Best California Restaurants for Al Fresco Dining 2016: Open Table

• Photo of the Spanish Patio of the Mission Inn Restaurant courtesy of The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa

We’re blushing. Maybe it’s the sun, or the wine or a combination of the two - but California just snagged almost half of the spots on Open Table’s 100 Best Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America for 2016.

Many are in beach towns or near vineyards. The Inland Empire is also well represented, with people enjoying meals under wide-open desert skies.

So, how did Open Table come up with this list? By using the more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified Open Table diners between May 1, 2015, and April 30, 2016. Restaurants were selected for best overall scores, and then sorted to include "great for outdoor dining" as a chosen feature.

The highlighted California restaurants serve up an eclectic variety of cuisines including Californian, American, Italian and, in beach towns, Seafood.

The complete list is online. Here are the California restaurants that made the cut (in alphabetical order):

• Arnold Palmer's Restaurant - La Quinta, California
• Auberge du Soleil - Rutherford, California
• Beachcomber Café-Crystal Cove - Newport Coast, California
• Bella Vista at Four Seasons Resort-The Biltmore - Santa Barbara, California
• Belmond El Encanto Dining Room - Santa Barbara, California
• Bistro 60 - La Quinta, California
• Brockton Villa - San Diego, California
• Café Pinot - Los Angeles, California
• Café Santorini - Pasadena, California
• Cedar Creek Inn - San Juan Capistrano, California
• Cliff's Edge - Los Angeles, California
• Copley's on Palm Canyon - Palm Springs, California
• Depot Hotel Restaurant - Sonoma, California
• El Techo - San Francisco, California
• FERRO - Idyllwild, California
• Geoffrey's Restaurant - Malibu, California
• George's Ocean Terrace - La Jolla, California
• Gracias Madre - West Hollywood, California
• Habana - Costa Mesa, California
• Home Restaurant-Los Feliz - Los Angeles, California
• Jake's - Palm Springs, California
• Laili - Santa Cruz, California
• Lavender Bistro - La Quinta, California
• Le Vallauris - Palm Springs, California
• Little Beast Restaurant - Los Angeles, California
• Mission Inn Restaurant - Riverside, California
• Momed - Atwater Village, California
• Pacifica Seafood Restaurant - Palm Desert, California
• Perch LA - Los Angeles, California
• Pietro's Italian Restaurant - Lodi, California
• Poseidon - Del Mar, California
• The Prado at Balboa Park - San Diego, California
• The Restaurant at Ponte - Temecula, California
• The Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards - Forestville, California
• The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards - Livermore, California
• Rustic, Francis's Favorites - Geyserville, California
• Sam's Social Club - Calistoga, California
• SEA180 Coastal Tavern - Imperial Beach, California
• Spencer's Restaurant - Palm Springs, California
• Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens - Escondido, California
• Stone House at San Ysidro Ranch - Santa Barbara, California
• Tom Hams Lighthouse - San Diego, California
• Tommy Bahama's Restaurant & Bar - Palm Desert, California
• The Tropicale - Palm Springs, California