In case you actually need a reason to dine outdoors this summer, we've got six of them:

1. Fresh air stimulates the senses and thus the appetite.

2. Unless you sleep in the park, you probably spend most of your day indoors.

3. Although we all know climate change is a myth perpetrated by anarchists, when it's hot, it's hot. At least there's a breeze outside.

4. People-watching is more fun than staring at the TV in the corner or replaying the many short films in your mind.

5. Can't always make it to the solarium. Must get some color.

6. Way, way, way too much snow this past winter.

But don't just take our word for it: The following 35 establishments offer al fresco eating across the city in all price categories. Pick one, take a deep breath and enjoy, as colder weather will be here sooner than any of us would like.

Allegro

Veleslavinova 2a

(inside the Four Seasons Hotel)

Prague 1–Old Town.

Tel. 221 427 000

Ambassadors, business people and just regular Joes all come for the views of Prague Castle and the outstanding Italian fare, including many regional and seasonal specials, all prepared by chef Vito Mollica.

Altan

inside Havlíckovy sady

Prague 2–Vinohrady

Tel. 222 516 887

Surly service, half-decent wines and only a few sausages and other light snacks to eat. Why go? Because you're sitting in a gazebo overlooking a hillside surrounded by vineyards once belonging to Charles IV.

Atelier

Na kovárne 8

Prague 10–Vrsovice

Tel. 271 721 866

Once again open for business, the premier gourmet restaurant outside the city center puts up a few tables in the backyard for summer dining al fresco style. Excellent eats, easy on the wallet.

Bazaar Méditerranée

Nerudova 40

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 800 152 672

The main restaurant may be closed for a long-overdue renovation, but the rooftop seating area just below Prague Castle still entices diners down from the ramparts.

Bellevue

Smetanovo nábr. 18

Prague 1–Old Town.

Tel. 222 221 449

The terrace just across the street from the Vltava looks out onto the river, Prague Castle and Malá Strana rooftops, with sophisticated continental cuisine and a good wine list.

Bistrot de Marlene

Schwaigerova 3

Prague 6–Bubenec

Tel. 224 920 853

A favorite of captains of industry, local movie moguls and four-star chefs on their too-few nights off, the new location of this excellent French restaurant boasts a beautiful garden perfect for long summer evenings.

Café Savoy

Vitezná 1

Prague 5–Smíchov

Tel. 257 311 562

If décor can be spellbinding, consider us all tied up: An elaborately restored Secession interior consoles those unable to snag one of the sidewalk tables up front. Excellent food, moderate prices.

Cervená tabulka

Lodecká 4

Prague 1–New Town

Tel. 224 810 401

A stylish-cum-rustic restaurant with exceptional cooking and moderate prices with a great wine list courtesy of the wine bar next door. This restaurant has fans; meaning, reservations for the enclosed terrace are a very good idea.

Coda

Trziste 9

(inside Aria hotel)

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 225 334 761

Rooftop dining with Malá Strana's St. Nicholas Cathedral so close you could crack its windows with a slingshot — not that you'd ever want to do such a thing. High-end, highly refined continental cuisine.

Il Giardino

Mozartova 1

(inside the Mövenpick hotel)

Prague 5–Smíchov

Tel. 257 154 262

Like something out of Switzerland, a private funicular railway lifts guests to this spacious terrace overlooking Smíchov, Vysehrad and beyond. Excellent pan-Mediterranean fare with top-shelf service.

Hot

Václavské nám. 45

(inside Hotel Jalta)

Prague 1–New Town

Tel. 222 247 240

Eating well on Wenceslas Square is a difficult proposition. Hot serves some of the city's best tom kha gai, good sandwiches and salads on a bustling terrace offering a first-rate view of the throngs.

Jáma

V Jáme 7

Prague 1–New Town

Tel. 224 222 383

Sommelier and sometimes Prague Post wine writer Max Munson added a children's play area to his restaurant's back yard, making the outdoor seating area especially appealing to young families.

Jet Set

Radlická 1C

Prague 5–Smichov

Tel. 257 327 251

Skip the food court: If you're heading for a flick at Andel or Novy´ Smíchov, this smart café and lounge has great outdoor seating, good beats and decent Mediterranean-type dishes at moderate prices.

Kafárna

Bezrucovy sady 1

Prague 2–Vinohrady

Tel. 222 512 580

Not so much dining as drowning, Kafárna pours beer after beer until it all makes sense, backed up with only-after-you've-had-a-couple pizzas, grilled sausages and a plethora of picnic tables. Fun, extremely cheap and best with a big group of friends.

Kampa Park

Na Kampe 8b

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 257 535 050

Charles Bridge without a zoom lens: The riverside tables at this Malá Strana fave get you as close to the water as you can be without swimming. Bonus: Chef Marek Raditsch's sophisticated continental cooking is among the best in the city.

Mirage

Nám. 14. rijna 17

Prague 5–Smíchov

Tel. 257 311 384

Smíchov's status as a complete entertainment destination gets a boost from this trendy bar and restaurant, especially popular with the lunchtime crowd.

