With indoor dining currently on hold in NYC due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases citywide, restaurants across the five boroughs, including Staten Island, now largely rely on a mix of outdoor dining, delivery, and takeout. Due to the higher positivity rates on Staten Island, restaurants here are limited to serving four people per table outdoors.
As the weather turns significantly colder, restaurateurs are working creatively to keep their outdoor spaces heated so diners feel comfortable — even in frigid conditions. There are individual dining pods, partially-enclosed structures with heaters and blankets, and more innovative moves as restaurants adapt for the winter months.
Here, Eater has rounded up 10 establishments with a variety of heated outdoor dining setups, with the type of seating noted in each write up. Eater will continue to update this list semi-regularly over the winter months as long as outdoor dining is permitted.
NYC restaurants are currently limited to outdoor dining, along with takeout and delivery. The type of service offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining out, as there are still safety concerns: for updated information on coronavirus cases in your area, please visit the NYC Health Department’s website. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.
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