Three New and Revamped Patios to Try This Summer

Today is the first day of summer, which means Portland's restaurant and bar patios are gearing up for long afternoons and late-night revelries. Here are three new or recently updated patios to beat the heat.

AVA GENE'S—This past weekend, the sidewalk seating at Ava Gene's roughly doubled, with five new tables on the eastside of the building along SE 34th Avenue. What's key: These tables won't have direct sun for those dog days of summer, and also, they can't be reserved. Reservations at the upscale Italian restaurant on SE Division typically book up fast, so your odds at getting a last-minute seat just got better.

BURRASCA—The Italian restaurant beside Yama Sushi & Izakaya on SE Clinton has revamped its lush patio, replacing the IKEA furniture it inherited from the former tenant with teak and stainless steel tables and chairs from MLK Boulevard's LoveTeak Warehouse. It has also added more flowers and plants to the bamboo and dogwood trees for what it's calling a Secret Garden vibe (which could be just the right setting for a Tuscan-style margarita).

BIBLE CLUB—The jewel-box bar hidden inside of a house in Sellwood now has a patio named Revival. As you can see from the photo below, Revival comes with its own bar, serving local craft brews and wines on tap by urban winery Cooper's Hall. The Bible Club team tells Eater that live, old-timey music could start up in the near future. Until then, find jazz and old-school blues on the speakers—just as one might expect from a bar with a speakeasy style and all-American-made decor, most of which dates before the 1930s. The Revival patio opens this Wednesday, June 22.

[Bible Club]