After a winter that seemed to overextend its welcome and then weekends filled with rain, many around Baltimore would enjoy nothing more than taking in a hot day with a drink in hand.

Rahul Raghavan, a former Canton resident now living in Oregon, was back in town on a recent weekday, taking in the chic scenery and eating lunch with a friend on the patio in the back of Gunther & Co. in Brewers Hill.

“Having outdoor spaces, especially to enjoy the Baltimore summer, is great,” Raghavan said. “It’s just a chill place to take in the weather.”

Fortunately, there are plenty of outdoor spaces in the Baltimore area to relax with food and drinks. Consider these 20 establishments a good place to start.

The Sandlot: After debuting last year, the sand-filled beach bar in Harbor Point opened for its season in early May, with live music, fitness classes and food and drinks (including alcoholic slushies) from the team behind Woodberry Kitchen. For the kids, there are sandboxes and a special menu. 1000 Wills St., Harbor Point, sandlotbaltimore.com.

Gunther & Co.: The sharply designed Brewers Hill restaurant has an inviting back patio to match. The area offers a pleasant juxtaposition of modern design (Bose sound system, lounge seating, a long bar) and earthy accents, like a running-water wall and blooming flowers. 3650 Toone St., Brewers Hill, 443-869-6874, eatatgunther.com.

LB Skybar: Located on the 19th floor of the Lord Baltimore Hotel, the seasonal Skybar offers one of the best views of the downtown skyline. The bar has a menu with food and cocktail options, and recently added an attached indoor lounge in case the rain suddenly comes. 20 W. Baltimore St., downtown, 410-539-8400, lordbaltimorehotel.com.

Encantada: The veggies-forward restaurant on the third floor of the eye-popping American Visionary Art Museum has a terrace — brightly colored, on brand — that overlooks Federal Hill Park. It’s a popular spot for Saturday and Sunday brunch, where $15 gets you a choice of bottomless mimosas, bloody Marys, sangria and Evolution Craft Brewing Co. drafts. 800 Key Highway, Federal Hill, 410-752-1000, encantadabaltimore.com.

Little Havana: For more than two decades, the Little Havana patio — which offers a picturesque view of the illuminated Domino Sugars sign — has impressed out-of-towners and locals alike. With more than 100 seats outside, there’s plenty of room to enjoy a mojito or one of the 28 beer offerings on tap. 1325 Key Highway, South Baltimore, 410-837-9903, littlehavanas.com.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks: Don’t overlook this spot just because it’s a chain seafood restaurant, as it boasts one of the largest patios (200 seats, 3,600-square-feet) on the Inner Harbor. With well-manicured landscaping and a Rat Pack soundtrack at night, it’s a solid setting for a drink outdoors. 711 Eastern Ave., Inner Harbor, 410-234-1300, mccormickandschmicks.com.

Barcocina: The Mexican-inspired waterfront restaurant’s location alongside the historic Fells Point Pier should make it a source of envy for other nearby establishments. It’s an ideal place to enjoy a mojito on a warm day that can get crowded on weekends, so consider a reservation. “We try to provide a fun, welcoming atmosphere for local guests, as well as a lot of the tourists who come in,” said general manager Michael Donovan. 1629 Thames St., Fells Point, 410-563-1500, barcocina.com.

The Boathouse Canton: The inside of this Canton restaurant is sleek and inviting, but the main attraction is the Dockbar, the dog-friendly patio and pavilion with its own bar, games and TVs to catch some sports. Popular on the weekends, the Dockbar — which is open from late April through October — has also become a go-to spot on Wednesdays, when it features a live steel band playing breezy island music. 2809 Boston St., Canton, 410-773-9795, boathousecanton.com.

Nick’s Fish House: Those yearning for a beach bar who don’t want to make the traffic-filled drive should consider the deck at Nick’s Fish House, which features three outdoor bars, where local live bands provide the soundtrack and an assortment of flavored crushes offer cool-down refreshment. 2600 Insulator Drive, Port Covington, 410-347-4123, nicksfishhouse.com.

