A pair of Goldendoodles, 7-year-old Cody, left, and Tettley, 2, wait as their owners have lunch at the Lazy Dog Restaurant in Downtown Summerlin Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016.
Saturday, March 17, 2018 | 2 a.m.
With any luck, these next few weeks will bring some ideal days to the Las Vegas area — not too hot, not too windy.
There are several ways to enjoy Las Vegas’ all-too-brief springtime, from hiking our trails to visiting our parks and attractions — but nearly all of them should include a meal at a restaurant with inviting patio seating. Here are five:
Marche Bacchus in Desert Shores is widely recognized as one of the best off-Strip restaurants in Las Vegas.
Marche Bacchus
The French cuisine served at this west side hideaway is legit — filet mignon with a foie gras red wine reduction, lobster salad croissant, truffled goat cheese Napoleons and more. But as good as the food is, the patio — a picturesque lakeside terrace that can truly be called an out-of-Vegas experience — nearly surpasses it. You’ll want to take a cab or ride share out here, get a bottle from the adjoining wine shop, and make a mini-staycation of it. 2620 Regatta Drive #106, 702-804-8008.
Kirk and Lisa Richards eat lunch at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar’s dog-friendly patio Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, in Downtown Summerlin. With them are their dogs Big Mac, left, a 4-year-old Bull Mastiff mix, and Bluie, a 2-year-old French bulldog.
Lazy Dog
This Town Square/Downtown Summerlin favorite serves up rib-sticking American chow — bison burgers, sundried tomato pesto pasta, cobb salad — and a weekend brunch that includes such can’t-miss plates as Bananas Foster French toast. But the real attraction here is Lazy Dog’s patio, where your canine friends are allowed, even encouraged, to dine with you. Their menu is a bit more limited — hamburger patties, chicken breasts and brown rice — but they’ll love it anyway. Downtown Summerlin: 1725 Festival Plaza Dr., 702-727-4784; Town Square, 6509 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-941-1920.
Shortly after 6am, Javier Hernandez sets a table at Mon Ami Gabi on the Strip Friday, March 8, 2013.
Mon Ami Gabi
Enjoy croque monsieur, salad maison and salmon with fingerling potatoes in the shadow of Vegas’ scaled-down Eiffel Tower at this Paris Las Vegas favorite. Truthfully, this place is better with out-of-town visitors — it’s the most civilized place for watching the Bellagio’s fountains, hands down — but sometimes it’s fun to go here and just pretend you’re visiting this city for the first time. 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-944-4224.
Kitchen Table
Dining on Kitchen Table’s gardenlike patio is too often a matter of necessity: The wait for brunch at this beloved Henderson restaurant can be a long one. But it’s absolutely worth it for the time spent at a shaded table, chatting with family and neighbors … and for the pork belly benedicts, buttermilk pancakes and chile Colorado, all of which are positively exceptional. 1716 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy #100, Henderson, 702-478-4782.
The industrial-ish downstairs space at the newly opened Carson Kitchen.
Carson Kitchen
The idea of a vibrant Downtown Las Vegas is perfectly embodied in this indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar, built into a former hotel. The fare is sophisticated comfort food — try the bacon jam or black rice and oxtail risotto, we beg you — and you have a choice of outdoor settings in which to enjoy it: an elegant rooftop patio with a bar, or an enclosed courtyard with a fire pit. 124 S 6th St #100, 702-473-9523.
