NOW's survey of T.O.'s best patios is organized by neighbourhood. To be extra helpful, we've included other notable restaurants in each area.

= Critic's top-50 pick
 B   = Barrier-free: When NOW labels a patio "barrier-free," it has at least one entrance where there are no steps, its tables are reasonably spaced and its washrooms are located on the same floor although they're not necessarily equipped with assistance.

Yorkville

Panorama 55 Bloor West, at Bay, 416-967-0000. If you suffer from claustrophobia or acrophobia – or both – Panorama, the penthouse bar on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre, won't be your idea of a place to party. After a two-minute ride in a cramped elevator, you step out into an elegant nightclub in the clouds. Two outdoor terraces – one facing north toward tree-shrouded Rosedale, the other south to the downtown core and islands beyond – are lined with patio furniture and a sure-grip rubber carpet. No one's been blown away. Yet.  B  

The Pilot 22 Cumberland, at Bay, 416-923-5716. The venerable downtown institution celebrates its 60th anniversary this year with the start of a long-term overhaul of its three floors, including its rooftop Flight Deck. Shielded from the wind and dust generated by the office towers at nearby Yonge and Bloor, the Deck offers patrons a chance to literally look down on the rest of Yorkville. With a seating capacity of 184, the breezy hideaway offers a pub grub menu that ranges from trendy pad thai, something called Calgary Ginger Beef (a Pilot exclusive, apparently) to a namesake 6-ounce burger on a kaiser that caused Joanne Kates to deem it "the King of Burgers." In 1953.

7 West 7 Charles West, at Yonge, 416-928-9041. Started in the 70s as a basement grotto, this restaurant-that-never-closes has taken over the entire three-storey Victorian just off Yonge. Its curbside patio may have a higher profile and a propensity to car exhaust, but West's tiny, rooftop deck that faces the downtown skyline makes a romantic setting for Tuna Melts in the middle of the night.

Also notable

Amber 119 Yorkville, at Hazelton, 416-926-9037. Fashionista central.

CROWN AND DRAGON 890 Yonge, at Davenport, 416-927-7976. Ye olde English pub across from ye olde Canadian Tire.

Duke Of Gloucester 649 Yonge, at Charles, 416-961-9704. Brit-pop jukebox and backyard rooftop grotto.

Hemingway's 142 Cumberland, at Avenue Rd, 416-968-2828. Monster rooftop patio open year round, with a sports theme.

Joso's 202 Davenport, at Avenue Rd, 416-925-1903. Once-naughty nudes overlook visiting b-list celebs and their publicists noshing on pricey seafood.

The Roof Lounge 4 Avenue Road, at Bloor West, 416-924-5471. Once Toronto's most famous outdoor hangout, it's seen better days but still retains literary cachet.

Saigon Sister 774 Yonge, at Bloor West, 416-967-0808. Upscale noodle house close to movie theatres.