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Food & Drink

Top 5 patios for beer lovers

Amsterdam Brewhouse

245 Queens Quay W, at Lower Simcoe, 416-504-1020, amsterdambrewhouse.com

Coming up on its first anniversary, Amsterdam’s shiny new facility boasts a sprawling waterfront patio for 300. Decked out with the typical accoutrements of summer – uniform umbrellas, manicured planters, lots of wood – Amsterdam has some pretty tantalizing hooks. Where else (besides the cottage) can you recline in deck chairs steadily downing delicious craft beer while boats float by? Get free shared appetizers and pints of (416) Local Lager for $4.16 every Friday starting at 4:16 pm. Make a pit stop at the bottle shop, open 11 to 11 daily, to stock up for your next patio party.

Sunday to Tuesday 11 am to midnight, Wednesday and Thursday 11 am to 1 am, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 2 am. Closed some holidays. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free.


Olivia Manderson and Andrei Codrin Burcescu

Stefania Yarhi

Only Café

972 Danforth, at Donlands, 416-463- 7843, theonlycafe.com

A quirkier GreekTown version of Cheers, the Only’s got a warm, wooden back patio and one of the city’s meanest beer selections (24 mostly local taps, a cask and fridges full of bottles). Go solo and play fly on the wall to the fascinating crew of characters or knock back a few shared bottles with your homies.

Daily 10 am to 2 am. Closed some holidays. No reservations on patio. Licensed.

Katarina Kovacevic

Stefania Yarhi


Philippe Dupuis

Michael Watier

Mill Street Beer Hall

21 Tank House, at Trinity, 416-681-0338, millstreetbrewpub.ca

The Distillery is almost exclusively a seasonal district for me – when the sun’s shining and the cobblestones start radiating heat, it’s on. Mill Street’s year-old addition, the Beer Hall (which also houses a nano-distillery that produces beer schnapps), means even more space to down pints outdoors. Tap into Mill Street staples like Stock or Tankhouse Ale, or sip on a summer seasonal like Belgian Cherry IPA or Palomar Ale, a Mexican-inspired amber flavoured with chipotle and lime.

Monday to Wednesday noon to 10 pm, Thursday noon to midnight, Friday noon to 2 am, Saturday 11:30 am to 2 am, Sunday 11:30 am to 10 pm. Closed some holidays. Reservations accepted. Licensed. Access: barrier-free.


Laurie Hill

Stefania Yarhi

Bar Volo

587 Yonge, at Gloucester, 416-928-0008, barvolo.com

To say that patio space at Volo is a hot commodity is an understatement, so if you score a spot, you should probably stay for a few. And the charming terrace, with its wooden benches and leafy climbers, is not even Volo’s primary draw. Their legendary beer selection has been making beer geeks smack their chops for years. Cask ales and rotating taps (featuring nano-brewed house ales and cool collaborations) are padded by exclusive bottles from Cantillon, Dieu du Ciel and Mikkeller via sister agency Keep6 Imports.

Monday to Friday 4 pm am to 2 am, Saturday noon to 2 am, Sunday 2 to 10 pm. Licensed.


bellwoodsbrewery_large.jpg

Michael Watier

Bellwoods Brewery

124 Ossington, at Argyle, 416-535-4586, bellwoodsbrewery.com

An afternoon on Bellwoods’ patio is the legal equivalent and next best thing to drinking in its namesake park. Every sunny day marks an occasion to throw a raging hipster block party on the white-picketed front lot, a former auto garage. Opt for a pint of summery Saison or thirst-slaying Wizard Wolf, or keep it noncommittal with a flight of Bellwoods’ finest. When you finally peel yourself from one of the picnic tables, full of beer and barbequed meat, don’t forget to scoop a growler from the bottle shop on your way out.

Monday to Thursday 5 pm to close, Friday to Sunday 2 pm to close. Closed some holi- days. No reservations on patio. Licensed. Access: barrier-free.

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