The Resy Guide to Cozy Outdoor Dining in New York

Leading the pack with one of the city’s most enticing cold-weather setups is Dr Clark, the Hokkaido-inspired izakaya bringing kotatsu-style dining to the outskirts of Manhattan’s Chinatown. Picture a sunken table (shoes off!), under which a heavy blanket is deployed, keeping your lower half cozy with remote-controlled heating. Lap blankets are also available.

While there, the following options should warm you up: Spicy jingisukan (tabletop-grilled lamb), “zangi” fried chicken, and all of the shochu.

As Strangeways cheekily points out, their outdoor sanctuary is not on a sidewalk. Instead, this three-month old Williamsburg restaurant boasts a sprawling (we’re talking 1,700 square feet), rain-proof, and heated private garden that’s big on charm, with spaced-out picnic tables, string lights, and lots of greenery to keep you company.

Eat this on cold, rainy days: Chili chicken soup, marinated lamb steak with cauliflower-chèvre purée, Scarlett Runner bean stew, and dan dan cavatelli with spicy duck ragu.

Forsythia’s outdoors tables may be on the sidewalk, but that hasn’t stopped this new Roman-inclined pasta destination from getting snug. Think heaters on every table, twinkly lights, and food that tastes like a nonna wrapping you in a hug. 

Bites for la dolce vita al fresco: Suppli stuffed with fried cacio e pepe risotto, scarpinocc (small shoe-shaped pasta) stuffed with honeynut squash, braised ribs agnolotti, gnocchi alla Romana — really, any of the pastas.

Every night feels like a party at Caribbean newcomer Kokomo, one that spills out onto its streetside patio, thanks to a DJ station set right outside. Outfitted with orange tables, sky-high plants, and glittering lights, Kokomo’s covered deck is one where the ambiance is electric and the chatter high.

Chillier nights call for: Rasta pasta flatbread (penne pasta in creamy sauce), braised oxtail, jerk chicken, and lentil meatballs in coconut curry sauce.

The West Village’s essential cozy locale does al fresco right, with overhead heaters and their rather romantic glow, plus a roster of Jody Williams and Rita Sodi’s Italian hits, a downpour-safe roof, and excellent service from jacketed waiters.

You won’t even wish you were inside while eating this: ‘Nduja arancini, grilled artichokes with aioli, Tuscan beans and sausage, Meyer lemon risotto, cacio e pepe tonnarelli, charred pork belly, and an espresso to finish it all.

You know who dines outdoors all year long? Europeans do. And what better place than Ernesto’s to fool yourself into thinking you’re exploring the Basque coast? Fire tapas and branded fleece blankets are already available on a quiet heated sidewalk setup. Winter tents, coming soon.

Plates to keep your inner fire burning: Callos de Joan (Madrid-style tripe), tortilla, lentejas con foie (stewed lentils with foie mi-cuit), arroz meloso de conejo (bomba rice with braised rabbit), and the macarrones con hongos (think macaroni & cheese meets cacio e pepe, with chanterelles).

The flower wonderland that is Pinto Garden’s year-round heated and enclosed back garden does not disappoint. Add to that chef Teerawong “Yo” Nanthavatsiri’s dizzying Thai fare, which toes the line between traditional and fusional, and you’ve got yourself a winter hideaway.

Stay snug with these: Autumn coconut truffle soup, duck confit pho, any of the excellent curries (we’re partial to the pumpkin), khao soi with braised short ribs, and the very fun tom yum chicken and seafood paella.

Kindred has properly embraced the season and gone into full après-ski mode. The six-week pop-up celebrates Alpine-themed foods and has the sidewalk “chalet” to prove it, with scintillating lights, heaters, Christmas garlands, and hot cocktails.

You’re cozy on a mountain, far far away: Open-faced focaccia grilled cheese, sour rye gnocchi, hot buttered rum. And if the cheese and potato pierogies make an appearance, you know what to do.

A table on Le Crocodile’s garden terrace guarantees two things: An intimate deck that’s sheltered from the elements, with a backdrop as alluring as the bistro’s buzzy indoors — tiled floors, exposed brick, snaking plants, and strung-up lights.

Fortifying foods for the soul: Oeufs mayo, onion soup with gruyère and lardons, escargots, squash tagine, roast chicken plus frites, and veal tongue with porcini and butter beans.

Wayla’s backyard was one of the most coveted summertime hangout spots, and its wintertime edition is just as sweet. Bamboo and wicker chairs surround socially-distanced antique Southeast Asian “wedding banquet” tables, while greenery, backyard lights, and candlelit lanterns complete the picture.

Spicy fare and others to keep you toasty: The daily curry, grilled flank steak with basil fried rice, gai go le (a spice-laden southern barbecue Amish chicken), moo sarong (noodle-wrapped meatballs), and the imposing lobster pad thai.

On November 17, Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten will unveil the Indo Chalet, Wayan’s revamped outdoor setup for cold-weather dining. Each table will be equipped with a two-tier cooktop for cook-your-own satays, a chocolate fondue for dessert (with banana bread and passion fruit marshmallow for dipping) and large-format hot drinks to keep you cozy.

• The branded blankets at King and Four Horsemen.
• The hot stones distributed to every guest at Nami Nori to keep their hands warm.
• The lush jungle that is Bricolage’s back garden, with a bowl of Vietnamese bouillabaisse or oxtail stew.
• The table-for-two huts at the Butcher’s Daughter Nolita locale.
• A coffee break on La Mercerie’s heated sidewalk patio (which should include the chocolate-drenched profiteroles for good measure).
• And all the places serving up hot pot, a most perfect food for less than perfect weather. Our favorites: 886 in the East Village, Sichuan Hot Pot in Chinatown, and LaoJie in Sunset Park.