Leave your sport coat or cocktail dress at home and enjoy a drink without pretense.

With a pastiche of restaurants and bars and a sophisticated cinema, St. Anthony Main is a wonderful date destination. Along this gorgeous riverfront strip where nostalgia and budding romance intersect, the Aster provides an idyllic al fresco experience that won't break the bank. Enjoy a sunset with a glass of wine on this tactfully lit, European-style patio.

What better way to enjoy Minneapolis' lush, urban parks than with a savory local beer? Nestled into Minnehaha Park, Sea Salt is the perfect place to pint-up after a stroll to Minnehaha Falls or a midday bike ride. You can't beat sipping a Surly while listening to the rushing current of the creek.

Condos aren't the only thing popping up in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood lately. Also conspicuously reaching for the troposphere is this Japanese restaurant/bar and its rooftop party spot. Could this be Uptown's best skyline view?

While downtown Minneapolis has its share of rooftop havens, Brit's has a lack of pretense and a luscious lawn bowling court. But if you're hoping to roll -- not toss -- a few balls, you'd better arrive early. The English pub's multi-tiered deck is crawling with Newcastle-swilling revelers young and old on balmy weekend nights.

The Liffey's rooftop is more Blarney Castle than run-of-the-mill Irish pub. Take the spiral staircase up to this medieval terrace and belly up to the elegantly canopied bar, or navigate the labyrinthine aisles for quainter seating options.

Don't mind a flashier scene or pricier bill? Scope these premium patios.

If you're not a member of Minneapolis' social elite, Seven is one nightspot you can hit up to feel like one. The über-swanky rooftop lounge has become a pillar of posh in downtown Minneapolis. Chances are you're not a very important person, but post a few pictures of yourself here on Facebook and it'll be our little secret.

Before Cafeteria sprouted up across the street last summer, Stella's dominated Uptown's trendy rooftop scene. But once the new kid started challenging the social order, Stella's flexed its muscles, adding another deck, which just so happens to obstruct the skyline view from parts of Cafeteria's gallery. Keeping neutral, we like Stella's view and Cafeteria's mini-mod aesthetic.

At the base of the architectural masterpiece that is the Guthrie Theater, the patio at Sea Change looks out over the Stone Arch Bridge. The elegant seafood restaurant's porch fits snugly into the beautiful downtown cranny between the Guthrie and the Mill City Museum, making it a cozy spot to watch July fireworks with a cocktail.

The downtown tapas joint is known for its exquisite small plates, but its most unique draw is all the way at the top. During Solera's rooftop movie nights (Wednesdays starting June 1), the evening's film selection is paired with a signature drink. For food, drink and a film under the stars, Solera is your destination.

Al fresco on the street.

Anchored beneath the Eitel apartments on the edge of Loring Park, the Loring Kitchen gives the neighborhood a street-accessible option for open-air merrymaking. When the sun is shining and the park is bustling, there's no better place to be than at an outdoor table on the Loring's piazza -- and with $10 bottomless mimosas, there's little incentive to leave.

A brewpub can have an immaculate location and amenities, but without a quality product, it's all for naught. Luckily for the Town Hall (and those of us who enjoy its sunny swath of a sidewalk patio) its beer is exceedingly sapid. Somehow the fragrant hops of the West Bank gem's Masala Mama seem to smell sweeter on a warm summer day.

The best thing about sidewalk seating is the people-watching, and where better to do that than on Hennepin, one of the city's busiest drags? These twin front-lawn patios are elevated from street level, so you can enjoy your wine or tea while looking down at passersby with your judgmental eyes.

Without an event at the Xcel Energy Center, downtown St. Paul is the Rip Van Winkle of nightlife. But with these streetside patios directly facing each other, it doesn't have to be. The two bars form an open courtyard just around the corner from Mickey's Diner. Don't let this prime patio setup go to waste.

Less-obvious, underrated or overlooked patios.

If Lake Street is an urban rainbow, the Longfellow Grill is the pot of gold at the end. Travel the Minneapolis artery to its east end and you'll find this neighborhood favorite on the Mississippi. The Longfellow seemingly accommodates the entire neighborhood it was named after during its monthly summer patio parties, featuring live music, food and discounted taps.

Make a beeline through this Dale Street stalwart and nab an outdoor table by the massive stone fireplace, or hit the outdoor bar for $2.50 select pints and 50-cent tacos during happy hour (3-6 p.m. daily).

Eat Street's German eatery houses the most inconspicuous patio in the city. Secluded and serene, the Black Forest beer garden provides a tasteful venue for your next "Ziggy Zaggy" cheers or lederhosen-sporting excursion. Load up on Spaten and spaetzel in this Minneapolis institution's courtyard.

The suburbs need someone to fight back against the Olive Gardens and Chili's plundering our urban periphery. Grumpy's is proud to be that combatant. Its Roseville outpost is situated next to a strip mall and a car dealership, but its quaint patio has an endearing homey quality -- like your back yard, with a better tap selection.