LOCAL LEGENDS II
Here at Design Shop, we love a good patio. Although our winter has dragged on and we keep being teased with periods of warmth between snowstorms, the glimpses of sunshine have started to get us excited for patio season!
Last year, we put together a list of some of our favourite local getaways for a drink on the deck: LOCAL LEGENDS. This included James Avenue Pumphouse, Lowlife Barrel House, The Roost, Little Brown Jug, and the Beer Can. Our city is packed with gems, and one list wasn’t enough! We thought it was about time to update our list and provide another handful of “Local Legends” for you to consider when you’re looking for something to do this spring and summer.
THE COMMON
If you haven’t already been, what are you waiting for? The Common is located downtown within the Forks Market and is a bustling attraction with a lot to offer. Primarily featuring local beers, wines, and ciders, the Common is a great place to try some of the freshest creations from breweries around the city (with selections curated professionally!). With one bar inside the market and another outside by the river, their dual-bar setup allows for ease of access and ensures you’re never waiting long for your next drink. Beyond convenience, the Common also goes well beyond what you’d expect from a “patio.” The entire two-story Forks Market building has been licensed, as well as a large portion of the grounds outside the market, allowing you to explore the other exciting food, beverage, and retail options on site or enjoy the outdoors and find a great spot by the river(s), all without having to put your drink down.
PIZZERIA GUSTO
Pizzeria Gusto is a renowned local restaurant with an emphasis on artisanal pizza. Nestled between trees on the corner of Academy Road and Waterloo Street, Gusto’s patio is a quaint spot to catch up without the bustle of the downtown core. Carefully considered ingredient combinations make Gusto’s Italian cuisine stand out, and they offer a spread of wines and beers to pair with their dishes. Naturally shaded by River Heights’ beautiful elm and oak trees, the outdoor dining experience at Gusto provides a truly serene and inviting atmosphere, further enhancing the comfort of their dishes.
AMSTERDAM TEA ROOM
Amsterdam Tea Room is one of the city’s most unique cocktail bars. Like the name suggests, their cocktails are made using tea as a base. With 10 teas, and 5-6 unique cocktails per type of tea, Amsterdam Tea Room offers a ton of versatility in their menu and is a great spot to try and try again. Recently, they’ve also started to offer Cocktail Flights, allowing you and your group to dive into their vast selection. Located in the Exchange, their tasting room and patio face the Cube, making them a great spot for an afternoon or evening out in the heart of the city.
KEVIN’S BISTRO (& CORRIENTES PIZZERIA)
Just a short jaunt away from Amsterdam Tea Room, Kevin’s Bistro is another fantastic casual spot in the Exchange. Located on Bannatyne Ave, Kevin’s offers a host of comfort foods, including gourmet mac n’ cheeses, pastas, sandwiches, and sharables, as well as a classic lineup of cocktails and feature drinks that change every so often. Their restaurant offers cozy banquette seating and often features live music, while their exterior patio stretches along a quieter portion of Bannatyne Ave near Waterfront, surrounded by beautiful heritage buildings and greenery. Kevin’s shares their patio space with their neighbour, another (great, local) restaurant called Corrientes Argentinian Pizzeria, featuring pizza, empanadas, melts, as well as their own range of refreshing cocktails. The combo of Kevin’s and Corrientes make for a great patio that you can try out more than once, returning for a totally different fare!
CONFUSION CORNER DRINKS & FOOD
A project of our very own, Confusion Corner Drinks & Food (formerly “Confusion Corner Bar & Grill”) is a landmark location with a great deal of history. Around for almost 20 years, the restaurant is located at the junction of Winnipeg’s “Confusion Corner”, which (for anyone unaware) is a notoriously tricky intersection prone to flustering locals and out-of-towners alike. Don’t let that spoil your appetite though, the restaurant itself doesn’t take after its namesake, and has been a staple meeting location for Winnipeggers since its inception. We took on their renovation in 2019 but have been stopping by for drinks with friends, client meetings, and more for years. If you haven’t had an opportunity to see how their space has evolved, make sure to stop by and check it out (even if it’s just on your way up to the rooftop patio)! Nestled away from the busy corner and facing towards the mouth of Corydon, their partially-enclosed rooftop patio is a comfortable space with ample seating, offering a great atmosphere and a place to enjoy your food and drinks while maintaining protection from the weather.
LANGSIDE GROCERY
Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 50 bars in 2020 as well as a recipient of a Winnipeg Heritage Building Award, Langside Grocery is a delightful spot for a drink with a stunning interior and a cute courtyard patio in the spring/summer. Originally a grocery store, this modern resto-bar was re-opened in 2017, and has been a hit ever since. Their menu features lighter, shareable fare paired with a range of creative craft cocktails, beer, and wines. As an added bonus, if you’re lucky enough when you stop by you may run into Trixie, an adorable (and incredibly friendly!) outdoor black cat that lives in the neighbourhood and has made Langside Grocery her regular haunt. Although she has become somewhat of an impromptu mascot, the owners would prefer you don’t let her inside the bar (but maybe she’ll join you on the patio)!
CARGO BAR
Like the Beer Can which we covered in our last Patio post, the Cargo Bar is another locally-loved, annually-recurring pop-up bar. This pop-up makes its home in the beautiful Assiniboine Park, and true to its name, is hosted out of a cargo shipping container. Surrounded by the lush greenery of the park, Cargo Bar makes a great place to grab a drink while about your day, or as a destination for an impromptu meetup. Throughout their season, they change out their specialty cocktails, and have an ever-evolving offering of local beers, wines, and more. In addition to their regular operation, Cargo Bar is also rentable for larger parties or events at the park. We recommend you check them out when they open, but if you can’t make it this season — no worries! Cargo Bar also returns in the winter, offering a range of hot and cold beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), as well as sweet treats like s’more kits to warm you up after a day of skating!
HONOURABLE MENTION – LITTLE BROWN JUG
Last year, we included Little Brown Jug on our list of patios. We’ve worked with Little Brown Jug extensively over the last few years, taking on the design of their corporate office, taproom, and now their patio. At the time of our last patio post LOCAL LEGENDS , the patio was in its final stages of design & construction. Since then, their patio has opened, and it has been a soaring success! Complete with protective walls, space heaters, and large overhead umbrellas, LBJ’s patio is an incredibly vibrant and cozy space that offers protection from the elements while maintaining an open environment, allowing you to extend your patio season well into the fall. If the space heaters aren’t enough, they also offer blankets for use on their patio when it gets a bit chilly. The two-tiered patio is composed of shipping containers and offers various seating options, including booths, lounge seating, and table clusters. If you didn’t get a chance to check them out last year, we highly recommend taking a trip down to Little Brown Jug this summer or fall!