Best Patios in the Galleria and Uptown: 10 Restaurants and Bars

The best patio restaurants and bars in the Galleria and Uptown include JOEY Uptown, whose patio is temperature controlled and has its own outdoor bar; Moxies and Snooze, stacked in the same building at 5000 Westheimer Road; and il Bracco, Ninfa's Uptown and Postino along Post Oak Boulevard and in Uptown Park. For dogs, Tacodeli Post Oak lists pet-friendly patios, and leashed dogs are allowed in Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park farther up Post Oak Boulevard. Below are 10 picks, each checked on its own official website.

Here's the line to remember: in Houston, the best patio is the one that fights back against the weather. Uptown has a few that do, with climate control, shade and outdoor bars, and one that skips the ceiling entirely for a movie screen five floors up.

Where do the Galleria and Uptown start and stop?

For this guide, the Galleria and Uptown means the Uptown Houston District's core around Post Oak Boulevard: Loop 610 on the east, Woodway Drive on the north, Chimney Rock Road on the west and Richmond Avenue on the south. That takes in The Galleria, BLVD Place, Post Oak Plaza, Uptown Park and the hotels along the West Loop. River Oaks District and Highland Village sit just east of 610, so they aren't here. For the neighborhood as a whole, start with our Galleria/Uptown area guide.

The quick list

• For a patio that beats the heat: JOEY Uptown, with a temperature-controlled patio and outdoor bar.
• For watching the game outside, late: Moxies, typically open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
• For a shaded breakfast: Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, downstairs from Moxies.
• For a fancy lunch outdoors: Bloom & Bee at The Post Oak Hotel.
• For Italian under the sky: il Bracco on Post Oak Boulevard.
• For fajitas on a patio: Ninfa's Uptown at BLVD Place.
• For cheap wine before 5 p.m.: Postino Uptown Park.
• For a beer and a band: The Rustic in Uptown Park.
• For the dog: Tacodeli Post Oak, then a walk to Waterwall Park.
• For a movie with your drink: Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown.

How we chose

We picked restaurants and bars inside the boundary above whose official websites confirm both that they are operating and that they have outdoor seating, as of October 2026. We favored patios with something extra: shade, climate control, an outdoor bar, a view or a reason to linger. The Uptown Houston District's own patio-dining list was our starting point, and we then checked each venue on its own site.

On dogs, we only call a patio dog-friendly when the business says so on its official site. Most Uptown restaurants don't publish a pet policy, so if you're bringing a dog anywhere other than Tacodeli, call ahead. Hours and deals change, so treat every time below as "typically" and check before you go. For patios across the whole city, see our best Houston restaurants with patio dining.

Patios that fight the Houston heat

JOEY Uptown

The Galleria, 5045 Westheimer Rd, Suite X01 · globally inspired menu · patio bar

JOEY Uptown is the answer when it's August and someone still wants to sit outside. The restaurant says the space covers more than 10,288 square feet, including a temperature-controlled patio equipped with an outdoor bar. Inside, look for prints by Texas artist Jon Flaming and animated LED portraits by Julian Opie.

What to do: grab a seat at the outdoor bar for happy hour. JOEY runs both a day and a late-night happy hour; check its menu page for current times.

Best for: after-work drinks between Galleria shopping bags.

Moxies

The Galleria area, 5000 Westheimer Rd, Suite 250 · American · open late

Moxies has what the restaurant calls a large patio, plus plenty of TVs, so it's an easy call for a game night that runs long. It's one of the later patios in Uptown: typically 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 11 p.m. on Sunday. The menu covers lunch, dinner, happy hour, late-night food and weekend brunch.

Best for: groups who can't agree on a plan, and anyone who wants to eat outside after 10 p.m.

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery (Galleria)

5000 Westheimer Rd, Suite 120 · breakfast and brunch

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery's Galleria location is on the Uptown Houston District's patio-dining list. It sits in the same building as Moxies, one floor down, which makes 5000 Westheimer a rare Uptown address where you can eat breakfast and a late dinner outside without moving your car.

What to order: pancakes and Benedicts are the Snooze calling cards. For more weekend options, see our Galleria and Uptown brunch guide.

Dressed-up patios

Bloom & Bee at The Post Oak Hotel

Uptown, 1600 West Loop South, main lobby · American · breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

Bloom & Bee is The Post Oak Hotel's garden-themed restaurant, with a ceiling of blown-glass flowers inside and what the hotel calls an elegant outdoor patio for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Breakfast typically starts at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends, and the restaurant closes at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with weekend brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Good to know: the hotel sets a business-casual dress code. Book through the hotel's restaurant page.

il Bracco

Post Oak Boulevard, 1705-A Post Oak Blvd · modern Italian · lunch and dinner daily

il Bracco makes its pastas and breads in-house and says every location features a spacious full-service bar and ample outdoor dining. It typically opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, so a long patio lunch is easy.

What to order: a pasta like the Bolognese, made with a house beef, lamb and pork ragu, or the spicy vodka gemelli. Prices and dishes change, so check the Post Oak menu.

Best for: business lunches that turn into afternoons.

Casual patios and happy hours

Ninfa's Uptown

BLVD Place, 1700 Post Oak Blvd, #1-190 · Tex-Mex · brunch on weekends

Ninfa's Uptown is the Galleria-area sibling of The Original Ninfa's on Navigation, the restaurant that credits its founder, Mama Ninfa, with the tacos al carbon that became known as fajitas. The Uptown location's official site shows its patio seating, and the Uptown Houston District lists it among Uptown's patio restaurants. It typically opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, with brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

What to order: fajitas, obviously. More Tex-Mex nearby in our best Mexican restaurants in the Galleria and Uptown.

