5 Valley Eateries in Top 100 for Outdoor Dining

OpenTable data shows 54% increase in restaurants listing outdoor dining nationwide

COACHELLA VALLEY — Outdoor dining is heating up, and this year, diners will find more patios and streeteries to love nationwide — at least five of them in our own back yard.

The eateries that were named in Riverside County were Palm Springs, Palm Desert and La Quinta.

We won’t keep you in suspense. Drum roll, please.

Here are the 5 restaurants in the Coachella Valley that were ranked on the OpenTable list:

Spencer’s Restaurant – American
Copley’s on Palm Canyon – Contemporary American
FARM – French
Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant (La Quinta) – American
Mitch’s on El Paseo Prime Seafood (Palm Desert) – Californian/Seafood

Data from OpenTable shows the number of restaurants listing outdoor dining grew 54% compared to pre-pandemic 2019. And it’s a good thing, because diners are eager to dine al fresco: this year, many cities coast-to-coast saw double digit increases in outdoor dining reservations from April – May, and again from May – June.

To help diners discover a new favorite spot for outdoor dining, OpenTable released its annual list of the 100 Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining, curated from 13.6 million verified diner reviews. The list identifies restaurants coast-to-coast with great views, delicious cuisine and above all, an incredible outdoor dining experience. This year, 25 states feature restaurants on the list, making seeking out one – or many – a breeze, whether at home or away. To explore other outdoor dining options, use OpenTable’s Seating Options filter, available on its website and app, and select “Outdoor.”

“Outdoor dining played a major role in buoying the restaurant industry over the last few years, and restaurants took note – whether adding, expanding or elevating their offerings,” said Susan Lee, Chief Growth Officer for OpenTable. “Offering outdoor dining is now a key part of restaurants’ business, and we’re happy to see that diners continue to embrace it.”

Restaurants and Diners Revel in Al Fresco Dining
While nationwide, the number of restaurants listing outdoor space grew significantly, at the city-level, many saw double and even triple-digit increases. Those seeing the greatest increase in the number of restaurants listing outdoor dining space compared to pre-pandemic 2019 include: New York (141%), San Francisco (126%), Las Vegas (108%), Boston (92%), Beverly Hills (83%), Brooklyn (89%), Philadelphia (74%), Pittsburgh (77%) and Nashville (70%).1

Many cooler climate cities saw diners flock to patios and streeteries as soon as the summer season hit its stride. Cities with some of the greatest increases in outdoor dining reservations from May 2022 to June 2022 include Pittsburgh (53%), Chicago (49%), Boston (37%), Portland (31%), Cincinnati (28%), Baltimore (24%), Brooklyn (21%), Seattle (19%), Denver (19%), New York City (15%), Washington DC (9%) and Philadelphia (8%).2

The 100 Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining
This year’s list saw a greater range of cities compared to the last roster, debuted in 2019 – whether due to new nationwide culinary prowess or the pandemic-induced patio dining boost. New additions to this year’s list hail from Austin, Atlanta, Greensboro, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, New Mexico, Portland, San Antonio and Wilmington. This year, California saw the greatest number of restaurants on the list, featuring 37 restaurants across Los Angeles, Napa, San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Sonoma, Santa Monica, Carlsbad and more. Florida is runner up, featuring 11 restaurants from cities including Miami Beach, Naples and Key West.

The 100 Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in the US can be found here.

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