Fresco, Party of Four, Al Fresco: Great Outdoor Dining Options, Part 1

Although the spring has been a bit cooler than normal, outdoor weather is upon us, and al fresco dining options are improving each week. The Beijinger takes a semi-organized, multi-part look at where to soak up the sun while sipping or supping. For addresses and reviews, click on the restaurant's name.

Athena: With its cerulean color scheme, on a sunny day one might just think of Mykonos at this northern Sanlitun Greek restaurant. This is an excellent choice for a lunchtime breath of fresh air, as it's in walking distance of offices as far away as the Kempinski Hotel, and with an affordable lunch buffet.

The Big Smoke Bistro: Their outdoor seating is a bit slanted and most of the restaurant still lies inside, but this is a spot in an increasingly hot dining and entertainment neighborhood is a fine place to sip sangria or enjoy some barbecue. The Thursday night RMB 72 rib deal may be a good time to ride the angle on the patio.

Bleu Marine: Another fine escape-from-the-office daytime spot, this is an old-school steak place in a neighborhood once known for Mexican Wave. Don't mess around: go for the beef, served on a cutting board, complete with real French frites. No better place to meet visitors: they can come from or go to the Silk Market, you can go straight from or to work.

Blue Frog: Perhaps the ultimate see-and-be-seen fair weather deck. Grab your big sunglasses and charge up your mobile phone, it's going to be a long afternoon on Tai Gu Li's coolest outdoor dining area. Happy Hour starts at 4 pm if you want to get things rolling with a Blue Frog Long Island Iced Tea, and their popular, former Beijinger Burger Cup-winning burgers are a buy-one, get-one-free Monday night thing. Either way, get there early.

Cafe Alba: Popular with non-eaters of meat and other health nuts, this spot is popular both for pizza and dessert, and is a draw for laptop nomads in the Gulou area. Reader Brendan O'Kane noted that wi-fi coverage may not reach the roof, so, oh shucks, you might just have to sit outside and enjoy yourself rather than pretend to work. Just use the 3G on your iPhone to send photos of yourself on Weibo and call it a win.

Cafe Sambal: A stalwart of the Gulou dining and drinking scene, Cafe Sambal offers contemporary Malaysian cuisine (the butter-floss prawns are head-shakingly delicious), and they serve mojitos by the bucket. Yes, the bucket. The restaurant transforms during warmer weather, as its top comes off to become an al fresco spot concealed within a remodeled courtyard. Look for the red lantern to reveal its location.

Capital M: Winner of Best Outdoor Dining (Fine Dining) at the 2013 Reader Restaurant Awards, this is a venue with a view, the only one it seems where one can have the Best Dessert (Capital M won that, too) in Beijing while gazing out across the rooftops of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The slow-cooked lamb is wonderful, but if nothing else, go for the Pavlova. Have the Pavlova. Really. It's worth the trip. Just sit on the deck and eat it. The menu is terrific, the literary festival (in March) is inspired, but please, have the Pavlova.

Cantina Agave: Probably the newest entrant to this list, Cantina Agave serves up solid Mexican food at a dual-story venue whose deck overlooks most of Tai Gu Li South. An afternoon of appetizers and plenty of their agave (yes, tequila)-based drinks could leave one lying on the deck, not just sitting on it. Bring sunscreen and a hat and the illusion of being on the Mexican Riviera might be complete.

Dali Courtyard: Chosen as an Outstanding venue in our Reader Restaurant Awards for outdoor dining, Dali Courtyard may be the simplest meal in Beijing: make a reservation, tell them the size of the party, and then all that's left is wine selection from their solid wine list. For RMB 120 per person, the multi-course meal then just emerges from the kitchen to the table, featuring Yunnan delights including wild mushrooms, shrimp, and mixian (thin rice noodles). Book early, especially in the summer. Dali Courtyard also deserves mention as perhaps the best outdoor dining venue in the rain: the limited numbers of covered tables even make a downpour a delight.

The Den: The Den is about as old school as it gets in post-Olympic Beijing. Now at least 15 years in the exact same location, the deck is a mainstay for post-hangover breakfasts and brunches, working lunches, and outdoor dining and drinking, both daytime and night. Now that the City Hotel is closed, Den denizens need not worry too much about keeping the noise down outside, and even a whiff of Gongti Beilu exhaust may be preferable to the often thick atmosphere inside. Happy hour, for both drinks and pizza, begins at the stroke of 5 pm, although at a 24-hour venue like this, it's easy to lose track of time.

Photo by Steven Schwankert/The Beijinger