River House Lands on OpenTable’s 100 Best for Outdoor Dining

River House Restaurant & Bar’s outdoor dining area. Courtesy of River House

OpenTable released its annual list of the 100 Best Restaurants for Outdoor Dining, and Louisville’s River House Restaurant & Raw Bar made the cut.

It’s a good place to be. Nationwide data from OpenTable (part of Booking Holdings Inc.,NASDAQ: BKNG) shows the number of restaurants listing outdoor dining grew 54% compared to pre-pandemic 2019, per a news release.  

The list is curated from 13.6 million verified diner reviews and identifies restaurants coast-to-coast with great views, delicious cuisine and above all, an incredible outdoor dining experience. This year, 25 states feature restaurants on the list.

"Outdoor dining played a major role in buoying the restaurant industry over the last few years, and restaurants took note – whether adding, expanding or elevating their offerings," said Susan Lee, Chief Growth Officer for OpenTable, said in the news release. "Offering outdoor dining is now a key part of restaurants' business, and we're happy to see that diners continue to embrace it."

This year's list saw a greater range of cities compared to the last roster, debuted in 2019 – whether due to new nationwide culinary prowess or the pandemic-induced outdoor dining boost. New additions to this year's list hail from Austin, Atlanta, Greensboro, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, New Mexico, Portland, San Antonio and Wilmington. This year, California saw the greatest number of restaurants on the list, featuring 37 restaurants across Los Angeles, Napa, San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Sonoma, Santa Monica, Carlsbad and more. Florida is runner up, featuring 11 restaurants from cities including Miami Beach, Naples and Key West.

Here’s the full list, in alphabetical order:

• 1906 at Longwood Gardens – Kennett Square, PA

• Alma Nove – Hingham, MA

• Anis Cafe and Bistro – Atlanta, GA

• Anthonie's Market Grill – Simonton, TX

• AOC - 3rd Street – Los Angeles, CA

• Arnold Palmer's Restaurant – La Quinta, CA

• Bacari - Silver Lake – Los Angeles, CA

• Barca Wine Bar & Pier – Alexandria, VA

• Beachcomber Cafe – Newport Coast, CA

• Bella Siena – Benicia, CA

• Bistro Don Giovanni – Napa, CA

• Boat House Waterfront Dining – Tiverton, RI

• Brasserie Mon Chou Cho – San Antonio, TX

• Bravas Bar de Tapas – Healdsburg, CA

• Buck and Rider – Phoenix, AZ

• C-Level – San Diego, CA

• Ca Del Sole – North Hollywood, CA

• Cafe Bizou – Agoura Hills, CA

• Cafe Luxembourg – New York, NY

• Cafe Terracotta – Littleton, CO

• Campfire – Carlsbad, CA

• Canoe – Atlanta, GA

• Casa Nostra Ristorante – Westlake Village, CA

• Cesarina – San Diego, CA

• Charlie's Coastal Bistro (L'etoile Verte) – Hilton Head, SC

• Citron Bistro – Vero Beach, FL

• Coast Guard House – Narragansett, RI

• Coastal Fish Company – Memphis, TN

• Coastal Kitchen – Dana Point, CA

• Coasterra – San Diego, CA

• Continental Naples – Naples, FL

• Copley's on Palm Canyon – Palm Springs, CA

• Del Vino Vineyards – Northport, NY

• Dog Watch Cafe – Stonington, CT

• Dry Dock Waterfront Grill – Longboat Key, FL

• Duke's Beach House Maui – Lahaina, HI

• Echo & Rig Steakhouse & Butcher Shop – Las Vegas, NV

• El Chorro – Paradise Valley, AZ

• El Dorado Kitchen – Sonoma, CA

• EPIC Steak – San Francisco, CA

• FARM – Palm Springs, CA

• Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens – Corona Del Mar, CA

• Fia – Santa Monica, CA

• Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar – Charleston, SC

• Fleetwood's On Front St. – Lahaina, HI

• Foreign Cinema – San Francisco, CA

• Girl & the Goat L.A. – Los Angeles, CA

• Gracias Madre – West Hollywood, CA

• Green Valley Grill – Greensboro, NC

• Hardware – North Aurora, IL

• Istanbul Hawaii – Honolulu, HI

• Izanami – Santa Fe, NM

• Jeune et Jolie – Carlsbad, CA

• Kyle G's Prime Seafood – Jensen Beach, FL

• L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele – Los Angeles, CA

• L'Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, VA

• La Mar Cebicheria Peruana – San Francisco, CA

• Latitudes Key West – Key West, FL

• Le Diplomate – Washington DC

• Lon's at The Hermosa – Paradise Valley, AZ

• Los Andes Restaurant – Providence, RI

• Mala Ocean Tavern – Lahaina, HI

• Mariposa – Sedona, AZ

• Mediterrano - Naples – Naples, FL

• Mister A's – San Diego, CA

• Mitch's on El Paseo Prime Seafood – Palm Desert, CA

• Olive & Ivy Restaurant & Marketplace – Scottsdale, AZ

• Ophelia's on the Bay – Sarasota, FL

• Pacific Coast Grill – Cardiff-By-The-Sea, CA

• Palace – Miami Beach, FL

• Piccolo Sogno – Chicago, IL

• Poseidon – Del Mar, CA

• Prime: An American Kitchen & Bar – Huntington, NY

• Print Works Bistro – Greensboro, NC

• Raintree Restaurant – St. Augustine, FL

• RH Rooftop Restaurant – New York, NY

• River House Restaurant & Raw Bar – Louisville, KY

• Ruthie's All-Day – Arlington, VA

• Salty's on the Columbia – Portland, OR

• Spencer's Restaurant – Palm Springs, CA

• Steiner Ranch Steakhouse – Austin, TX

• Sunset Terrace at Omni Grove Park Inn – Asheville, NC

• Tavern on the Green – New York, NY

• Terrain Cafe – Glen Mills, PA

• The Black Whale – New Bedford, MA

• The Boathouse – Lake Buena Vista, FL

• The Front Yard – North Hollywood, CA

• The Mooring Restaurant – Newport, RI

• The Oyster Rock Waterfront Seafood – Calabash, NC

• The Twisted Olive – Green, OH

• The Village Bakery and Cafe – Woodside, CA

• Tin Roof Bistro – Manhattan Beach, CA

• Tisha's – Cape May, NJ

• Tom Hams Lighthouse – San Diego, CA

• Ulele – Tampa, FL

• Vivace Restaurant – Tucson, AZ

• Waterbar – San Francisco, CA

• Wildflower – Tucson, AZ

• Zaytinya – Washington DC

• Zinc Bistro – Scottsdale, AZ