Six of the best: Patios

By Jane Kent, May 1, 2014

Additional reporting by S.E. Smith

Fancy eating alfresco or a drink in the open air? Here are our favorite places for outdoor relaxation.

There’s never any shortage of lovely places to sit on Shamian Island. Lucy’s location is top notch due to breeze from the river on stifling days and the sounds of senior citizens keeping Cantonese opera alive in the nearby shade. // 3 Shamian Dajie Nan, Liwan District 荔湾区沙面大街南3号 (8136 6203)

8, FAUBOURG
Overlooking Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, 8, Faubourg’s terrace is a simplistic yet stylish spot furnished with wooden beams and quaint lanterns. When the weather is good, many guests hold parties on the Romanesque tiled platform. // 8, Faubourg, Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich, 8/F, 988 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Tianhe District 天河区广州大道中988号8楼 (3883 8888)

ELEMENT FRESH

This was a tough choice, because TaiKoo Hui’s rooftop is awesome day or night for so many reasons. We love Paulauner Brauhaus for a drink, An-tico for pizza and Simply Life for dessert. But Element Fresh doles out the best all-round alfresco experience with healthy seasonal fare. // Shop L302, TaiKoo Hui, 383 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路383号太古汇广场L302店 (3808 8506)

THE BEER HOUSE
Okay, so it’s not the most glamorous patio in the city, but it does have heaps of backpackers, inner-city funk and charm. The Beer House boasts a collection of 90 different beers from Thailand, Denmark, Germany and many more countries. Try a Belgian Bush Ambree 12 percent (RMB30). // The Beer House, Rm 104, 49 Jianshe Liu Malu, Yuexiu District啤酒屋, 越秀区建设六马路49号104铺 (139 0295 6796)

OGGI (CANTON PLACE)

All of Canton Place is one big happy patio,1/F, really. Loads of great eateries await in this culinary coliseum. Oggi’s tends to be a favorite and is especially worth a visit now that they’ve completed a renovation, with new cocktails and wines to sip on while you people watch. // Shop 106, Canton Place, Qingfeng Jie, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District 天河区珠江新城清风街广粤天地106店 (3862 0357)

STARBUCKS (ERSHA ISLAND)
A stone’s throw from the river, this patio has a definite holiday resort feel to it. Snaking through the middle is a pebble-lined pathway that works its way through raised seating platforms with wooden decking. It’s an apt spot to leaf through a novel or begin writing one. // Starbucks, Xinghai Concert Hall branch, 33 Qingbao Road, Yuexiu District越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号 (3781 5271)