London, Ontario has a genuinely solid patio scene, and the best spot for you depends on one thing: what kind of outing are you planning? For anyone specifically searching for the best patio in Kanata, it helps to compare the area’s top patios by vibe, heating, and walkability best patio kanata. If you want London's biggest outdoor patio with a lively crowd, head to Barney's Patio on Richmond Street. If you want live music every night plus heat lamps and a proper pub atmosphere, Molly Bloom's right up the road is your move. For a more intimate, upscale dinner patio in the heart of downtown, Marienbad Restaurant and Chaucer's Pub on Carling Street is hard to beat. And if you want a curated downtown patio crawl, Downtown London's official 2026 Patio Trail gives you a mapped route with QR check-ins at participating spots. Those four starting points cover most of what people are actually looking for.
Best Patio in London Ontario: Top Downtown Picks
How to pick the best patio for you (a quick preference checklist)
Before you commit to a spot, spend sixty seconds running through these questions. The answers will point you to the right patio type before you even look at a menu.
- Food first or drinks first? Some patios are full-service restaurants with serious kitchens. Others are primarily bar patios where food is an afterthought.
- Lively or laid-back? Do you want live music, a DJ, and a buzzing crowd, or a quieter dinner where you can actually have a conversation?
- Family-friendly or nightlife? A few Richmond Row patios lean heavily adult after 9 PM. If you have kids in tow, earlier hours and food-focused spots are safer.
- Coverage and weather comfort? London weather can flip fast in spring and fall. Knowing whether a patio has heaters, a covered roof, or nothing at all matters a lot in April, May, and October.
- Group size? Large groups (eight or more) need a patio with actual reservation capacity. Some spots are walk-in only and a big group will wait a long time.
- Accessibility? Ground-level access, accessible washrooms, and parking proximity all vary quite a bit between downtown locations.
- Budget? Patio restaurants like Marienbad sit at a higher price point than a pint-and-nachos stop at Molly Bloom's or Barney's.
Where to look first: downtown London and Richmond Row
If you're searching specifically for the best patios in downtown London Ontario, start on and around Richmond Street between Oxford and Cheapside. This is where the density of patio bars and restaurants is highest, and it's genuinely walkable, which means you can pop between spots in the same evening without moving your car. The Richmond Row stretch is home to Barney's, Molly Bloom's, and Jack Astor's all within a few blocks of each other.
A couple of blocks east of Richmond Row, the core downtown area around Dundas and King Street opens up another layer of options. RBC Place London's Encore Terrace sits in this zone and is worth knowing about for event-driven evenings. Marienbad and Chaucer's Pub is tucked just off the main drag at 122 Carling Street, which means it's quieter and easier to get a table, especially on weeknights.
Downtown London also publishes an official Patio Map and a 2026 Patio Trail with a downloadable PDF, so if you want a structured crawl rather than a single destination, those are genuinely useful tools. The trail uses on-site QR check-ins at participating downtown businesses and is new for 2026. It's worth grabbing that PDF before your outing.
The best patio picks in London, ON right now
Barney's Patio (671 Richmond St)
Barney's bills itself as London's largest outdoor patio, and the footprint backs that claim up. This is the go-to if you want a big open-air space, cold drinks, and a social scene that doesn't feel forced. It's open every day from 12 PM to 2 AM, which is one of the longest patio windows in the city. The vibe is casual and unpretentious, which is exactly why it draws a consistent crowd from early afternoon through late evening. One honest note: hours do vary based on weather, so on questionable days check their site or socials before heading over. Parking on Richmond Street can be tight on weekend evenings, so arriving earlier or planning to walk from a nearby lot helps.
Molly Bloom's Irish Pub and Patio (700 Richmond St)
Molly Bloom's is the strongest pick for live entertainment on the patio. The venue seats up to 159 people outdoors, has heat lamps (a real differentiator on cooler nights), and runs nightly live music with bands Tuesday through Saturday and karaoke on Sundays and Mondays. The kitchen stays open until 2 AM, which is rare and genuinely useful for late-night groups. Hours are Monday through Saturday 12 PM to 2 AM and Sunday 5 PM to 2 AM. The atmosphere gets loud on band nights, so if a quiet dinner is what you're after, this is not the pick. But for a group night out where energy matters, it's hard to beat. Check their Events page before you go because the programming changes weekly and some nights draw significantly bigger crowds.
