We love Beijing summer nights, when we never want to eat dinner inside. Pictured here is Brasserie Flo's spacious outdoor terrace, which features comfortable seating and green plants for an almost tropical feel. The menu changes based on seasonal tastes. For ¥168, get a dinner set that includes an amuse-bouche, starter, main course and dessert.

One of our all-time favorite dinner spots is Assaggi's rooftop patio. Located in the quiet north Sanlitun neighborhood, it’s a tranquil delight with great service and food to match. Try the summer salad (¥65) made with rugola, sundried tomatoes, smoked chicken and artichokes. Another nice rooftop is Mughal’s Restaurant, atop Nali Patio. Watch the sunset while eating delicately spiced Lahori fried fish (¥56) or the creamy Pakistani-style palak paneer (¥49). Also in Sanlitun, Rumi boasts unparalleled Persian cuisine and a spacious outdoor dining area. Must-order dishes there include the lamb rib chops (¥80) and tangy chicken koobideh (¥54). The restaurant is BYOB with no corkage fee, but we’re happy with the extensive list of fresh juices—the pulpy strawberry juice (¥28) is a refreshing treat on a sultry summer evening.

Beijing’s historic neighborhoods offer beautiful courtyards and idyllic outdoor dining. Argo, the Greek restaurant on Wudaoying Hutong, features an intimate rooftop patio. This romantic spot is perfect for sharing a plate of Greek appetizers (Argo plate, ¥50) or a succulent chicken kebab (¥70). Just down the street is Saffron's outdoor courtyard, where you can enjoy sublime sangria (¥36/glass) and killer paella (¥160 for two). One of the city’s most popular restaurants in the summertime, Dali Courtyard, in a hutong off of Gulou Dong Dajie, consistently gets rave reviews on our website. The restaurant offers set menus from ¥100 to ¥300, and the dishes can be tailored to your tastes. While the authentic Yunnan cuisine is tasty, the candlelit courtyard alone is enough to keep diners coming back.

Another romantic spot is Le Quai's lakeside deck, near the south end of Workers Stadium. The restaurant’s upscale, healthy Chinese cuisine draws Chinese celebrities and art world elite. For something much more casual, Tim's Texas BBQ offers down home Texan food that’s consistently excellent. The generously portioned beef brisket (¥80) is the signature dish. Tim’s Tuesday quiz nights are super popular, and during the summer, there are speakers hooked up so you can participate even while sitting at the picnic tables outside.

Wine Daze

Palette Vino This romantic hutong spot offers both rooftop and courtyard dining and wine drinking opportunities. It shares an owner with Palette Wines, so you’ll find over 300 wines from more than 10 countries, as well as 20 wines by the glass. Every Friday, taste five wines for ¥100. Every third Saturday of the month, get free-flow wine for three hours for just ¥150.

Invito With a beautiful lakeside terrace and second floor balcony, Invito boasts some of the most peaceful al fresco dining in the city. The summer menu focuses on light, shared tapas items. The wine selection includes some top shelf bottles acquired at wine auctions, but the specials on by-the-glass wines served from the Enomatic wine machine keep the place affordable.

Pinotage Run by the people behind Winelink, the city’s only South African restaurant caters to wine lovers. Glasses start at just ¥25. You can also taste all of the wines on the list for ¥80, and there’s always a selection of 12 wines you can taste free. Located just outside the city, the large outdoor porch is surrounded by greenery and ideal for summer evenings.

Camoes The Legendale Hotel is the closest thing Beijing has to Versailles, so it naturally has a gorgeous garden and outdoor dining area. The hotel’s Camoes Portuguese Restaurant stocks Portuguese wines, ranging from the Coroa d’Ouro (¥310) to the pricier Quinta dos Carvalhais (over ¥1,000). The ¥108 business lunch also comes with a glass of sangria.

Le Little Saigon This Vietnamese restaurant’s leafy rooftop is a beautiful spot to sip French wines. This May, three reds, two whites and one rose wine are all discounted ¥50 from 5-7pm. The six were selected to suit warm weather and Vietnamese food and include the velvety, thirst quenching Cotes de Duras-Domaine Les Roques and the fresh and fruity Rose Fruite.

Enoteca Enoteca’s terrace launched the first weekend of May and it’s a great spot to spend summer evenings. Not only do you get an unrivaled view of whatever weirdness is on The Place’s stunning LED screen, but you’ll also enjoy reasonably priced wines and special deals almost every day of the week. For example, wines by the glass are buy-one-get-one-free Monday-Friday, 4-7pm.

Brunch Bliss

There’s no better place to spend a sunny Sunday than outdoors, and Beijing has al fresco brunches galore. For a real taste of nature, head to The Orchard. The restaurant is surrounded by flowering trees and an idyllic lake. Produce and herbs grown onsite feature prominently on the menu. This spring, the brunch buffet (¥180, ¥100 for kids, free for kids under 4) features new treats, including a local cheese plate. Outdoor seating is limited, and brunch is popular, so reservations are a must.

