Denver's ten best restaurant patios

Cafe|Bar

The patio at Cafe|Bar is one of Denver's best.

It's above 80 degrees right now in Denver, which means that for the past several hours, we've been doing nothing but daydreaming of our favorite patios, counting down the minutes until we can shut down the computers and head outside for a drink. Adding urgency to our mission is the fact that it's supposed to be cold again tomorrow...and Saturday.

So in the spirit of celebrating today -- and the onset of late spring and early summer -- here, in no particular order, are Denver's ten best restaurant patios.

Mark Manger

Ignite!, 2124 Larimer Street
Ignite!, which I review this week, may not exactly be our top choice for food in the neighborhood, but there's no arguing with the lure of its outdoor attributes. Skip the street-side strip of tables for the rooftop deck, where you'll be rewarded with a partial view of the skyline, a full view of what's going below you -- and in Ballpark, you never know what that might be -- and a spot where you'll want to while away several hours drinking beer.

Linger, 2030 West 30th Avenue
The views from inside Linger, the restaurant Justin Cucci built on the edge of Highland in the old Olinger mortuary, are breathtaking, but from the roof? Drop-dead gorgeous. And that's why the place ia packed full of people sipping a special run of cocktails from plastic cups, taking in the panoramic views of the cityscape from beneath the twinkling lights of the patio and Olinger sign. The deck is eventually getting its own kitchen and a bar, one of which may be in a food truck.

Lori Midson

Cafe|Bar, 295 South Pennsylvania Street
Owner Dane Huguley carefully considered the neighborhood when he set out to build Cafe|bar, and then he worked hard to fill a missing niche. And part of his master plan was an oasis-like patio, where trees and umbrellas provide shade and stone-lined walls provide intimacy, creating a perfect hideaway for whiling away an afternoon or night, when candles in mason jars add charming ambiance.