Postino Uptown Park

Uptown Park, 1151 Uptown Park Blvd, Suite 12 · wine café

Postino is the patio for people who like a deal. The wine café says glasses of wine and pitchers of beer are $6 daily until 5 p.m., and on Monday and Tuesday after 8 p.m. a board of bruschetta and a bottle of wine is $25. Its group-dining page lists outdoor seating for up to 40 guests seated, or up to 90 standing, which tells you how much patio there is.

What to order: the bruschetta board, where you pick four toppings, such as prosciutto with fig and mascarpone.

Know before you go: Postino Uptown Park is card and mobile pay only.

The Rustic (Uptown Park)

Uptown Park, 1121 Uptown Park Blvd, Suite 4 · American food and live music

The Rustic in Uptown Park is on the Uptown Houston District's patio-dining list, and the brand is built around live music. Come for a beer and a band rather than a quiet dinner.

Best for: birthday groups and anyone who wants music with their patio. More drinking spots nearby in our best bars in the Galleria and Uptown.

Dog-friendly and open-air extras

Tacodeli Post Oak

Post Oak Plaza, 1715 Post Oak Blvd, Suite C · tacos · typically 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

Tacodeli is the one Uptown restaurant on this list that lists pet-friendly patios among its official location features. It typically opens at 6:30 a.m. every day, serves breakfast tacos until 11 a.m. on weekdays and until 3 p.m. on weekends, and closes at 9 p.m.

Insider tip: if the patio is full, take your tacos to go and walk north up Post Oak Boulevard to Waterwall Park. The Uptown Houston District's park rules allow pets on a leash. More tacos in our Galleria and Uptown taco guide, and more pup-friendly tables citywide in our dog-friendly restaurants guide.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown

BLVD Place, 1700 Post Oak Blvd, 5th level · open-air cinema with a bar

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown is a fifth-level terrace on top of BLVD Place with two screens running nightly and Williams Tower lit up behind them. The bar pours cocktails, local beer and wine.

I didn't know that: the venue says outside food is permitted (outside drinks and alcohol are not), so you can carry dinner up from a restaurant downstairs. If a thunderstorm or high winds cancel a screening, the venue says it emails at least 60 minutes before showtime and transfers your ticket as a credit. And it's not Post Oak's first outdoor screen: the Uptown District's history timeline includes a 1956 drive-in screen tower on Post Oak Road. More open-air films in our rooftop cinema guide.

Save this: three Uptown patio plans

The dog walk (morning, about two hours)

1. Breakfast tacos on the pet-friendly patio at Tacodeli Post Oak.
2. Walk your leashed dog north along Post Oak Boulevard to Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park at 2800 Post Oak, where 11,000 gallons of water a minute pour down a 64-foot wall at the end of a lawn lined with 186 live oaks. Details in our Waterwall Park guide.
3. Pick up after your dog; the park rules require it.

The one-building night (evening)

1. Happy hour on the patio at Ninfa's Uptown at BLVD Place.
2. Take the elevator to the fifth level for a film at Rooftop Cinema Club.

The heat-wave afternoon

1. Lunch on the climate-controlled patio at JOEY Uptown.
2. Shop The Galleria indoors while the sun does its worst.
3. Come back out after dark for a nightcap on the big patio at Moxies.

Before you go: patio checklist

• Check the official site the day you go. Patio seating can close for rain, heat or private events.
• Bringing a dog? Tacodeli Post Oak and Waterwall Park (leashed) say yes; for anywhere else, call first.
• Ask for a patio table when you book. Many reservation systems let you request one.
• Pack sunscreen for lunch outside from May through September, and a light layer for winter evenings.
• Some places are card-only, including Postino Uptown Park.
• Want to make a day of it? Our things to do in the Galleria and Uptown guide covers the rest.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which Galleria and Uptown restaurants have patios?

JOEY Uptown, Moxies, Snooze, Bloom & Bee at The Post Oak Hotel, il Bracco, Ninfa's Uptown, Postino Uptown Park, The Rustic and Tacodeli Post Oak all have outdoor seating, according to their official websites. Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown adds an open-air terrace with a bar on top of BLVD Place.

Are there dog-friendly patios in the Galleria and Uptown?

Tacodeli Post Oak, at 1715 Post Oak Boulevard, lists pet-friendly patios on its official location page. Leashed dogs are also allowed in Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park. Most other Uptown restaurants don't publish a pet policy, so call before you bring a dog.

Is there a climate-controlled patio near the Galleria?

Yes. JOEY Uptown at 5045 Westheimer Road says its patio is temperature controlled and equipped with an outdoor bar.

Which Uptown patio is open latest?

Moxies at 5000 Westheimer Road is typically open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and until midnight Monday through Thursday. Check its website for current hours.

Can you bring food to Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown?

Yes. Rooftop Cinema Club says outside food is permitted, but outside drinks and alcohol are not. Its bar serves cocktails, local beer and wine.

What is the cheapest patio happy hour in Uptown?

Postino Uptown Park offers $6 glasses of wine and $6 pitchers of beer daily until 5 p.m., plus a $25 bruschetta board and bottle of wine after 8 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, according to its website.