It’s spring and in Lexington, that means patio season: 50+ restaurants and bars to try

Spring is at last upon us, but to put a different twist on a poetic phrase – young men’s (and women’s) fancies are turning to where they can find a good outdoor dining spot.

In 2020, with restrictions placed on indoor dining during the coronavirus pandemic, many Lexington and Central Kentucky restaurants added or expanded their outdoor seating options.

And the changes proved incredibly popular. Let’s face it, Lexington’s always been big on patio dining. But these days competition is fierce for those shady seats.

After a winter of discontent and being cooped up, the idea of patio dining will turn many of us into warriors, competing for every bit of green space we can find. No need for food fights; here’s a list of places that will have your outdoor table ready and waiting.

These are by no means the only restaurants in and around Lexington with outdoor options, just some of our favorites. Many popular local chains like Malone’s and Drake’s, for instance, also have great outside seating.

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Neighborhood favorites

Azur

3070 Lakecrest Circle #550; 859-296-1007; azurrestaurant.com. Any restaurant that has a patio large enough to hold a farmer’s market must be in demand, and when you add the shade trees that protect from the hot sun, it’s no wonder Azur’s patio is so popular. Now it feels even roomier as the number of tables has been reduced to provide social distancing.

Coles 735 Main

735 East Main Street, 859-266-9000; Coles735main.com. This popular spot has always had a compact patio with a few tables, but with the pandemic came the need for more. A tent with 25 tables now complements six tables on the gazebo patio, so there should be plenty of socially distanced room for everyone.

J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar

3191 Beaumont Center Circle; 859-533-9777; jrendersbbq.com. Look for the bright red umbrellas and you’ve found this spot offering the South’s favorite dishes. Some 22 tables wrap around the restaurant’s exterior seating 65 people. In addition, there are two fire pits with Adirondack chairs and side tables for those who just want to drink.

Sutton’s Restaurant

110 North Locust Hill Road; 859-268-2068; suttonsrestaurant.com. This Italian favorite has 65 outdoor seats – 35 under umbrellas and 30 under a lighted awning.

Pietana

210 Rosemont Garden; 859-687-0333; pietana.com. This dog-friendly neighborhood pizza place has two options for outdoor dining – a tent with picnic tables and a patio.

Sage Rabbit

438 S. Ashland Ave.; 859-523-2095; thesagerabbit.com. This small Chevy Chase restaurant has an equally small covered patio open to masked patrons and their muzzled dogs. Sage Rabbit’s farm-to-table menu and craft cocktails are the draw.

Bear & The Butcher

815 Euclid Ave.; 859-469-9188; bearandthebutcher.com. This pub-style restaurant on Chevy Chase’s main drag has two patios – an upper and lower level – which seat a combined total of 40. It’s strictly first come-first served, so don’t complain if you have to wait. Their UV lighting system sterilizes the air on both patios.

Charlie Brown’s

816 Euclid Ave.; 859-269-5701; facebook.com/cblex. This Chevy Chase staple was doing patio dining before it was cool. They have added curbside seating in front to go with the patio in the back.

Marikka’s

411 Southland Dr.; 859-275-1925; marikkaslex.com. You get double the patio pleasure at this Southland Drive German restaurant/bier stube which has two patios.

The Ketch

2012 Regency Road; 859-277-5919; ketchseafoodgrill.com. The Southland-area restaurant is often off the radar, but it’s worth a visit, both for the seafood and for the umbrella-shaded patio.

Mi Pequena Hacienda

3501 Lansdowne Dr.; 859-245-4679; mipequenahacienda.com. This Mexican favorite has added a tent for additional seating.

The Cellar Bar & Grille

3256 Lansdowne Dr.; 859-317-8301; cellargrille.com. This suburban restaurant has 19 patio tables all with umbrella shade.

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Hidden gems of patio dining in Lexington

Kentucky Native Cafe

417 East Maxwell; 859-281-1718; michlers.com. Michler’s, better known for its floral arrangements and plants, turned the space behind their greenhouse into a beer garden which also has a limited menu. At night, lights strung throughout the trees turn it into an urban woodland garden.

Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano

4456 Old Nicholasville Rd.; 859-272-4053; giuseppeslexington.com. They have expanded the small patio to seven tables with umbrellas. Especially popular on weekends when they have live music.

