Best Patios in Scottsdale: Old Town vs North Picks

Scottsdale has some of the best outdoor patio dining in the entire Southwest, and the good news is you don't have to guess your way through it. If you want to plan a Palm Springs-style patio day, use the same comfort and vibe checklist to find the best patios Palm Springs has to offer best outdoor patio dining. Whether you're after a lush garden patio in Old Town, sweeping mountain views up north, a dog-friendly perch for happy hour, or a buzzing bar patio with live music, there's a spot here that fits your evening perfectly. The short version: Old Town is your go-to for walkable, neighborhood-energy patio hopping, while North Scottsdale delivers resort-caliber views and a quieter, more scenic feel. Read on and you'll know exactly where to head.

Quick picks: best patios for dining and drinks in Scottsdale

If you want the fastest possible answer, here are the standout patios across Scottsdale right now, grouped by what they're best for.

Best patio restaurants in Old Town Scottsdale

Old Town is where Scottsdale's patio culture really comes alive. The neighborhood is walkable, the energy picks up as the sun drops, and almost every good restaurant here has invested seriously in its outdoor space. What makes Old Town patios especially enjoyable is the practical comfort tech baked in: most spots run cooling misters and overhead fans in summer, plus propane heaters when winter nights get cool. You can actually eat outside comfortably year-round, which is the whole point.

Old Town Tortilla Factory

This is the classic Old Town patio experience and it earns that reputation honestly. The patio is 1,400 square feet of flagstone, shaded by pecan trees that are over a hundred years old, and the whole thing sits inside a restored 85-year-old adobe property. At night the space is lit warmly and heated with propane heaters when needed. The centerpiece Fire-Water Patio makes it especially good for groups who want atmosphere with their meal. It's hard to beat for a longer dinner where you want to actually linger.

The Mission

The Mission is a fixture in Old Town and for good reason. The patio here channels a moody, warm energy that works equally well for a date night or a dinner with out-of-town guests you want to impress. It runs on reservations, so book ahead, especially on weekends. The food leans modern Latin with solid cocktails to match the outdoor setting.

Café Monarch

Café Monarch gets called out consistently as one of Scottsdale's most picture-perfect outdoor spaces, and the lush garden patio delivers on that. It's intimate and romantic in a way that not many Old Town patios manage. If you're planning a special dinner and want something that feels genuinely tucked-away rather than scene-y, this is the move.

Virtù Honest Craft

Virtù runs a heated outdoor courtyard patio that works well across multiple day-parts. They do brunch on Saturday and Sunday, then dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The outdoor courtyard has a quieter, more refined feel compared to some of the louder Old Town spots, which makes it a strong pick if you want good food and actual conversation. Bar seating is also available if you want a more casual perch.

Craft 64

Craft 64 sits in the Scottsdale Arts District end of Old Town and keeps things relaxed and approachable. The patio is comfortable without being fancy, and the combination of local craft beer, wine, and artisan wood-fired pizza makes it an easy choice for a laid-back lunch or early evening session. Happy hour runs from 3 to 7pm every day, which is genuinely one of the more generous windows in the area. Good for solo diners, couples, or a small group that doesn't want to overthink it.

Camelback Veranda

Camelback Veranda is part of Caesars Republic Scottsdale and it punches above its weight for views over Old Town. The open-air, rooftop-style feel here is different from the garden-patio vibe you get elsewhere in the neighborhood. Daily happy hour runs from 5 to 6pm, making it a natural first stop before moving on to dinner. It's more of a drinks-and-small-plates patio than a full dinner destination, but the setting earns its spot on the list.

Best outdoor patio restaurants in North Scottsdale

North Scottsdale swaps the urban buzz of Old Town for open desert scenery, mountain backdrops, and resort-level outdoor spaces. The patios up here tend to be bigger, quieter, and oriented around the landscape itself. If you're staying in a North Scottsdale resort or just want to feel like you're genuinely out in the Sonoran Desert while eating well, this is your territory.

