Bay Area's best al fresco restaurants

The Bay Area is known for its intemperate summers and wild temperature swings that leave tourists shivering by the wharf and sweltering inland. But evenings turn balmy in late summer and early fall -- and al fresco dining becomes a lovely thing.

These are a dozen of our favorite spots for dining outdoors, restaurants that range from the sleek and chic to the charmingly casual, with glorious patios, terraces and decks. Most of them are fairly new -- open just a few months or a year or two. Two are classics, but they've remade themselves so completely -- from patio to menu -- they're irresistible.

Bon apptit.

-- Jackie Burrell, Staff

El Techo de Lolinda

Ceviche de camaron and sopes de Pibil are among the Latin-inspired street food available at El Techo de Lolinda. (Eric Wolfinger)

The scene: It's been a year since San Francisco's most famous -- and only? -- rooftop bar, atop the former restaurant Medjool, transformed into a sophisticated, Latin street-food fiesta. The sister bar to Lolinda, the buttoned-up Argentine steakhouse downstairs, El Techo is all about fun in the sun and fog: handcrafted, citrus-based mezcal and tequila "coctel" ($8-$12), by-the-pound chicharrones de carne ($14-$32), mix-and-match skewers, or chuzos ($7-$35) and a selection of small plates ($8-$13), from sopes to quesadillas, that will make you swoon for more.

Eye candy: Speaking of swooning: 360 degrees of San Francisco, a lime-tiled bar, cornflower blue umbrellas, adorable, manicured cactus gardens, wooden two-tops with metal stools, and yellow twinkling lights to fall in love under. Equally fabulous for a first date or girls-day brunch.

Sip & nosh: Empanadas de carne ($8) and ceviche de camarones ($13) are musts. The moist empanadas have a thin, flaky crust that elevates this classic combination of ground beef, potato, egg and raisin from the hard, doughy versions of yesterday. Roasted tomato, red onion, cucumber, avocado and what looked like slivers of radish gave the shrimp ceviche a zesty, addictive bite. For cocktails, we loved the complexity of the Margarita del Techo, with ocho plata, fidencio, mezcal, combiner, napoleon mandarin and lime (single, $13; pitcher, $45) and the La Paloma ($10; $34) made with tequila, grapefruit, lime, agave and soda.

Details: Open for dinner daily, brunch on weekends. 2518 Mission St., S.F. eltechosf.com.

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Bay Area's best al fresco restaurants