A Side of Fresh Air

22 scenic spots for outdoor dining and drinking.

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Five cafes that serve up some serious outdoor scenery with their sandwiches.

Olga’s Cup and Saucer
103 Point Street, Providence, 831-6666
Let’s face it, when the heat of summer comes, you want to sit in the shade during the early afternoon hours. Olga’s offers both against a backdrop of sparkling soda, toasted sandwiches and baked pizzas. Wash it down with an iced mocha and you’ve marked your spot for another half an hour.

Crazy Burger Café AND Juice Bar
144 Boon Street, Narragansett, 783-1810, crazyburger.com
Al fresco for both the crunchy crowd and the meat-eaters. This casual south-side favorite offers vegan burgers, smoothies and scrambled tofu for the former but still slings out the all-beef patties and chicken wings for the rest of us.

Three Rivers Café
267 Water Street, Warren, 289-2067
Go by car. Or go by boat. Go for breakfast: homemade sweet corn and black bean fritters. Or go for lunch: house-roasted turkey with sweet onion jam on Bristol Bakery oatmeal bread. Just go—the view, overlooking the Warren River toward Barrington, is too perfect to pass up.

Bliss Natural Grocer & Café
311 Broadway, Newport, 608-2322, blissnaturalgrocer.com
Talk about stopping traffic! Enjoy your morning coffee and afternoon salad at one of the few tables perched outside Bliss Natural Grocer and alongside one of Newport’s main roadways. The lemon ricotta pancakes elicit envy from passing Beemers, as does the Cobb salad with grilled salmon.

Venda Ravioli
265 Atwells Avenue (DePasquale Square), Providence, 421-9105, vendaravioli.com
Some people sit outdoors for air; others to watch the people enjoying the air. Venda is Providence’s place to watch the world go by with a plate of antipasto. Bonus: Sometimes the local opera company serenades diners by the fountain.