Desert Pony Tavern

Desert Pony Tavern is a gastropub with breathtaking views of the McDowell Mountains and an open-air patio setup that makes it feel more like a destination than a neighborhood bar. One practical detail worth knowing: the patio and bar stools are walk-in only, no reservations required. That's a refreshing policy if you want to show up spontaneously. They also do live music on select evenings, which adds to the atmosphere without making it feel like a concert venue.

Spotted Donkey Cantina at The Boulders

The Spotted Donkey Cantina out at The Boulders resort has a large outdoor patio with desert vista views that are hard to match anywhere in Scottsdale. This is a resort-adjacent experience, so expect polished service and a setting designed around the surrounding landscape. It's a strong pick for a leisurely dinner when you want the scenery to be part of the meal. Reservations are available and worth using.

Talavera at Four Seasons Scottsdale

Talavera sits inside the Four Seasons Scottsdale property and the outdoor terrace here is exactly what you'd expect from a Four Seasons: scenic, well-appointed, and genuinely beautiful at sunset. This one is best saved for special occasions or when you want to treat yourself or a guest to something elevated. The patio lounge area adds flexibility if you want drinks and smaller bites rather than a full dinner.

Best patio bars and breweries for an evening on the patio

Not every great patio night needs to revolve around a sit-down dinner. Scottsdale has a solid lineup of patio bars and breweries where the outdoor space is the main attraction and the drinks are the point. Here's where to go when that's the plan.

Hula's Modern Tiki (Old Town)

Hula's has a seamless indoor-outdoor layout with a breezy street-side patio that feels genuinely light and airy. The tiki-inspired cocktail menu is fun without being gimmicky, and the crowd tends to be relaxed and friendly. Importantly, Hula's is explicitly dog-friendly, which makes it one of the best options in Old Town if you're bringing your pup along. Reservations are only needed for parties of 8 or more at the Old Town location, so most groups can just walk in.

Goldwater Brewing Co.

Goldwater is a solid local brewery with a dog-friendly atmosphere both indoors and outdoors. The outdoor patio accommodates up to about 20 guests, so it has an intimate feel rather than a sprawling beer-garden vibe. It's a natural fit for a laid-back afternoon or early evening with craft beer and easy company. The happy hour experience here is consistently described as relaxed and unpretentious, which is exactly right.

Boondocks Patio & Grill

Boondocks leans fully into the social, lively patio bar experience. The open-air setup includes TVs, a stage for live music (Friday nights and daytime Saturday and Sunday with football season), plus pool tables, darts, and arcade-style games. It's not a quiet dinner destination but it's one of the best spots in Scottsdale if you want a high-energy group evening outside. DJs run on most busy nights as well. Think of this as the patio bar for people who want the full experience.

Moxies

Moxies earns its spot on this list for practical comfort reasons as much as vibe. The patio is equipped with both misters and heaters, meaning it works across Scottsdale's wide seasonal range, and the TVs make it a reliable sports-watching patio for groups. It sits in a comfortable middle ground between a full patio restaurant and a pure bar, which gives it flexibility depending on what your group needs.

Outdoor patio venue attributes: what to look for

Scottsdale's outdoor dining scene is genuinely excellent but not all patios are equal once you factor in your specific situation. Here are the practical attributes worth checking before you commit to a reservation or walk-in.

Comfort and climate control

This matters more in Scottsdale than almost anywhere else. Summer temperatures can be brutal, and evenings in winter can get genuinely cold. The best patios address both ends: misters and fans for summer heat, propane heaters for cooler months. Old Town Tortilla Factory, Virtù, Moxies, and most established Old Town patios have invested in this infrastructure. Always worth confirming if you're visiting in July or December specifically.

