Warmer weather means shedding jackets for short sleeves, but it also allows for creative outdoor dining opportunities. Whether you are on a first date, catching up with friends, or enjoying an after-work bite, parking yourself in an al fresco dining restaurant gives you a chance to enjoy the sunlight and cool breezes — all while indulging in some of Newark’s best restaurants. Here are 5 great options in the city for outdoor dining:
Mompou
If you want to experience stepping into a small village in Spain without leaving Newark, then you must visit the outdoor courtyard in the back of Mompou restaurant. The first thing that strikes you is the soothing flamenco music playing from the speakers, discreetly tucked away near the brick walls adorned with colorful flower and plant arrangements. The shaded courtyard is the perfect place to share tapas for lunch or dinner with friends or family. Some favorite items include Cajun tuna, grilled hangar steak, and sautéed chicken breast.
Sihana
David, the Georgian owner of Sihana sought to combine a café, restaurant, and displays of art in a chic and quaint space. Brooklynites would feel right at home in the restaurant, especially the outdoor seating: a mixture of wood and potted plants on a vibrant corner on Ferry Street. You can order inside and take it out, or the server will seat you outside and take your order. The menu is without fluff: straightforward Eastern European with Latin American mixes of cuisine like hummus, roasted tomato, and arugula croissants, and vegetable quiche dishes.
Fornos of Spain
The historic Ironbound neighborhood of Newark is one of the most popular that you will hear on locals’ lips. The Fornos of Spain restaurant has ample outdoor seating for parties, birthdays, and large group dinners. If you are a wine connoisseur, you might be interested to know that the venue is home to over 400 bottles of Spanish wine. For foodies, look no further than an extensive menu replete with several different paella combinations and seafood options like jumbo shrimp and broiled lobster tail.
Blueprint Café
The 3-year-old Blueprint Café is planted inside an industrial building-turned-café, which is decked out in funky decor like old bottles meshed with an old fire escape rail to create a chandelier; 150-year-old beams that make up the coffee counter; and sprinkled old trombone and trumpets on the walls. Outside, you can eat under the cool umbrellas and string lights on the deck. For food, popular items include their tenderly made Impossible Burger; Sweet Potato Fries; Quinoa and Coconut Bowls; and Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. There is an assortment of colorful vegan desserts like vegan doughnuts, vegan bread pudding, and vegan date pudding.
Adega Grill
Popular with the after-work crowd as well as first (and second dates), Adega Grill is located along the bustling Ferry Street strip. Due to the pandemic, the Portuguese and Spanish cuisine restaurant added many outdoor tables and chairs with covered canopies to their seating options. True to the Mediterranean-style cuisine, the menu is very diverse in terms of seafood and meat options. You can choose to start with specialties like sauteed shrimp, oysters, clams, and Portuguese sausage and choose from mains like pork, monkfish, sole and red snapper.
