Fresh Air & Fine Fare 

Sip, savor and soak in springtime on some of Boulder’s best al fresco patios

By Chloe-Anne Swink

Sipping a carefully curated cocktail on a patio in good company. The winter fog has lifted. Crisp spring air has brought everything back to life. Boulder is buzzing and the smell of fresh blooms floats by with the breeze. 

There’s magic in the air on spring nights spent outdoors listening to live music. 

And if there’s one thing most people can agree on, I have to guess it’s a love for dining, sipping and soaking in life’s greatest pleasures from the patio of a good restaurant. Fortunately, Boulder has no shortage of these. For al fresco aficionados, there are a few that cannot be missed.

Brunch & Teatime

Simply stepping through the doors of the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse is enough to satisfy the most yearning wanderlust. From the tediously carved and hand-painted ceramic panels that plate the exterior to the vibrant interior, dressed floor-to-ceiling in traditional Persian artistry—it’s nothing less than a wholly engaging sensory experience. 

Plan a brunch or afternoon tea in the outdoor tea garden alongside Boulder Creek. Lush trees, rose bushes and vining plants crawling across a quaint wooden pergola provide plenty of shade and an air of whimsy. 

Brunch is available on weekends and teatime is every afternoon. Guests can sample their way through various cultural influences, from Indian fare to Persian, Italian and Mexican dishes. Much of the menu is crafted from ingredients sourced from owners Lenny and Sara Martinelli’s Three Leaf Farm.

If you choose to visit the teahouse during teatime, book the renowned Afternoon Tea. It’s an elegant white linen event fit for royalty, complete with three-tiered trays of teatime treats.

The pinnacle of the experience is, of course, sipping carefully curated tea blends amongst the idyllic backdrop of the tea garden. Sara Martinelli recommends her favorite tea and the teahouse’s most popular, Boulder Breakfast, as well as Blue Moon, a blueberry vanilla tea, and Lady Grey’s Garden, a traditional Early Grey tea with added organic petals of jasmine, rose and lavender. 

Happy Hour

Located along Pearl Street, Japango boasts not one but five distinct outdoor dining areas to choose from. Master sushi chef Yukiji Iwasan spearheads the menu, which flaunts modern takes on exquisitely crafted traditional sushi and sashimi. But what might come as a surprise to many is the whiskey—particularly the bourbon-forward—bar program that the seasonal sushi menu is juxtaposed with. 

Jon Banis (co-owner of Japango along with his wife Erin) came to Colorado by way of Louisville, Kentucky. It’s the impressive selection of rare and novel spirits that Jon has poured himself into procuring—from Japanese whiskey to Scotch, to Kentucky bourbon—that make this eccentric sushi hotspot such a standout among the Boulder restaurant scene.

“You can go and find this stuff in Aspen, or you can go find it in some of the bigger restaurants with more high-end offerings, but we wanted it to be—our bar program to be—a place where you could go and try some of those whiskeys that you can’t get your hands on, and can’t get a bottle of elsewhere,” says Erin Banis. 

With a myriad of outdoor dining options to choose from, you’re sure to find your Goldilocks spot.

The “Succulent Garden” is an intimate covered patio, touting a cozy fireplace, overhead heaters and limited seating. Prefer to sip whiskey amongst the action? There are two seasonal patios situated on Pearl Street. You’ll find dining tables, lounge furniture and a view of the street performers, as well as an extended patio courtesy of Boulder’s outdoor dining program that emerged after the pandemic. 

Date Night

Embark on a journey through Colorado’s rich history as you step into River and Woods, a restaurant housed in a quaint and cozy century-old mining cabin, with a few modern updates, of course. Meander through the dining area, kitchen and then a small outdoor area before sliding open a large wooden barn door to reveal a lavish backyard patio. The feeling is reminiscent of that which I’d imagine arriving at a party in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to be. 

With a retractable metal roof and a tent-like structure, River and Woods’ patio can be enjoyed comfortably year-round. 

Even with the tent walls draped down to close out the cold, the feeling of dining outdoors remains. The ground is a turflike material, and hedges draped in twinkling fairy lights surround the patio’s perimeter. Tower heaters keep the space warm—even on a 37℉ February evening—and natural wood tables add to the well-appointed, outdoorsy atmosphere. 

“River and Woods has always been our love letter to Boulder. It’s the kind of place that can’t be reproduced or faked. Our quirks are authentic, and we embrace them.” says owner, Josh Dinar. 

The menu is small, farm-fresh and feels warm and intentional—a mixture of quintessential Colorado comfort cuisine with a bit of quirk and flare. The Zimmer Challah bread recipe is worthy of an award. It survived World War II and complements the historic setting. Not to mention, it’s exquisite alongside the accompanying pine and lavender butter spread. 

Make pergola reservations on a night when live music is scheduled. From the cocktails and the farm-fresh fare to the decorative details, the experience feels purposeful in every way—fit for indulging in a special night you won’t soon forget.