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Just in time for patio season, two London restaurants – a downtown hot spot that bills itself as specializing in tacos, tequila and bourbon, and an Italian favourite – have made a list of the 100 best places to eat outdoors in Canada.
Richmond Street eatery the Mule London and Dolcetto on Colonel Talbot Road were included among the restaurants named the best patio experiences in the country by the reservations app Open Table.
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Regionally, Eddington’s of Exeter, known for its farm-to-table dining approach, also got the nod from Open Table, which released it top 100 list on Wednesday.
The Mule, which is both gluten and nut free, opened in February 2023 in the former Black Trumpet.
“We’re really excited about that because we put a lot of work into our patio, especially this spring trying to spruce it up,” said bar manager Eryn Kell. “Going off of last year, I felt a lot of people really didn’t know about us. People who have discovered us for the first time come back for our patio.”
Kell said a lot of people assume the restaurant is Mexican-inspired.
“We wouldn’t really call ourselves that,” she said. “We’re unique in our own way”
She said the restaurant’s small entrance opening on Richmond Street can be deceiving, but the patio and dining areas are “quite large” too.
“People call the patio a hidden oasis,” she said. “People are blown away that we have main-floor dining and upstairs dining and in the back quite a large patio. It’s private – which is nice – and secluded.
“We have lots of greenery and a water fountain.”
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Dolcetto owner Dino DiFruscia said he was thrilled to be included on the list.
“It’s always an honour to be recognized,” he said.
DiFruscia said the restaurant boasts a west-facing outdoor patio and the whole front of the restaurant is “a moveable wall” that “opens up the whole restaurant.”
Eddington’s of Exeter owner and chef James Eddington said the news came as “a surprise,” adding: “That’s wonderful news and quite the honour.”
Established in 1997, Eddington said during the COVID lockdown the patio underwent a six-month renovation. “We seat about 100 people outdoors, with an outdoor bar and live music.”
The top 100 list was compiled by analyzing more than 1.1 million diner reviews and other metrics including restaurants for which “outdoor dining” was selected as a special feature.
Open Table is an online reservation service for restaurants founded in 1998 and based in San Francisco.
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