27 'Gorgeous and Delicious' Outdoor Restaurants in Connecticut

With weekends already feeling a little like summer, thoughts are probably turning to alfresco dining, and in Connecticut there are lots of wonderful options.

Connecticut Magazine recently listed 27 of the most gorgeous and delicious outdoor dining spots in the state. How did they come up with list? Pretty simple, for all of them "the scenery is as fine as what’s on the plate."

The magazine used 11 categories to break it all down:

• Shoreline East
• Fairfield County Waterfront
• On the River
• Litchfield Hills
• Farmington Valley
• Up on the Roof
• By the Empire State
• The Quiet Corner
• City Solitude
• For Jet Setters
• Par for the Course

"To greet the official arrival of the season June 21, and to serve as a guide from now through the fall, here's a list of the 25 best outdoor dining destinations in the state, with a few extras thrown in for good measure," the magazine writes.

Below is the list; click here to read the full story on the Connecticut Magazine website, which includes details as to why the magazine selected each restaurant.

Shoreline East

Fresh Salt, Saybrook Point Inn

The Wharf Restaurant at Madison Beach Hotel, Madison

Oyster Club, Mystic

Red 36, Mystic

Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, Noank

Fairfield County Waterfront

l’escale, Greenwich

The Whelk, Westport

Paloma, Stamford

On the River

Gelston House Restaurant and Inn, East Haddam

Blue Oar, Haddam

Litchfield Hills

Hopkins Inn, Warren

The White Hart, Salisbury

The White Horse Country Pub, Washington

Farmington Valley

Millwright’s, Simsbury

Apricots Restaurant & Pub, Farmington

Up on the Roof

Rooftop 120, Glastonbury

Goodfellas, New Haven

Ecco Rooftop Eatery and Bar at La Zingara, Bethel

By the Empire State

Bernard’s Restaurant and Sarah’s Wine Bar, Ridgefield

The Quiet Corner

The Golden Lamb Buttery, Brooklyn

Lake View Family Restaurant, Coventry

City Solitude

L’Orcio, New Haven

For Jet Setters

121 Restaurant at OXC, Oxford

Par for the Course

Monty’s River Grille at Great River Golf Club, Milford

On the Rocks at Fox Hopyard Golf Club, East Haddam

Lion Four Tavern at Tower Ridge Country Club, Simsbury

Jesse Camille’s, Naugatuck

Photo credit: Millwright's, Simsbury