The Sonoma List: 5 al fresco feasts

Della Santina’s

To eat outdoors, in the cool air, is a particular pleasure in late summer. Within the confines of Della Santina’s walled garden, where fig climbs the brickwork and the old fountain plays water music, diners are nourished body and soul. Good food tastes better when eaten outdoors, in the dappled sunshine of a leisurely day. Antipasti, insalate, le zuppa, le paste, roticceria… followed, of course, with hot, strong caffè. It all goes down better when eaten outdoors, with conversation, or in simple silence. A crisp linen napkin across the knees, the dappled shade of mature trees overhead, a skilled waiter to keep things sublime, and you. Daily, 11:30 to 9:30 p.m. 133 E. Napa St. dellasantinas.com.

Kate Williams

The Red Grape

Canopied by red umbrellas, with the soft flow of fountain water trickling through nearby flower beds, few outdoor restaurant spaces in Sonoma say “al fresco” quite like the Red Grape’s dining patio. With a manicured ambience that screams as much “old world Italy” as it does “nouveau California,” the savory delight of RG’s thin-crust pizzas (half prosciutto and goat cheese/ half “tre funghi,” please) tantalize even more in the fresh outdoor air. Question: Why is the weather always perfect in the RG patio? Answer: Because we sit inside when it rains. Weeknights from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. 529 First St. W.

Jason Walsh

Sunflower Caffe

There’s often a line at the order counter, and first-time visitors might wonder why. The menu is nice – sandwiches from vegan wrap to smoked duck, soups and salads, “eggs & such” and the sweeter stuff – but it doesn’t seem remarkable. Maybe it’s the sidewalk tables, or the sunny name with the funny spelling, “Sunflower Caffe.” But when you find the backyard garden, you’ve discovered the secret of the Sunflower. Plants swarm over the pergola, yellow umbrellas shade the tables, a fountain gurgles merrily in the courtyard. Conversation is easy, the food is good, and the garden makes it happen. It’s the Chasen’s of Sonoma, the place to see and be seen, to strike a deal or rekindle a friendship, or just enjoy the sweeter stuff. Daily, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. sonomasunflower.com.

Christian Kallen

The Swiss Hotel

With a lovely flagstone patio in back of the restaurant and access to the state-owned parking lot behind the Barracks, “the Swiss” attracts local regulars who have gone there for generations, and traveling visitors as well.

With Marioni’s (and Dunlap’s) Italian background, they still cover patio tables with fresh red and white checked table cloths, cooled in the summer by a substantial old wood structure draped with purple wisteria, and large red umbrellas with fuchsia bougainvillea in the background and a Sonoma Hotel water feature gurgling in the corner. Heaters in winter. Weeknights, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 18 W. Spain St., Sonoma. Swisshotelsonoma.com.

Kathleen Hill

Salt & Stone

The new Salt & Stone Restaurant not only has a gorgeous interior but, since opening in December, it has also totally revamped the outdoor eating area of the former Kenwood Restaurant site on Highway 12. The hip and comfortable seating is set back behind the building so there’s no road noise and the vineyard view is unbeatable. The staff is cheerful and the place seems to be hopping every night of the week. We stayed warm as the sun went down with two bowls of delicious French onion soup, followed by crispy-skin salmon and crispy-skin duck. (When you are married a long time, it’s hard not to order alike.) Open daily to 9 p.m. 9900 Sonoma Highway. Saltstonekenwood.com.

Lorna Sheridan