Some Vancouver patios will now be able to stay open until midnight

If you enjoy a pleasant evening on a restaurant patio you might raise a glass to this: Vancouver has decided to allow a select number of restaurants to keep their patios open longer hours during the Sochi Olympics.

Some of those restaurants can even expand their patio service, as long as everyone remains well behaved.

Even in mid-February, you can find those outdoor heated patios in use in Vancouver.

Under current rules, restaurants must stop serving alcohol at 11:00 p.m.

But starting in April, some of the trouble-free restaurants will be allowed to serve up to midnight.

In the summer, the choice is easy: most restaurant goers will choose outdoor seating.

And while extending serving an extra hour might seem a progressive step by international standards, B.C.s regulations are very conservative.

Patios in cities like Paris and Amsterdam never close.

The city is planning on taking the outdoor patio one step further, a step they say will appeal to restaurants in the right location. Some restaurants may able to open patios on the opposite side of the street from their establishment.

Several B.C. restaurants and pubs have applied for special liquor permits to accommodate Olympic events that start early, like Thursday mornings Canada vs. Norway hockey game.

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Some Vancouver patios will now be able to stay open until midnight