Local restaurants featured on best outdoor dining list
Posted May 15, 2026 10:37:43 AM.
Last Updated May 15, 2026 10:47:48 AM.
OpenTable has released its annual Top 100 Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in 2026 list, and a handful of local mentions made the cut.
Three businesses in Waterloo are featured, including Sole Restaurant, The Bauer Kitchen, and Wildcraft. In Kitchener, Charcoal Steak House was highlighted, and down Highway 7, Bardo Guelph made the list as well. For those looking to head out to Elora, OpenTable’s list suggested you stop by The Friendly Society.
OpenTable data showed 74 per cent Canadians plan to dine outdoors at least once a month this summer, specifically in July.
Compared to last year, outdoor dining has reportedly jumped 24 per cent.
The list comes as the Victoria Day weekend kicks off, marking the unofficial start to summer.
“The desire to dine outdoors even holds up when the forecast doesn’t, with a quarter saying they have stayed at their outdoor table during bad weather instead of moving indoors,” reads a statement from OpenTable.
And the patios aren’t just for you and your human friends, the data from OpenTable showed there has been a 39 per cent increase in dog-friendly restaurants coast-to-coast over the past year.
The annual list goes through more than one million diner reviews, ratings and reservation demand.
In Ontario, 45 restaurants made the list, 21 in British Columbia,18 in Alberta, 10 in Quebec, three in Atlantic Canada, two in Manitoba and one in Saskatchewan.
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