Ampersea: Formerly known as Waterfront Kitchen, this recent rebrand in Fells Point has a striking dining patio and a dock bar. During the week (4 p.m.-7 p.m.), there’s a Crush Happy Hour, when crushes in flavors including orange, watermelon, cucumber and grapefruit all cost $5 each. 1417 Thames St., Fells Point, 443-681-5310, ampersea.com.

Hightopps Backstage Grille: Over the past dozen years, the Timonium mega-sports bar has established itself as Baltimore County’s go-to outdoor hangout. It’s hard to picture a beach-bar vibe mere steps away from the fairgrounds, but Hightopps pulls it off, thanks to a laid-back atmosphere and no shortage of the frozen drinks you first fell in love with in Ocean City. 2306 York Road, Timonium, 410-560-7101, hightoppsbackstagegrille.com.

Hard Yacht Cafe: Self-described as “A little piece of Key West on Bear Creek,” this Dundalk favorite offers live music on the weekend and free transient slips for patrons arriving by boat. Open each day for breakfast starting at 7 a.m., the cafe runs happy hour specials Monday-Friday from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. 8500 Cove Road, Dundalk, 443-407-0038, hardyacht.com.

Sunset Cove: Located in the Maryland Marina in Bowleys Quarters, this tiki bar features live music every weekend and a 300-foot pier to allow guests to arrive by boat. Surrounded by sand and palm trees, the space makes Middle River feel like a vacation destination. (An inside bar was renovated in March with retractable windows, so even if you skip the outdoors, you’ll still feel the breeze.) 3408 Red Rose Farm Road, Bowleys Quarters, 410-630-2031, sunsetcovemd.com.

Falling Branch Brewery: This Harford County farm brewery has become a staple of the community, and not just because of the quality Belgian-style ales it produces. The sprawling, family-friendly beer garden is open from April to November, and features a petting zoo, cornhole and plenty of space to relax on chairs and blankets. 825 Highland Road, Street, 443-939-4605, fallingbranchbeer.com.

Tidewater Grille: Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, this Havre de Grace restaurant and bar has a dog-friendly deck with local musicians providing the tunes on Friday and Saturday nights. Happy hour lasts from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, with $1.50 off all alcohol drinks. 300 Franklin St., Havre de Grace, 410-939-3313, tidewatergrille.com.

The Ale House Columbia: “Not a whole lot of people have patio seating in the Columbia area,” said Chris Johnston, director of operations for Ale House Columbia. “It tends to be a very hot commodity.” Known for serving craft beers made by Baltimore’s Oliver Brewing Co., the bar and restaurant’s patio can seat 75 guests, and features gas heaters for when it gets chilly at night. 6480 Dobbin Center Way, Columbia, 443-546-3640, thealehousecolumbia.com.

Clyde’s: With a rotating lineup of live musicians twice per week, the pavilion at Clyde’s (open Thursday-Saturday evenings in the summer) is a pleasant place to unwind with a drink in hand. For an even quieter escape, there’s a nearby outdoor patio with more than 50 seats. 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, 410-730-2829, clydes.com/columbia.

1747 Pub: The Annapolis restaurant Reynolds Tavern also houses the 1747 Pub, an attached bar and beer garden out back that serves daily lunch and dinner, alongside Maryland craft beer. On Sunday nights, it hosts free outdoor movie screenings of black-and-white classics, and the Annapolis Shakespeare Company performs every Tuesday evening. 7 Church Circle, Annapolis, 410-295-9555, reynoldstavern.org.

Lures Bar & Grille: For the craft-beer focused, there’s this Crownsville bar and restaurant, which offers 27 options on tap. The seasonal patio feels like a friend’s backyard, with plenty of wooden tables and stringed lights hanging above the quaint outdoor area. 1397 Generals Highway, Crownsville, 410-923-1606, luresbarandgrille.com.

Rams Head Tavern: Located next to the concert venue Rams Head on Stage, the tavern has a brick patio — where Sunday brunch is served 10 a.m.-2 p.m. — in the back framed by greenery, trees and an attractive trellis. Oftentimes, visitors will find a local musician performing acoustically on the patio stage. 33 West St., Annapolis, 410-268-4545, ramsheadtavern.com.

Baltimore Sun Media Group columnist Liz Murphy contributed to this article.

wesley.case@baltsun.com

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