Everything You Need to Know About Outdoor Dining in New York

Outdoor dining is one of the simple pleasures that comes along with the warm weather that rolls in with the summer in New York. As we now know, being outside decreases your chances of contracting coronavirus and outdoor dining is officially permanent and a year-round luxury in NYC, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The city’s Open Restaurants Initiative, which expanded restaurants and curb space into dining space for many restaurants, will be made permanent. 

“I want us to go for the gold here,” de Blasio told WNYC host Brian Lehrer. ” I really want us to take this model and make it a part of the life of New York City for years and generations to come…I really think it’s going to help restaurants survive.”

If neighboring businesses allow them to, restaurants can extend their seating past the front of their storefronts. If restaurants want to better heat outdoor dining spaces by enclosing them, they may do so but must keep capacity at 25 percent. 

New York restaurants are doing everything they can to keep you and your family safe upon reopening for outdoor dining, and many are even getting creative with their dining experiences. Here’s how they’ll keep you safe, what you can do to protect your family, and a list of restaurants open for outdoor dining on Long Island, in Westchester, in Rockland, and in NYC. We will continue to update this article as more information is presented to us about restaurants reopening.

• Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in New York City
• Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in Nassau County, Long Island
• Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in Suffolk County, Long Island
• Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in Rockland County
• Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in Westchester County

How You Can Keep Your Family Safe When Eating at Restaurants

Wendy Proskin, M.D., pediatrician at Westmed Medical Center advises families to wear masks when arriving and until they are seated and bring hand sanitizer to use after sitting at the table (just in case the restaurant doesn’t provide). You might be wondering how you can wear masks while eating or drinking at the table. The answer is, as long as the tables are six feet apart (which they should be in order to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York State regulations), you don’t have to worry about wearing a mask while seated at your table. If you’re walking to and from the table or walking to the restroom, definitely put your mask on. At restaurants where it’s possible, ordering ahead is encouraged in order to minimize lingering at the counter.

Also, keep in mind that this is new territory for the restaurants. The experience will likely be very different from what you and your family are used to, so be patient and understanding to restaurant staff.

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How Restaurants Are Keeping Customers Safe

As with every activity during the coronavirus pandemic, the CDC has released guidelines for restaurants to follow when reopening their dining rooms (or outdoor dining rooms, for now). Keep in mind, these guidelines are meant to supplement (not replace) any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.

• Employees are required to wash hands before, during, and after preparing food.

• Employees are encouraged to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues and then wash hands. 

• Cloth face coverings are required amongst all staff.

• Adequate hand hygiene supplies must be available, including soap, hand sanitizer (at least 60-percent alcohol) on every table, paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, cloth face coverings, and no-touch or foot pedal trash cans.

• Signs that promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread of germs should be posted in highly visible locations (entrances, restrooms).

• Frequently touched surfaces (door handles, cash registers, workstations, sink handles, bathroom stalls) must be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

• Layouts should change to ensure that all parties are at least 6 feet apart.

• Seating capacity must be limited to 50 percent.

• Restaurants should ask customers to wait in cars or away from the restaurant while they wait to be seated.

• Physical barriers should be installed in areas where it is difficult for individuals to remain at least 6 feet apart (kitchens, cash registers, host stands, food pickup areas)

• Physical guides (tape on floors or sidewalks) must be provided to maintain 6 feet distance.

• Employees will be screened daily via telephone or electronically for COVID-19 symptoms.

• Bartenders and customers must maintain proper social distance. 

Meant to be followed in conjunction with CDC guidelines, New York State also released guidelines for restaurants to follow during COVID-19 which you can find here. 

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Yelp business pages now include a coronavirus safety section that includes information on whether a business is enforcing social distancing, sanitizing between customers, or requires masks and temperature checks for customers, according to Business Insider. The section will include a timestamp so customers will know when the information was last updated and will rely on customer feedback for verification.

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Where to go for Outdoor Dining in New York City

In New York City, the City Council introduced legislation that allows restaurants to utilize city streets streets, sidewalks, plazas, and other open spaces to  set up socially distant, outdoor dining rooms. Owners of restaurants adjacent to parking lots will be allowed to set up tables and chairs in these lots (with permission of the landlord). Today, more than 9,900 restaurants are participating in the City's Open Restaurants program with 81 participating streets.

 You can monitor which restaurants are open in your area throughout NYC by using this dashboard from the NYC Department of Transportation. The Chelsea Market also recently reopened for outdoor dining and shopping on 15th and 16th Streets. You can identify which Open Streets are designated for dining by visiting the Department of Transportation's Open Streets page.
 

Where You Can Dine Outdoors in the New York Metro Area

Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in Nassau County, Long Island

Image courtesy Second Street Cafe in Garden City

Oyster Bay Town supervisor announced a plan to close select streets to provide restaurants adequate space for socially distant outdoor dining. Farmingdale will follow suit in closing Main Street to allow restaurants to use this added space. Other towns throughout Long Island are expected to replicate this to allow for outdoor dining, and towns will expedite the process for getting outdoor dining as well as waive associated fees.

Anchor Down Seafood Bar & Grill, Merrick
Bar Frites, Roslyn
Harbor Mist, Cold Spring Harbor
Salt on the Water, Merrick
Louie’s Oyster Bar and Grille, Port Washington
Gatsby’s Landing, Roslyn
That Meetball Place, Farmingdale
Copper Hill, Williston Park
Cassariano, Mineola
1221 MFP, Roslyn (opening outdoor dining soon, check their social media for updates)
Pomodorino Rosso, Valley Stream
Lenox and Park Italian Bistro, Rockville Centre
Plattdeutsche Park, Franklin Square
The Boatyard, Tobay Beach
AcQua Restaurant, Merrick
Second Street Cafe, Garden City
Uncle Bacala’s, Garden City Park
The Helm, Freeport
Angelina’s, Lynbrook
Cippollini, Manhassett
La Nona Bella, Garden City
Salvatore's of Elmont, Elmont
Besito, Roslyn Village
Palmer's American Grille, Farmingdale
Market Bistro, Jericho
Rustic Root, Woodbury
Buteras, Woodbury
LB Social, Long Beach
Jetty Bar & Grill, Long Beach
SwingBellys, Long Beach
JJ Coopers, Long Beach
Brixx & Barley, Long Beach
Sorrento's of Long Beach, Long Beach
Lilly's, Long Beach
Minnesota's, Long Beach
The Inn, Long Beach
Cabana, Long Beach
The Ugly Duckling, Long Beach
ROC & OLIVE, Long Beach
The Coalhouse Grille, Baldwin (opening June 25)

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Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in Suffolk County, Long Island

Image courtesy Sangria 71 in Commack

Harvest On Fort Pond, Montauk
Shagwong Tavern, Montauk
Robkes, Northport
Andrea’s 25, Commack
Peter’s Clam Bar, Island Park
Teller’s Chophouse, Islip
Blackstone, Melville
Sangria 71, Commack
Best Pizza & Dive Bar, Amagansett
Tula Kitchen, Bay Shore

A server at Robke's Northport. Image credit: Mia Dawn

Jonathan’s Ristorante, Huntington Village
Trento, Farmingdale
aMano, Mattituck
Babalu, Huntington
The Rust and Gold, Huntington
Besito, Huntington
Bistro Cassis, Huntington
Leilu Huntington, Huntington
Gasho of Japan, Happauge
 

Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining in Rockland County

Image courtesy Il Fresco in Orangeburg