Mozaika

Nitranská 13

Prague 3–Vinohrady

Tel. 224 253 011

The only problem with Mozaika is that everything is outstanding, making it very difficult for the indecisive. (Just order the burger. Again.) Unless you have very powerful mojo, you'll need to reserve one of the few outdoor tables on shady, leafy Nitranská.

Pálffy palác

Valdstejnská 14

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 257 530 522

Cool, kitschy and decadently Baroque-gone-astray, this Malá Strana palazzo overlooks sculpted gardens and a music conservatory. Outstanding service, reasonable lunch menus and excellent dinners all seem imported from another era.

PetRínské Terasy

Seminarská zahrada 13

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 257 320 688

Perfect after a walk around romantic Petrín Hill, this breezy terrace warms up with live gypsy music and inexpensive grilled meats. Incredible views, especially at sundown.

Pizzeria di Carlo

Karlovo nám. 30

(enter on Malá Stepánská)

Tel. 222 231 381

Semi-slow service, decent pizzas and salads in a sunken, secluded open-air garden just off Karlovo námestí. Inexpensive, though apparently good enough for Karel Gott.

Pravda

Parízská 17

Prague 1–Old Town

Tel. 222 326 203

Shop till you drop on boutique-laden Parízská, then come here for the eclectic contemporary cuisine and numerous sidewalk tables just steps from the stately Old-New Synagogue.

Red Hot & Blues

Jakubská 12

(behind Kotva)

Prague 1–Old Town

Tel. 222 314 639

Contrary to earlier assertions (ahem!), the city's New-Orleans-style jazz joint was the first in Prague to serve a Cuban sandwich. Good beer, cocktails and blues with plenty of outdoor tables in Old Town.

Retro

Francouzská 4

Prague 2–Vinohrady

Tel. 603 176 111

This place is cool, but not cool enough to make the New York hipster guide Black Book. And yet it did. Merely decent eats, though the seeing and being seen here is certainly first-rate.

Rezavá Kotva

Detsky´ ostrov

(across from Janáckovo nábrezí)

Prague 5–Smíchov

Tel. 777 550 005

It's easy to imagine that this overlooked restaurant is on a boat, as passenger crafts traversing the locks pass by within a few meters. Instead, it's its own child-friendly island on the Vltava with inexpensive grilled meats and fresh Krusovice lager.

La Rotonde

Stepánská 40

(inside the Radisson SAS Alcron)

Prague 1–Old Town

Tel. 222 820 410

This outdoor terrace hides behind the historic Alcron's stylish facade, offering fresh-air dining in the city's central business district, now with special BBQ and grill menus from star chef Jirí Stift.

Sovovy mly´ny

U sovovy´ch mly´nu? 2

(inside Museum Kampa)

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 257 535 900

Among museum restaurants, this is the best in the city, though it's worth noting that it's also one of the only museum restaurants in all of Prague. Tables along the river offer respite from the art, with decent salads and light meals.

Square

Malostranské nám. 5

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 257 532 109

A new menu brings more excellent Spanish tapas and a number of renewed Italian classics to diners both inside and on the outdoor tables overlooking Malostranské námestí.

Terasa U Zlaté Studnu?

U Zlaté Studne 4

Prague 1–Malá Strana

Tel. 257 533 322

Overlooked hotel restaurant with killer views of Malá Strana seeks charismatic diner for meaningful, short-term relationship. You: discreet, worldly, enjoy great service and superior continental cuisine.

Le Terroir

Vejvodova 1 (enter on Jilská)

Prague 1–Old Town

Tel. 602 889 118

This hidden courtyard near Betlemské námestí boasts the city's best selection of wines from the chateaux of Bordeaux and Burgundy, along with excellent French cooking. Splurge and enjoy.

Tramtárie

Moskevská 30

Prague 10–Vrsovice

Tel. 271 742 677

A Prague 10 stalwart with good cheap eats — snails in garlic butter, beef tartare, BBQ pork ribs — on a wooden deck overlooking the small-townlike Vrsovické námestí.

U Bilého lva

Belohorská 79

Prague 6–Brevnov

Tel. 220 510 856

OK bar food and lots of fresh Krusovice with plenty of people-watching along beer-friendly Belohorská, perfect for kicking off a pub crawl out of the center.

U Závoje

Havelska 25

Prague 1–Old Town

Tel. 226 006 111

This wine bar, restaurant, fromagerie and vinotheque makes a beachhead for la gourmandise smack in the middle of the heavily touristed route between Old Town and Wenceslas Square. Now with fresh air, too.

Vecchio Borgo

U Perníkárky 2a

(inside Casa Edith Stein)

Prague 5–Smíchov

Tel. 257 220 499

One of the best new restaurants of 2005, Vecchio Borgo serves great pastas, saltimbocca, chicken involtino and other Italian classics in a 15th-century convent recently turned into a small hotel.

Verona

Ruská 42

Prague 10–Vrsovice

Tel. 271 720 182

Way out in P-10, this modest pizzeria serves excellent pies and three types of bruschetta on a small terrace where locals drink and snack until the wee hours.

Yami

Masná 3

Prague 1–Old Town

Tel. 222 312 756