Marienbad Restaurant and Chaucer's Pub (122 Carling St)
This is downtown London's most distinctive patio dining experience and the right choice for a date night or a dinner where the food is the main event. The venue combines a proper European-style restaurant (Marienbad) with the adjacent Chaucer's Pub, and the outdoor patio reflects that upscale-but-warm character. It's open Friday and Saturday from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM, closed Sunday through Thursday for regular service (private events are available off-hours). Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for show nights. The location on Carling Street is quieter than Richmond Row, which is part of the appeal. If you're planning around dinner and a show or want an intimate atmosphere, book ahead.
Jack Astor's Richmond Row (660 Richmond St)
Jack Astor's is the familiar chain pick that actually delivers on patio comfort. The Richmond Row location has a patio with a firepit, which extends the comfortable season into cooler evenings considerably. It's a solid middle-ground option: better food consistency than a straight bar, more casual than Marienbad, and in a very central Richmond Row location. Tourism London specifically calls it out as a popular patio destination, and for good reason. It works well for mixed groups where people have different priorities.
RBC Place Encore Terrace (downtown core)
The Encore Terrace at RBC Place London is more of an event venue than a drop-in patio, but it belongs on this list because it's running a Summer Series starting in June 2026 with live music, local food vendors, art, and seasonal programming. If your idea of the best patio experience involves a curated outdoor event with a crowd and local talent, watch the RBC Place calendar for those dates. It's a different format than a bar or restaurant patio, but it's one of the more memorable outdoor experiences downtown will offer this season.
Pub Milos (runner-up worth knowing about)
Pub Milos offers patio service with indoor dining as a backup, but be aware upfront that their patio has no heat. That's not a dealbreaker in July, but it matters if you're going in May or September. They're transparent about it on their site, which is actually a good sign for overall reliability. Good pick for a sunny afternoon pint when the weather is cooperating.
What to expect at each patio: atmosphere, seating, and comfort
| Patio | Vibe | Seating Capacity / Type | Heaters / Coverage | Noise Level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barney's Patio | Casual, social, crowd-friendly | London's largest outdoor patio | Check current setup | Moderate to lively | Groups, afternoon drinks, nightlife |
| Molly Bloom's | Irish pub energy, entertainment-focused | Up to 159 outdoors | Heat lamps | Loud on band nights | Live music nights, late-night groups |
| Marienbad / Chaucer's | Upscale, intimate, European flair | Patio dining, reservation-focused | Check with venue | Quiet to moderate | Date night, special occasions |
| Jack Astor's Richmond Row | Casual chain, comfortable | Standard restaurant patio | Firepit | Moderate | Mixed groups, reliable food |
| RBC Place Encore Terrace | Event-style outdoor venue | Varies by event | Varies by event | Event-dependent | Special events, Summer Series |
| Pub Milos | Low-key pub | Patio + indoor backup | No heat | Quiet | Sunny-day drinks, low-key outings |
Practical details that actually matter before you go
Hours
Barney's Patio: open daily 12 PM to 2 AM (weather-dependent, verify on rainy days). Molly Bloom's: Monday to Saturday 12 PM to 2 AM, Sunday 5 PM to 2 AM. Marienbad and Chaucer's: Friday and Saturday 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM only. Jack Astor's: standard chain hours, typically lunch through late evening. Always verify current hours directly before going, as seasonal patios sometimes adjust their opening dates in early spring.
Reservations
Marienbad is reservation-recommended, especially on weekends and for show nights. Jack Astor's accepts reservations through OpenTable. Barney's and Molly Bloom's are typically walk-in, but large groups should call ahead or check for any ticketed events that might affect capacity. The Encore Terrace events may require tickets purchased in advance through RBC Place.
