Top 10 Patios In BC This Summer

Pier 7 Restaurant and Bar at the Pinnacle Hotel in North Vancouver has two levels of oceanfront patios with stunning views of the sweeping sea and Vancouver’s skyline that simply can’t be beat. One patio is open always, while the upper deck patio can be rented for private events with its own bar and more. Listed in Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants for outdoor dining too, try their brunch, happy hour or three-course meal deal.

The Boardwalk at Hotel El Dorado in Kelowna is perhaps the poster child when it comes to an idyllic Okanagan Lake waterfront patio. A long stretch of boardwalk is dotted with tables and shady umbrellas that welcome visitors and guests all summer long. This is where you take your visiting guests for a seafood lunch or happy hour with nibbles to wow them in the most BC-summery way.

The Aqua Lounge at JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and mega-Champagne brand Veuve Clicquot partnered to create a luxurious summer experience offered exclusively to hotel and spa guests only. Located on the 17th floor this patio has been decked out in the champagne brand’s signature orangey-yellow and is open during the summer, both day and night. Views of False Creek cannot be beat here, and it always feels like a party.

Water St Café in Vancouver’s Gastown is not on the water with a view and proves that a lovely patio doesn’t have to be either. This charming outdoor city-space with its wrought iron fence and checked tablecloths is situated right in the heart of the action, as Gastown is as busy and buzzy as ever. Great people watching on this corner of Water Street, and daily live patio music plays from 3pm-6pm during happy hour.

The Beach House in West Vancouver is tucked right on the seawall walk of Dundarave Park and is the perfect respite after a stroll on the beach. Tuck yourself under one of their signature black and white awning-striped umbrellas and sip a refreshing cocktail (Aperol spritz perhaps?) peering past the white picket fence into the vast ocean view. 

Aura Waterfront Restaurant + Patio at the Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria sits right on a beautifully scenic point in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Take in the city view while the yellow harbour ferries scoot across the water to Fisherman’s Wharf, and float planes take off and land nearby. Speaking of yellow, is it a coincidence that the deck chairs and patio umbrellas are the same shade? I think not and applaud them for it.

Vancouver Island’s Nanoose Bay Café just opened in 2023 and is only twenty minutes from downtown Parksville, located on the Fairwinds Marina in Schooner Cove. This panoramic patio has 30 seats overlooking the marina and has plenty of west coast, small town, seaside charm. Rediscover Parksville this summer, and this new restaurant for brunch, lunch or dinner with its fresh, local fare.

Umbrella Bar is considered by many to be Whistler’s best kept patio secret. With its 360-degree view from 1,850 metres up at the top of Whistler Mountain, the spectacular view is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Since this is a bar only, no food is served, so sip a local beer or BC wine and kick back taking all this BC mountain-view splendour in. Whistler in the summer is every bit as fun, and scenic, as in the winter months.

Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek Winery in Oliver boasts a patio that is cantilevered right over the vineyards, surrounded by fruit orchards, rolling hills and panoramic views of the valley below. Glass walls allow for everyone to see, no matter what table you’re seated at. As the sunsets later in the day, this patio takes on an ethereal quality that reminds one how special BC wine country really is.

The Jungle Room in Vancouver’s west end has a new patio that is open on sunny days, so get in on this while the weather cooperates. Truly an outdoor oasis in the city, with its dreamy vines that float overhead, exotic tile floors, plus new cocktail features are dropped monthly. Nibble on Indonesian share plates too.