it a good — if unlikely — seasonal gem.

Simply Thai

1211 Hamilton, 604 642-0123

Incredibly friendly service, knowledgeable wine pairings, and delicious — nay, inspired — Thai food are the main draws here (try any of the richly flavored Panangs). The patio lets slip wonderfully exotic aromas that make it a chore to walk idly by.

ZIN RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

1277 Robson, 604 408-1700

This longtime fixture of the Robson strip offers some of the summer’s best people watching, as an endless parade of shoppers, tourists and nightlife seekers stream past. Fortunately, the “West Coast cuisine with a global flare” menu is an even better reason to visit, with well-executed standbys like steak frites, to more inventive fare like Vietnamese Grilled Berkshire Pork.