Diners' Choice: Great for outdoor dining restaurants in Louisville

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are great for outdoor dining in Louisville? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

DiFabio's Casapela

4.8

4.8 (1060)

$30 and under

Italian

Frankfort Ave - Crescent Hill

About the restaurant

Family owned and operated Italian restaurant with traditional Italian cuisine, Lasagna and Chicken Parmigian, and some eclectic items as well, Pan Grilled Salmon and Gorgonzola Filet.

Top review

Lydia

Dined on Apr 13, 2025

Great food great service. The steak was cooked perfectly. The chicken picatta was so tinder and flavorful. Love this place

The Exchange Pub + Kitchen

4.8

4.8 (1443)

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

New Albany

About the restaurant

Housed in a historic Italianate-style building constructed in 1875, The Exchange Pub + Kitchen is owner Ian Hall’s take on a warm & casual neighborhood gastropub. Featuring a 15-seat bar, 120-seat dining room, 16-seat outdoor cafe, & two 50-seat private dining spaces, The Exchange Pub + Kitchen offers many different dining options. Rotating seasonal menus are the focus of The Exchange Pub + Kitchen. Locally sourced products & scratch ingredients are the emphasis of the kitchen. Guests will enjoy open kitchen views as the chefs showcase their culinary skills. American craft breweries highlight the bar program with 12 rotating draught selections and 12 by-the-bottle options. In addition, the bar staff creates cocktails from house-made syrups, bitters, and premium spirits. The wine portfolio focuses on smaller boutique wines, allowing guests to indulge in something new & exciting. The food & beverage menus rotate seasonally.

Top review

Mike

Dined on Apr 13, 2025

We took our son to The Exdhange to celebrate his birthday. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. As usual, the food was excellent as was the service. We've been taking meals at The Exchange Kitchen + Pub since it opened and we will continue to do so. It's a great place.

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River House Restaurant & Raw Bar

4.8

4.8 (7596)

$30 and under

Seafood

Downtown Louisville

About the restaurant

River House Restaurant and Raw Bar is Louisville’s premiere riverfront dining destination. It is the vision of award-winning chef and restaurateur John Varanese and seats 330 in its main dining room, raw bar, and patio. Guests experience a charming “home like” atmosphere as they enter the restaurant from the front porch garden area. Enter through a 20-foot tall by 40-foot wide water wall, and enjoy intimate decor, and a floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking the back courtyard and river, River House is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. The menu features regional cuisine with a Southern flair and an emphasis on fresh seafood including Grilled Oysters on the Half Shell, BBQ Braised Beef Short Rib, and the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Barrel Smoked Salmon. Our 15 foot raw bar features assorted raw oysters, king crab, and jumbo shrimp. Reservations are recommended. We look forward to serving you!

Top review

mark

Dined 2 days ago

Good food and very attentive servers . Nice view of the river also!

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Popular dish

Seafood Platter

Popular dish

Seared Diver Scallops

Popular dish

JV Seafood Trio

Captains Quarters Riverside Grille

4.7

4.7 (493)

$30 and under

American

East Louisville

About the restaurant

Captain's Quarters a historic restaurant in Louisville overlooking the Ohio River at Harrods Creek serving a wide range of seafood, steak, sandwich and salad options. With all of its meats and fish handpicked or market fresh there is plenty of dishes to choose from that will suit anyone's tastes. There is also a full bar that serves a range of cocktails, martinis and wines that will complement the meals at Captain's Quarters. While most popular in the summertime with outdoor decks, the cozy indoor views in the winter can be spectacular.

Top review

NeilVIP

Dined on Mar 23, 2025

The hummus starter was so full of flavor - feta, olives, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and very tasty hummus. Shrimp and grits had a lot of shrimp, and the whisky chicken was tender and tasty. Best of all - Maria was a fabulous server. She had a lot of great recommendations, let us talk, and provided excellent follow through when asked. Plus, a great view of the water!

The Eagle - Highlands

4.7

4.7 (1186)

$31 to $50

Southern

Highlands - Bardstown Rd / Taylorsville Rd

About the restaurant

We start with free range, all natural amish chicken. It’s brined, dredged, then dropped into custom-built fryers. Its got a little kick and is served with our house made hot honey.

