Outstanding outdoor restaurant patios in Calgary

Whether it’s sunny or not, many Calgarians can’t resist the lure of an outdoor restaurant patio. The best feature great views, secluded locations or unique seating arrangements, but these seasonal seating areas may also feature their own special food and beverage menus. Here are a few top outdoor spots where you can enjoy exceptional open-air meals this summer. Image credit: iStock.com/stevecoleimages.

By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

The Palomino Smokehouse

109 7 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0W5

• Phone Number
  • 403-532-1911Primary
• Directions
• Menu

The Palomino’s backyard patio feels like it’s miles off of the busy Seventh Avenue CTrain line – if you close your eyes, you can imagine that you’re eating barbecue in the American South. Order some of the Pal’s authentic brisket or pulled pork and wash it down with a beer from the bar’s extensive draught and tall-can selection.

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Julios Barrio

1110 Memorial Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 3E3

• Phone Number
  • 403-203-3066Primary
• Directions
• Menu

Perched on the corner of Memorial Drive and 10th Street Northwest, Julio’s second-storey outdoor space offers one of the best patio views of Calgary’s downtown skyline. Take in the vista while you chow down on some tacos, fajitas or burritos and drink one of Julio’s many varieties of bulldog – a beer upended in boozy slush, it’s perfect for summer sipping.

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Ship & Anchor Pub

534 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 0B1

• Phone Number
  • 403-245-3333Primary
• Directions
• Menu

The Ship and Anchor’s streetside patio on 17th Avenue Southwest is the best seat in the city for summer people watching. Daytime or evening, this is a sociable place to hunker down in good company at a no-frills picnic table with a pitcher of beer and a Ship Burger. During the pub’s live music performances the west side of the patio is a good listening post.

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Broken City Social Club

613 11 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0E1

• Phone Number
  • 403-262-9976Primary
• Directions
• Menu

The rooftop patio at Broken City on 11th Avenue Southwest in Beltline is a sunny and secluded spot to enjoy a drink in the daytime and, if you’re lucky, enjoy a live band performance on the upstairs stage in the evening. In the summer months, the patio features a full-service bar as well as dedicated washrooms, so you don’t have to trudge up and down the stairs.

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More from Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth is a freelance writer and Best of Bridge cookbook co-conspirator. A Calgarian obsessed with retro dish ware, she avidly collects vintage recipe books, Pyrex and jelly salad molds. She writes food, travel and lifestyle stories for Avenue, Today’s Parent, The Calgary Herald, Swerve, Culinaire and City Palate and co-edits Rolling Spoon and Wapawekka Travel.‬

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