For some greenery right in the heart of the city, check out Asia Bistro at the JW Marriott. The Italian brunch is ¥288 for adults, and includes free-flow Bellinis and Prosecco. Kids 6-12 are half price, and children under 6 eat free. The brunch looks out onto a gorgeous terrace, surrounded by trees, and there’s tons of room for kids to run around and have fun. Cafe Zarah's outdoor tables provide the perfect spot for people watching on a weekend afternoon. Order a powdered sugar waffle (¥20) or a “Good Morning Beijing” (¥40)—two rolls, cheese, salami, cucumber and one egg. Sip your café au lait (¥30), browse the net with free Wi-Fi and soak in the Gulou hipster fashions.

It seems no matter where you are in the city these days, there’s an Element Fresh close by. The Sanlitun, Qianmen and Lido branches are all equipped with outdoor decks, and each will be a popular brunch spot this summer. The breakfast menu features huge sets, as well as a variety of dishes and add-ons so you can mix and match to create your own ideal brunch—which for us is the bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese (¥60).

Lush Lunches

Livewell This healthy café’s Central Park location makes it perfect for the CBD lunch crowd. Sit outside next to a grassy hill and munch on a chicken avocado sandwich (¥38) on fresh ciabatta bread paired with a berry indulgences smoothie (¥29). Next door, iF sells Beijing’s best fresh juices, and neighboring Pekotan has a good range of snacks and deli items.

Panino Giusto The strip of Western restaurants on Xingfucun Zhonglu is an expat magnet, especially on warm, sunny days. Panino Giusto offers outdoor tables and what may be the biggest sandwiches in the ‘Jing. The menu is extensive, but we particularly like the porcone (¥28)—coppa salami, rucola, cheese, tomato and whole grain mustard on ciabatta.

Mosto This is one of our very favorite restaurants in the city, and they offer a lunch deal that won’t break the bank. Get two courses for ¥80 or three for ¥95. The menu changes weekly based on fresh, seasonal ingredients, and always features salads, ceviches, fish, meat and pasta dishes. Enjoy it on the balcony while over looking out over Nali’s leafy courtyard.

The Elephant Situated just across from the north gate of Ritan Park, this branch of the Elephant offers nice, umbrella-covered tables, decent Russian food and unrivaled Yabaolu people watching. We love the tasty, healthy borsch (¥25) here, and the nine choices of fresh juice (¥25/glass, ¥100/bottle) are perfect for warm weather. We recommend the “lemon apple” and pineapple.

Xiao Wang Fu Right inside Ritan Park, you’ll find this popular Chinese restaurant. They’ve got two levels of beautiful outdoor dining and are especially known for their Beijing duck (¥78/half, ¥138/whole), roasted with wood from fruit trees. The deep-fried crispy bean curd with mild chili sauce (¥48) and fried hot spicy Xinjiang style chicken wings (¥48) are also delicious.

Alba The Gulou restaurant formerly known as e.a.t. still serves our old favorites like summer pasta (¥38) but has added a number of desserts, gnocchis and lasagnas. The sunny rooftop dining area is equipped with comfortable couches and large umbrellas and offers sweeping views of the Nanluoguxiang and the Gulou neighborhood. Free Wi-Fi makes it a good spot to spend an afternoon.

Metro This longtime expat favorite features a ¥70 lunch menu that changes regularly, as well as outdoor patio seating out front during warmer months. There are soups, salads and tapas for the first course, and a number of pastas and sauces, as well as other mains, for the second. Add ¥10 and you get tea, coffee or a scoop of ice cream.

Nola The city’s first restaurant serving food from the American South is conveniently located for lunch and offers a nice second floor porch area for outdoor dining. Don’t miss out on the sea bass, shrimp and crawfish jambalaya (¥95) or the deliciously creamy shrimp and grits (¥77). For a Mad Men style lunch, get an authentic mint julep (¥30) before heading back to the office.

Sweet Spots

With terraces overlooking Tian'anmen Square, Capital M is famous for some of the best views in the city. We think this stellar al fresco dining destination should also be known for having some of the capital's best desserts. We adore the pavlova (¥98), topped with fresh fruit and passion fruit sauce, but for sweet-toothed decadence, you can’t go wrong with a “truly grand dessert platter,” which includes eight different cakes and sweets for ¥108 per person (minimum two people).

Another great dessert spot with a view is Crystal, on the rooftop of The Emperor Hotel. Look out over the Forbidden City while indulging in a slice of fresh seasonal fruit cake (¥57) or a rich American cheese cake (¥67). Over in Sanlitun, you can relax in Sureno's sunken garden while sharing the famous “TmSU experience” tiramisu (¥111) or the dessert tasting platter (¥148), which comes with five sweet treats.

While better known for their cocktails, Q Bar also serves some excellent desserts. The rooftop terrace, expanded and renovated last summer, is a luxurious spot for the delicious cream yogurt (¥40), raspberry pavlova (¥35) or mousse au chocolate (¥30).

Another Sanlitun dessert staple is Gustomenta. Run by an Italian family that's been making gelato for generations, it's our pick for a cool summer treat. The Sanlitun and Gongti branches both have outdoor seating. Gelato is ¥15 for one scoop, ¥25 for two or ¥35 for three. We strongly recommend the pistachio and hazelnut flavors.