Dress code
None of the main London patio spots enforce a formal dress code. Marienbad skews smart casual given its restaurant positioning, and showing up in flip-flops and a tank top might feel out of place at dinner service. Everywhere else on this list is genuinely come-as-you-are.
Accessibility and parking
Richmond Row has paid street parking and nearby lots, but weekend evenings fill up fast. The areas around 660 to 700 Richmond Street are walkable from several central parking structures. Marienbad's Carling Street location tends to have easier parking than the Richmond Row cluster. If accessibility is a specific concern, call the venue ahead of time since patio layouts (steps, ground surfaces, washroom proximity) vary and staff can give you real-time info on what to expect.
When patios are best in London: seasonal timing
London, Ontario's reliable patio window runs from roughly late May through late September, with the sweet spot being June through August. The warm season technically starts around June 24 and runs to late September based on average temperatures, but a string of warm days in late May means patios often open earlier in the year. July is prime time, with temperatures regularly hitting the mid-to-high 20s Celsius and plenty of long evenings. August is nearly as good. September offers comfortable temperatures and far thinner crowds, which is genuinely underrated if you want to enjoy a patio without the midsummer rush.
April and early May can absolutely produce nice patio days, but they're unpredictable. This is where heaters and covered areas become the deciding factor. If you're going out in late April or May, Molly Bloom's heat lamps and Jack Astor's firepit are practical advantages over an exposed patio with no warmth source. October patios are possible on warm days but increasingly weather-dependent.
How to find current promotions and events
The best way to catch current patio deals and event programming is to check a combination of the venue's own social media, Downtown London's event calendar (they publish monthly PDFs), and the Tourism London patio guide page. The RBC Place Encore Terrace Summer Series launches in June 2026, so check rbcplacelondon.ca for specific dates as they're announced. Molly Bloom's has a dedicated Events page that updates weekly. For the 2026 Patio Trail, grab the PDF directly from Downtown London's site before your visit so you know which spots are participating.
How to plan your outing: date night, groups, and events
Date night
Marienbad and Chaucer's Pub is the clear call for a date night patio. Book a table for Friday or Saturday evening, arrive around 5 PM before the dinner rush, and check whether there's a show on that night since the dinner-plus-show combo is one of London's better evening experiences. If Marienbad is full or feels too formal, Jack Astor's firepit patio on Richmond Row is a good backup: comfortable, central, and easy without much planning.
Groups and parties
For a group of six or more, Barney's Patio and Molly Bloom's are your best bets given capacity and walk-in friendliness. Molly Bloom's is better if the group wants live music built into the evening. Barney's is better if people just want to spread out, order drinks at their own pace, and keep things low-pressure. Either way, arrive early (before 7 PM on weekends) or call ahead to check on any reservation options for larger parties.
Events and special outings
If your goal is a patio experience built around an event rather than just a meal or a drink, focus on the Encore Terrace Summer Series at RBC Place (starting June 2026) and check Downtown London's April and May event calendars for any early-season programming that aligns with patio openings. The 2026 Patio Trail is also a practical event-style framework: you get a route, you check in at stops, and it gives the outing structure that a solo venue visit doesn't.
What to verify today before heading out
- Check that the patio is actually open for the season. Some venues open patios in late April or early May but it depends on weather and staffing.
- Confirm hours directly on the venue's website or by calling. Spring hours sometimes differ from summer hours.
- If you're going to Marienbad, make a reservation before you show up. Walk-ins on weekend dinner nights often don't get seated.
- For Molly Bloom's, check the Events page to see who's playing that night. It changes the noise level and crowd size significantly.
- If you're planning a group of eight or more, call any venue in advance regardless of whether they take formal reservations.
- Download Downtown London's 2026 Patio Trail PDF if you're interested in a crawl. It lists participating spots and explains the check-in process.
- Check the weather forecast for your evening. Even heater-equipped patios aren't comfortable in cold rain, and London spring weather stays unpredictable through May.