Top review

Laura

Dined 6 days ago

We sat outside. Music speakers could have been a little lower. Love this place!

The Village Anchor

4.6

4.6 (3956)

$30 and under

American

Anchorage

About the restaurant

The Village Anchor offers a unique setting in Louisville’s east end, both for personal and professional occasions. The Village Anchor Restaurant and Anchor Bar on the main floor bring together stone, red leathers, rich worn velvets, wrought iron, dark woods, Italian appointments, Carrera marble, and the original crimson red beer taps from Churchill Down’s Silks Bar. It offers an upscale-casual, fun environment with an inimitable European flavor and exotic French flair. The lower level Sea Hag Pub offers a completely different look and feel. The “Hag” brings together brick, worn woods, hand-wrought iron, stone, and copper. The 30-foot copper bar with built-in ice troughs chill your favorite brew or wine.

Please recognize that we do our best to accommodate patio dining reservations, though seating is based on weather and availability.

Top review

RyanVIP

Dined 4 days ago

The Village Anchor always has great food and superb service. So glad I was able to enjoy my birthday dinner there.

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Upland Brewing Co - Jeffersonville

4.3

4.3 (142)

$30 and under

American

Jeffersonville

About the restaurant

Upland Jeffersonville is located right on the Ohio River with a tri-level patio overlooking the Louisville skyline. 20 taps feature Upland classics, seasonals, sour ales, & small-batch innovations. Pair your favorite beverage with a well crafted menu featuring spirited pub classics & creative options for vegetarians.
Soak in the beautiful view from the patio with an accompanying outdoor bar. Well-behaved dogs are welcome outside.

Top review

DonVIP

Dined on Apr 13, 2025

Our server Drew, was excellently as was the food. We went for brunch and we both had the breakfast pizza. It was perfectly prepare with a fluffy crust and an excellent combination of ingredients, none of which overpower the other. The blend of textures was also spot on with a thin helping over gravy which did not make the crust soggy, good blend of potatoes, eggs and bacon. Will definitely go back again as well as tell friends to visit Upland Brewing. There was also an excellent view of the Ohio River whether sitting inside or out.

The Eagle - Oxmoor

4.3

4.3 (116)

$30 and under

American

St Matthews

About the restaurant

We start with cage free, free roaming, all natural chicken. It’s brined, dredged, then dropped into custom-built fryers. It's got a little kick and is served with our house made hot honey. To accompany our award-winning chicken we have a variety of Southern style snacks and sides including mashed potatoes, grits, collard greens, spoon bread, Mac & Cheese and many more!

Top review

Eric

Dined on Mar 30, 2025

The hostess and manager were helpful and supportive when our group size changed to three times the size of the number in our reservation. Our server, Stacy, was excellent and did a great job for all of us.

Sol Aztecas Mexican Restaurant

4.2

4.2 (53)

$30 and under

Mexican

Highlands - Bardstown Rd / Taylorsville Rd

About the restaurant

Experience the best of Mexican, Latin, Cuban modern cuisine at our enchanting restaurant located in the heart of Bardstown Road, Louisville, Kentucky. With live music, an impressive selection of amazing drinks, and a menu featuring fresh, authentic flavors, we've been delighting guests for over 15 years. Discover a unique dining experience that blends contemporary sophistication with traditional Mexican, Latin & Cuban charm.

Top review

Dined on Apr 12, 2025

Very nice place with friendly staff. Music was good too

High Stakes Rooftop Grill

4.1

4.1 (132)

$31 to $50

American

West Louisville

About the restaurant

High Stakes is a modern take on the classic American grill showcasing culinary traditions and flavorsome grilling techniques with a dedication to high-quality ingredients. Paying homage to the come-from-behind winners in life, sports, history, and the arts – celebrating all the unimaginable photo finishes, strivers, and unlikely underdog winners that have made this great country what it is today. Here’s to the winners, the higher the stakes, the more you own that moment in time.

Top review

Trent

Dined 5 days ago

Excellent atmosphere and excellent food. I highly recommend this place for brunch!

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Experience

Social Hour

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