Gingko Tree Cafe

120 Sycamore Road; 859-971-2763; facebook.com/gingkotreecafe/ At this charming café on the grounds of the Henry Clay estate, al fresco dining is the only option. Lots of shade trees and umbrellas keep it cool. And the food is from Selma’s Catering, so you get great sandwich options. Opens in May.

Jean Farris Winery & Bistro

6825 Old Richmond Rd.; 859-2639463; jeanfarris.com. Book a table on the patio overlooking the winery’s sprawling vineyards.

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Shop and patio dine

Palmer’s Fresh Grill

161 Lexington Green Circle; 859-273-0103; palmersfreshgrill.com. Located at Lexington Green adjacent to Joseph Beth Book Store, Palmer’s provides a picturesque setting on a deck overlooking a small lake. The deck has 12 tables, and the outdoor bar, which also serves food, has seven.

Bronte Bistro

161 Lexington Green Circle; 859-422-1429; brontebistro.com. Palmer’s next-door neighbor is located inside Joseph Beth Bookstore. It also has a large patio with tables overlooking the lake.

Honeywood

110 Summit at Fritz Farm; 859-469-8234; honeywoodrestaurant.com. Customers can pick up their orders curbside and enjoy them al fresco at the scattering of outdoor tables and chairs at The Summit shopping center.

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Downtown Lexington patio dining favorites

Zim’s Cafe

215 W. Main St.; 859-785-3690; zimscafe.com. One of Lexington’s more unusual patios, it wraps around the beautifully renovated historic Old Fayette County Courthouse.

Horse & Jockey Pub

131 Cheapside; 859-554-5585; horseandjockeypub.com. You get a three-for one here. This gastropub has both a large umbrella-filled patio and an upstairs outdoor bar where food is served, as well as outdoor picnic tables.

Oscar Diggs

155 N. Limestone; 859-523-8305; odiggs.com. The front patio has seven tables, some with umbrellas. And there are plans for a larger outdoor presence with the nearby restaurants.

Minglewood

159 N. Limestone; 859-523-1236; m.facebook.com. Happy Hour comes every day (except Tuesday). Enjoy those Bloodys and bourbons – along with small plates – on their compact patio.

Doodles

262 N. Limestone; 859-317-8507; doodleslex.com. This small spot in what was once a filling station has a devoted local clientele. To keep them satisfied, it has added a tent for extra seating.

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

101 W. Vine St.; 859-554-7000; jeffruby.com/Lexington. Look for the bronze horse statue and row of jockeys in their colorful silks and you have arrived at Jeff Ruby’s 1,800-square-foot patio, which even with social distancing can accommodate more than the average patio.

Carson’s Food & Drink

362 E. Main St.; 859-303-3039; carsonsfoodanddrink.com. Although they have had to downsize during the pandemic, Carson’s large patio facing Main Street is one of the city’s most popular. One change from last year – if you want a patio table, you will need to make a reservation.

Sav’s Restaurant and Gourmet Ice Cream

630 E. Main St.; 859-785-1635; savslex.com. Sav’s offers sidewalk seats to enjoy West African fare and gourmet ice cream. In addition, they have upgraded the parking lot experience from a tent to a covered dining area with gravel replacing concrete and an arbor garden.

J. Gumbo’s

808 N. Limestone; 859-286-9239; jgumboslex.com. The large outdoor space behind the restaurant has all the makings of a first-class patio: umbrellas, lights and vine-covered walls.

Favor

574 N. Limestone; 859-687-0100; eatfavor.com. Go for weekend brunch at this spot with a big outdoor seating area behind Arcadium.

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Romantic patio dining in Lexington

Merrick Inn

1074 Merrick Drive; 859-269-5417; themerrickinn.com. Located on the grounds of what was once the manor house of a Thoroughbred horse farm, the restaurant is equally loved for its famous fried chicken and its spacious pool-side covered patio.

Graze at the Woodlands

111 Woodland Ave.; 859-309-2490; grazeky.com. The restaurant’s covered front patio is small and intimate, so you’ll need to stake out your table early to avoid disappointment.

Dudley’s on Short

259 W. Short St.; 859-252-1010; dudleysonshort.com. Sidewalk tables are in great demand here, but it’s the rooftop patio and garden that is the main draw. Even in a pandemic, this is Lexington’s most romantic dining spot.

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Jefferson St. & Distillery District patio dining

Distilled on Jefferson

157 Jefferson St.; 859-317-8360; distilledonjefferson.com. When Mark Wombles moved his restaurant Distilled to what was Nick Ryan’s, he inherited two patios (one covered) for lovers of outdoor dining.

