Stubby● Summer guide
Patio Hunters
Seven patios where the outdoor seat is the whole point, west to east.
7 stops
When the first real warm weekend lands, this is the list. Seven patios where the outdoor seat is the whole point: waterfront Muskoka chairs, a hidden beer garden, a tree-shaded rooftop. It runs west to east so you can chase the sun across town, or just pick the one nearest you and stay all afternoon. Bring a crew.
The stops
A suggested order — not a ranking.
The far-west anchor: a large patio at an Etobicoke veteran that has been brewing since 1987. Start here early afternoon with a Canuck Pale Ale - the Canadian benchmark, drunk at the source - before you point east.
A converted auto shop with a wide range of styles and creative food to match. Order Scarpetta, the 4.2% pilsner built to start or finish a meal, and settle in with the group.
The beer garden sits right at the Ossington door, and a Jelly King on it is more or less Toronto's official drink of July - the raspberry-blackberry edition of the dry-hopped sour is the one to hold. Small and very popular, so land here mid-afternoon before the after-work crowd claims every seat.
A rooftop patio above the city on King West, unmistakable pink branding and a polished food program to match. This is your group stop - order the Lightweight lager, which is built for an afternoon of it - and it doubles as a pre-theatre spot if you're catching something at Roy Thomson Hall or the Royal Alex.
The Biergarten sits inside the heritage Roundhouse, right beside the CN Tower, and it runs year-round. One beer, done well, and the most photogenic patio on the route. Time it for golden hour when the sun lights up the tower.
A rooftop patio hidden behind a dense line of trees on Eastern Ave - blogTO calls it a standout, and it does feel like drinking inside a tree canopy above the century-old house the brewery occupies. Order the Truth Serum, the double dry-hopped IPA, and head up top for the early-evening light as the route turns east.
The eastern terminus, a relaxed, family-owned brewpub on Queen East with house craft beers and eclectic California-style eats. Order the Beach Bound Lager and let this be where the day winds down near the boardwalk.