If you're coming from nearby cities and already know the patio scenes in spots like Cambridge, Brampton, Mississauga, or Kanata, you'll find London's Richmond Row cluster has a similar density to other mid-sized Ontario city patio strips, but the Patio Trail and the Encore Terrace Summer Series are genuinely unique to London and worth building your visit around in 2026. If you’re heading to the GTA, this guide can help you compare where to find the best patio in Mississauga too, depending on whether you want a lively bar vibe or a quieter dinner patio. If you want to compare options closer to the GTA, check out our guide to the best patio in Brampton before you decide best patio brampton. If you’re specifically hunting for the best patio in Cambridge, those same planning tips can help you narrow down the right local option best patio cambridge.
FAQ
What’s the best time to go to the patios on Richmond Row to avoid the longest waits?
For Friday and Saturday, aim to arrive before 7 PM if you want a walk-in table, Richmond Row patios and nearby restaurants get most crowded once the dinner rush hits. If you want a calmer start, late-afternoon arrivals (around 5 PM) are often easier than going right at 8 PM.
How do I choose between Barney’s and Molly Bloom’s if my group has mixed preferences?
If people want to talk and take their time, Barney’s is usually the better fit because it’s more open-air and less built around set entertainment. If the group’s plan is “live music all evening,” Molly Bloom’s is the stronger match, but expect noise and tighter pacing on band nights.
Are heaters or firepits available at these patios if I’m going in May or September?
Molly Bloom’s has heat lamps, and Jack Astor’s patio firepit is a practical upgrade for cooler evenings. Pub Milos is the exception on this list, their patio has no heat, so it’s safest when temperatures stay warm.
Do any of these venues require reservations, or can I rely on walk-ins?
Marienbad is reservation-recommended, especially on weekends or nights tied to shows. Barney’s and Molly Bloom’s are generally walk-in friendly, but for groups of 6 or more it’s smart to call ahead because capacity can be affected by ticketed events or weekly programming.
If we’re a group of 10 to 12, what’s the smartest way to plan seating and ordering?
Consider splitting into subgroups if the patio is tight, and arrive earlier than 7 PM on weekends to improve your odds of being seated without long delays. Also confirm whether the venue uses standard table service or if there are any event-specific restrictions that change ordering for larger parties.
Which patio is best when we want food first, not just drinks?
For food-forward evenings, Marienbad plus Chaucer’s Pub is the strongest choice, it’s the most “dinner-centric” experience on the list. If you want patio comfort but more casual dining consistency, Jack Astor’s is usually the easiest fallback without needing a formal dinner mindset.
Is the Encore Terrace at RBC Place good for people who don’t want to deal with tickets or crowds?
It depends on the Summer Series date, some events may require advance tickets and can draw a bigger crowd than a typical bar patio. If you prefer low effort and flexibility, check the RBC Place event details first so you’re not surprised by ticketing or tighter entry times.
Do these patios have accessibility options like step-free entry and nearby washrooms?
Patio layouts can vary a lot, including steps, ground surfaces, and how close washrooms are. If accessibility is a priority, call the specific venue ahead of time to confirm the smoothest route for your party and whether staff can accommodate in-the-moment adjustments.
Where is parking easiest, and which patio locations are most painful on weekends?
Richmond Row weekend evenings tend to fill quickly, and street parking can be tight. The Carling Street area around Marienbad and Chaucer’s typically offers a more manageable parking experience, and having a nearby plan (a nearby lot or arriving earlier) reduces stress.
What’s the best patio option when we want live music but also want to keep the night quieter?
Molly Bloom’s is built for live entertainment, but it gets loud on band nights, so it may not fit a “quiet dinner” goal. If you want live energy without constant noise, consider checking the specific night’s programming in advance, and prioritize options where seating feels more conversation-friendly.
If the weather turns, what backup options should I expect?
Molly Bloom’s, Barney’s, and similar patio bars rely heavily on weather-dependent hours, so on questionable days you may see closures or shortened patio operation. Pub Milos offers indoor dining as a backup, while others may require moving indoors depending on how the venue handles rain or temperature drops.
Is it common for patio hours to change, and how should I verify before leaving?
Yes, seasonal patios often adjust opening and closing dates in early spring and during shoulder months. Even if a venue lists typical hours, check their current updates (website or social) the day of your outing, especially for rainy or unusually cool weather.