Blue Heron Steakhouse

185 Jefferson St.; 859-254-2491; blueheronsteakhouse.com. To allow for social distancing, they added more square footage to their side patio deck with retractable awnings to accommodate every kind of weather.

Stella’s Kentucky Deli

143 Jefferson St.; 859-255-3354; stellaskentuckydeli.com. The shaded patio that runs alongside the restaurant is the very definition of intimate, especially as the already small space has removed tables to allow for extra room.

Goodfella’s Pizzeria

1228 Manchester St.; 859-523-5280; goodfellaspizzeria.com. This Distillery District stalwart has a patio overlooking Town Branch Creek and if that isn’t enough, the pizza slices are huge. And you can step next door to Ethereal Brewing and grab a pint to sip in the shade too.

Break Room at Pepper

1178 Manchester St.; Facebook.com/Break-Room-At-Pepper. This dive bar has a terrific creekside deck over Town Branch as well as picnic tables around a firepit. Sometimes they do a pop-up with sister restaurant Sidebar Grill but more often there are food trucks around to grab a bite.

In fact, the whole Lexington Distillery District’s Pepper Campus, which sits along Town Branch, has fantastic outside seating from Wise Bird Cider and Fusion Brewing along the creek to Crank & Boom Ice Cream and Elkhorn Tavern.

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Off the beaten track patio dining

Double Dogs

1916 Justice Dr.; 859-963-4150; facebook.com/doubledogslexington/ A great place to take your (well behaved) dog for an outing as both of you are welcome on the eight-table patio.

Apollo Pizza

Apollo Pizza, 1451 Leestown Rd.; 859-523-2992; apollopizzamenu.com. The restaurant’s rear patio is deceptively roomy, with more than 60 seats, mostly covered and all on a first come, first served basis.

Papi’s Rapido

1214 South Broadway; 859-866-0057; Facebook.com/PapisRapidoLex/ You won’t find anything but outdoor seating at this popular taco stand. Pick a taco (vegans and vegetarians included) and find a picnic table under one of their red umbrellas.

DV8 Kitchen

DV8 Kitchen, 867 S. Broadway #140; 859-955-0388; dv8kitchen.com. The patio has 10 tables with seating for both couples and larger groups.

BRU Burger Bar

3010 Lakecrest Circle; 859-303-0082; bruburgerbar.com/Locations/Bru-Lexington. Lots of tables providing nothing but shade as some are covered seating and the rest have umbrellas.

Rolling Oven

725 National Ave.; 859-447-8146; rollingoven.com. Located inside Mirror Twin Brewing, they have set up a large beer garden – complete with picnic tables and umbrellas – in the parking lot.

Campestre Mexican Bar & Grill

910 Beaumont Centre Parkway; 850-368-7779; campestre.com. This Southside Mexican restaurant has covered seating under at the front.

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New patio dining in Lexington

Boonedogs

5902 Old Richmond Td.; 859-554-6000; boonedogslex.com. One of Lexington’s newest eateries has one of its largest outdoor areas with an acre of green space. There are six tables on the patio and an additional 25 picnic tables on the lawn.

Ranada’s Kitchen

496 E. High St.; 859-687-1000; ranadaskitchen.com. Another newcomer, Ranada’s latest venture has seating for 40 on a brick-walled patio with lighting, umbrellas and foliage. Future plans call for a bar to be wrapped around a large tree.

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Patio dining worth a drive

Proud Mary BBQ

9079 Old Richmond Road; 859-913-5611; proudmarybbq.com. It always seems like party time here on the huge deck overlooking the Kentucky River, but with spaced out tables, the party follows COVID guidelines.

The Stave

5711 McCracken Pike, Frankfort; 859-879-0191; thestavekentucky.com. Go ahead and make the drive for their treehouse patio where all the seating is under cover.

Wallace Station Deli & Bakery

3854 Old Frankfort Pike, Frankfort; 859-846-5161; wallacestation.com. No one is doing more to ensure the safety of diners than this restaurant. Customers pick up their order from an outside counter, and then eat in the expanded tree-shaded picnic area at the rear of the restaurant.

Holly Hill Inn

426 N. Winter St., Midway; 859- 846-4732; hollyhillinn.com. Another spot to have a picnic, albeit an upscale one. With chef Ouita Michel’s “Supper to go,” you can dine at tables on the lawn or the spacious front porch.