Getting it all down patio

Where to hang out, outside in your hood

ROUNDUP. That wasn’t summer last week, was it? All of a sudden, there we were hanging and dining alfresco at our favorite spots. Here’s a selection of tables with spectacular views.

La Dolce Vita
In east Cambridge, restaurant dante boasts blissful views over both the Charles River and Boston. Situated by a quiet side street, there’s no traffic or street hustle to mar the perfect summer ambiance as boats tack on the water and Mount Prudential rises in the distance. Did we mention superb progressive Italian food?
Chill Food: Organic chicken breast with goat cheese stuffed zucchini ($26) or “merluzzo,” a local caught cod with wild flower honey, wilted spinach, baby beets, and baccalà fritelle  ($28).
40 Edwin H Land Blvd., Cambridge, 617-497-4200
www.restaurantdante.com

We All Scream
Not only does the pretty café Citrio make its own ice cream, but its lovely tree-shaded patio is perfect for slurping said ambrosia. Overlooking Lincoln Street’s small shops, Citrio’s patio feels like a village square, perfect for idling. 
Chill Food: Toasted couscous salad with fresh ginger, grilled plums and basil pesto ($8.50 per lb.). What is widely hailed as the best coffee ice cream cone in town ($3.15/$4.20).
Two Hartford St., Newton Highlands, 617-969-1234
www.citrioboston.com

Je Ne C’est Quoi
With sumptuous views overlooking the harbor channel, dining en plein air on Miel’s grande terrace at the InterContinental Hotel, is a classic experience. Nearby, on the patio, Miel’s wilder sister restaurant Sushi-Teq has “Tequila Tuesdays” through summer.
Chill Food: Classic fruits de mer platters chock with mussels, clams, shrimp, crab and lobster ($48 for 2). The sweet Provençal soup ($10) of lightly sautéed berries and candied olives with lavender ice cream.
510 Atlantic Ave., Boston, 617-217-5101
www.intercontinentalboston.com