After a brutal winter, it’s finally warming up — time to grab a table outside at these new outdoor eateries.
All Aboard
North River Lobster Company
Pier 81, West 41st Street at the water; 212-630-8831, northriverlobsterco.com, open daily
Crack into a lobster and hit the high seas — er, the Hudson River — on the North River Lobster Company boat, opening Saturday. A casual floating restaurant onboard serves a seafood-heavy menu — including fresh Maine lobsters ($29, shucking instructions included), lobster rolls ($18) and a raw bar — while three boozy bars (one on each deck) keep passengers lubricated with Mason jar cocktails ($12), beer ($6 to $7) and wine ($7 to $9 a glass). The ship takes diners on a short, 45-minute cruise, departing from Midtown’s Pier 81 four times daily at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Miss the boat? No worries. There’s also an adorable dockside dining area, festooned with brightly painted buoys, for those who prefer eating on land.
Get a square meal!
The Pavilion
20 Union Square West; 212-677-7818, thepavilionnyc.com, open daily
After six years of back and forth with local opponents, the Pavilion restaurant has at last opened within the beautiful, historic structure of the same name, giving the downtown crowd its own version of Tavern on the Green. With custom wood tables and a sprawling view of Union Square Park, the 100-seat patio is a perfectly lovely setting in which to enjoy blue Maine mussels and fries ($18.50), or hanger steak with mashed potatoes and kale ($23.50). The majority of the produce chef Mario Urgiles prepares comes straight from the Union Square Greenmarket. How’s that for local?
Spaghetti Western
Baker & Co.
259 Bleecker St.; 212-255-1234, bakernco.com, open daily
With paper-bag luminaries and a rustic ambience, the cozy garden at this new West Village spot is just right for a low-key romantic dinner. The flavorful Mediterranean fare — ravioli with smoked eggplant ($18), fava bean salad ($12) — is perfect for dining al fresco.
“The freshness of the fava beans combined with the crunchiness of the snap peas, with the slightly salty pecorino Romano, make for a perfect hot summer night’s dish,” partner Markus Dorfmann says of the latter menu item.
Plus, a retractable clear awning means a spontaneous summer shower will never dampen your meal — or the mood.
Feel the Heat
Martha
184 DeKalb Ave., Brooklyn; 718-596-4147, marthabrooklyn.com, open Tuesday to Sunday
Sitting beneath white canopies on the back patio at this unpretentious neighborhood restaurant feels like dining at the home of your best friend — who just happens to grow his own Asian herbs and vegetables and have experience in one of the country’s top restaurants. Martha owner and chef Andres
Valbuena is an alum of the French Laundry, and his spicy fare — lamb larb ($14), long beans with Thai bird chilies ($9), a broken seafood crêpe ($18) — is bold but refined. Valbuena takes inspiration from Asian street food, making his menu particularly suited to eating outside.
His food, he says, is “refreshing, fun to eat.” It’s also quite delicious.
Buenos Tiempos in BPC
El Vez
259 Vesey St.; 212-233-2500, elveznyc.com, open daily
Stephen Starr’s 200-seat Mexican eatery by way of Philly offers an overthe- top interior bedecked in bright colors and punchy illustrations, to be sure. But outdoor seating wrapping along Vesey Street and North End Avenue beckons with alternative eye candy.
“The beauty of El Vez being in Battery Park City is the open sky, not tainted by soaring skyscrapers as you’d find in Midtown, not to mention the views of the Hudson,” says Starr. To properly soak up the sun, he recommends ordering tacos like the crispy soft shell crab or mahi mahi (both $16) with a frozen blood orange margarita ($11). Prolong your enjoyment and order a chocolate taco ($6) for dessert.
Ship Ahoy!
Grand Banks
Pier 25 (at North Moore Street), Hudson River Park; 212-960-3390, opens June
The 142-foot-long Sherman Zwicker schooner (pictured) is currently en route from Maine. But once it drops anchor at Hudson River Park’s Pier 25 in Tribeca in June, the historic wooden vessel will transform into Grand Banks, an oyster-boat bar that marks the return of Mark Firth (co-founder of Diner and Marlow & Sons) to the NYC restaurant scene. Seven varieties of local bivalves, from Blue Point to Tomahawk to Fishers Island, will be on offer, and there will be lectures on maritime history and food preservation. “Or,” says a spokesman, “you can just enjoy the oysters without the education.”
Central Air
Tavern on the Green
67th Street and Central Park West; 212-877-8684, tavernonthegreen.com, open daily
After standing dormant for four years, Central Park’s diamond dining hall has reopened under new owners at long last — just in time for summer dining in the New York institution’s 420-seat outdoor courtyard. Take in views of Sheep Meadow while nibbling on chef Katy Sparks’ new menu, featuring dishes such as Atlantic hake with Montauk clams and saffron and ginger-braised leeks ($34) and a selection of chilled seafood and ceviches that scream “summer Friday!”
Surf’s up!
The Cookout at Rockaway Beach Surf Club
3-02 Beach 87th St., Rockaway Beach; no phone, rockawaybeachsurfclub.com, open daily
Attention, surf dudes. For the past couple of years the Rockaway Beach Surf Club has been a great place to hang or grab a beer, but now it’s serving radical food, courtesy of the Cookout truck.
Luis Illades (Urban Rustic) has parked his food truck for the season in the backyard of the surf bar, which is uniquely located alongside the elevated MTA tracks. Plunk down on a bench made with reclaimed lumber washed up by Hurricane Sandy and enjoy Southern grub such as Carolina pulled pork ($14) or wings with a Sriracha-honey sauce ($9), perfect after a day on the waves.
“Post-surf or swim I am always ravenously hungry,” says co-owner Daniel Cipriani. “Sitting under the A train, watching a surf flick on the outdoor movie screen and smelling the salt air, combined with a frosty beer and a plate of barbecue, can’t be beat.”
In Fine Feather
The Peacock
24 E. 39th St.; 646-837-6776, thepeacocknyc.com, open daily
The William hotel’s British restaurant has an outdoor terrace that lends regal pomp to an outdoor repast.
“The mahogany bench and tables are set with colorful, bohemian pillows,” says the Peacock’s owner Jason Hicks. “It’s cozy and comfortable.”
Book a midday table like Pippa would and indulge in the new afternoon tea service ($50 for 2 people), complete with flowery china, tea cakes, crumpets, Devon cream and jams. For dinner, consider tucking into roast chicken with bubble and squeak ($27), or the roasted Scottish salmon fillet ($25) under the stars.