Trocadero: Nothing makes me forget I’m in Wisconsin more than sitting on the heated patio (open year-round) at this French-inspired bar-restaurant. Once it’s truly warm outside, the terrace becomes open-air, all the easier to admire the Euro-cafe patio furniture, fountain and the stylin’ people that tend to mill about. 1758 N. Water St., 272-0205.
Jackson Grill: What more do you need when there’s the city’s oldest Siberian elm tree in the backyard? The simple steaks-and-chops restaurant allows 90 people to see the tree at a given time – that’s the seating capacity on the patio, whose summer landscaping is tended by the green-thumbed staff. 3736 W. Mitchell St., 384-7384.
Milwaukee Ale House: A dramatic scene plays out here. From your seat on the Ale House’s two-level terrace, you can watch boats float past on the Milwaukee River, pedestrians stroll the Riverwalk and new condos take shape across the water. No wonder the patio’s packed on most summer nights. 233 N. Water St., 226-2337.
Tess: Outside dining shouldn’t be on a sidewalk next to a parking meter with exhaust fumes from buses filling your nostrils. It should be like Tess’ quiet backyard patio, separated from the surrounding neighborhood by privacy-guarding foliage. The modest furniture is interspersed with potted greenery – a great backdrop when you’re sipping Pinot Grigio and nibbling on a piece of fish. 2499 N. Bartlett Ave., 964-8377.
Rip Tide: Wow, can you beat this view? The patio cups the southwest side of this Fifth Ward seafood restaurant, offering majestic views of the graceful Hoan Bridge and stalwart Allen-Bradley clock tower. Most of all, it shows off Lake Michigan, threading into the Milwaukee River (or vice versa), to marvelous effect. 649 E. Erie St., 271-8433.
Taqueria Azteca: Covered, sided and dolled up with festive Mexican decorations, this patio only needs the lively, piped-in Latin music to make you forget there’s a busy intersection (Chase and Oklahoma) just beyond the parking lot. Actually, all you need is a margarita and some chips and guac to vicariously place you somewhere south of the Rio Grande. 119 E. Oklahoma Ave., 486-9447.
Barnacle Bud’s: If you don’t want to feel like you’re in the city when you’re in the city, BB’s is the place. The lonesome looking fish shack and adjacent deck offer functional picnic table seating for diners and a stark, peaceful vista. Visible beyond the serene Kinnickinnic River location is an interesting mixture of decay (decrepit old factory buildings) and modernity (the Downtown Milwaukee skyline looms to the north). 1955 S. Hilbert St., 481-9974.
The Knick: A classic front terrace raised a foot above the sidewalk and dotted with round, umbrella-topped tables and people drinking Cosmos and white wine. Pleasantly urban, with passing cars, Downtown dwellers roaming on foot, outdoor festival music drifting through the breeze, a few looming high-rises, and the knowledge that the lakefront is just over there.1030 E. Juneau Ave., 272-0011.
Roots Restaurant & Cellar: The southwest placement of the patio is key. As the sun sets, you have a stunning view – arguably the sexiest view – of the Milwaukee skyline, bathed in pastel colors. 1818 N. Hubbard St., Brewers Hill, 374-8480.
Coast: A fenced-in concrete patio on the east side of the restaurant offers a direct view of two of Milwaukee’s loveliest lakefront developments – Pier Wisconsin and the Calatrava addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum. 931 E. Wisconsin Ave., 727-5555.
Bayou: The New Orleans fusion restaurant in the hot East Side/Milwaukee River development area has its first taste of patio season this summer. The wooden addition to the building faces the river and seats upwards of 50 people. The look is simple, modern steel – urban meets the natural world. 2060 N. Humboldt Blvd., 431-1511.
La Fuente: The buzz is obvious here. Umbrellas in primary colors shade the wrought-iron tables. Turquoise and navy tiles accent the outdoor bar and decorative fountain. Servers – Coronas and baskets of chips in tow – are as omnipresent as drinkers wearing summer smiles. 625 S. Fifth St., 271-8595.
