Perfect Peninsula patios.
quattro
East Palo Alto
For a sprawling patio surrounded by plants and bordered by a bubbling fountain, visit the contemporary restaurant housed within the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley. From now until mid-September, the restaurant is serving Middle Eastern fusion in tandem with its 1001 Nights popup event. Dip fresh pita into creamy hummus, or dig into beef shawarma with tahini sauce and a tangy fattoush salad with pomegranate molasses dressing. Surrounded by Moroccan lamps, metal latticework and colorful decor, you’ll be transported into an alluring Arabian bazaar. Order the Magic Lamp cocktail made with bourbon, chai tincture and coffee-walnut bitters and your server will pour your drink from a steaming oil lamp fit for any genie. Henna hand art and belly dancing will also be offered (check online for times). Return later in the year for an Alps-themed menu when the Après Village popup whisks diners away to a winter ski resort with chalet cabanas, firepits and heaps of blankets.
angelicas
Redwood City
Enter the shady, secluded patio at family-run Angelicas and find yourself a world away from the busy downtown streets. This shady, verdant oasis, its latticed walls lined with plants and cooled by a gently splashing fountain, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The popular restaurant and bar serves up California cuisine with a Latin twist and hosts live entertainment ranging from music to dancing and comedy. Start your day with the lechera pancakes, flavored with cinnamon, drizzled with sweet condensed milk and topped with a tart berry-apple compote. The happy hour menu features oysters, crispy potato taquitos and a refreshing hibiscus gin fizz. For dinner, find Euro-Mex fusion dishes like duck confit with housemade mole sauce and a flatbread pizza that combines Oaxacan cheese with pork belly and arrabbiata sauce.
moss beach distillery
Moss Beach
You can’t beat the view from Moss Beach Distillery’s Seal Cove Patio. Once a favorite haunt of mystery writer Dashiell Hammett, this restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean offers the perfect place to spot seals and watch whales while you dine on wild-caught seafood like petrale sole in citrus beurre blanc. Reserve a spot by a fire pit when the coastal fog rolls in, and stay warm with a bowl of cioppino and a Mexican coffee while keeping an eye out for the Blue Lady, the former speakeasy’s fabled ghost. When the sun shines, opt for signature cocktails like the Prohibition Mai Tai or Bootlegger Bloody Mary while lingering over an order of beer-battered artichoke hearts and crispy calamari. For your favorite pooch, it offers everything from dog beds and water bowls to a special canine menu.