Vibe and ambiance

Scottsdale patios range from lush and garden-like (Old Town Tortilla Factory, Café Monarch) to open desert and mountain-view oriented (Desert Pony Tavern, Spotted Donkey, Talavera) to street-side and social (Hula's, Craft 64). Think about whether you want the patio to feel like an escape from the city or an extension of the neighborhood energy around you. Both are great; they just deliver different experiences.

Dog-friendly seating

Not every Scottsdale patio welcomes dogs, so it's worth confirming before you show up. Confirmed dog-friendly options include Hula's Modern Tiki and Goldwater Brewing Co., both of which explicitly accommodate pets in their outdoor areas. Desert Pony Tavern's walk-in patio policy also tends to be casual and pet-accommodating, though always worth a quick call to confirm.

Reservations vs. walk-in

Some of the best patios in Scottsdale (The Mission, Virtù, Spotted Donkey) are reservation-driven and can fill up fast on weekends. Others, like Desert Pony Tavern and Hula's for smaller groups, are intentionally walk-in friendly. Knowing which category a spot falls into before you go saves a lot of frustration, especially during peak season from October through April.

Seating capacity and group fit

Goldwater Brewing fits up to about 20 people on their patio, which is intimate but works well for small gatherings. Old Town Tortilla Factory's 1,400 square foot flagstone patio handles larger groups comfortably, as does Boondocks. If you're planning something for 10 or more, factor patio size into your choice early.

How to choose the right Scottsdale patio for your plan

The best patio for you depends on what kind of evening (or afternoon) you're actually trying to have. Here's a quick decision framework based on the most common plans.

• Lunch or casual afternoon: Craft 64 is the easiest call, with a 3–7pm happy hour that starts in the afternoon and a relaxed patio that doesn't feel weird to visit solo or with one other person. Hula's and Goldwater also work well for daytime visits.
• Date night: Café Monarch for romantic and intimate, The Mission for a more classic upscale Old Town setting, Virtù for something quieter and refined with excellent food. All three benefit from advance reservations.
• Groups of 6 or more: Old Town Tortilla Factory handles groups best in Old Town with its large flagstone patio and Fire-Water Patio setup. Boondocks is the best choice if your group wants entertainment alongside the outdoor space. For North Scottsdale groups, Spotted Donkey has the capacity.
• Dog-friendly outing: Hula's Modern Tiki and Goldwater Brewing Co. are your confirmed options. Both are casual, social, and designed for relaxed visits.
• Views and scenery: Desert Pony Tavern for accessible McDowell Mountain views with a walk-in patio. Spotted Donkey or Talavera at Four Seasons if you want resort-level desert scenery and are willing to head north.
• Sports and live music: Boondocks for live music and TVs in an open-air setting. Moxies for a comfortable sports-watching patio with heaters and misters.
• Happy hour on a budget: Craft 64 runs 3–7pm daily. Camelback Veranda does 5–6pm daily for a rooftop-feel opener. Goldwater Brewing runs a laid-back happy hour that's easy on the wallet.

One final thing worth knowing: Old Town patios are designed for dine-arounds. The neighborhood is compact enough that you can start with drinks at Camelback Veranda or Hula's, move to dinner at Old Town Tortilla Factory or The Mission, and finish with a nightcap without ever getting in a car. That's a pretty hard patio experience to beat anywhere in the Southwest, and it's part of what makes Scottsdale stand out compared to spread-out cities like San Diego or San Francisco where the patio scene is more scattered across neighborhoods. If you want the same patio-hopping vibe closer to the coast, check out the best patios in San Diego for standout dining spots Scottsdale stand out compared to spread-out cities like San Diego or San Francisco. If you love San Francisco patios, the same “start with drinks, then settle in for dinner outdoors” approach still works, just look for neighborhoods with lots of street-facing seating. If you're visiting from out of town, parking once in Old Town and exploring on foot is genuinely the best strategy. If you’re looking for the best patios in Albuquerque instead, it helps to narrow down your vibe and neighborhood first.