Best of Boston

Booking a dinner on a big, buzzy, splashy restaurant patio is a fine way to impress a first date. But when it’s time to build a truly romantic vibe — and settle in for quieter conversation — we love tucking into a meal on more-intimate patios, like the one at Roslindale Village’s Italian charmer Sophia’s Grotto; its brick-laid courtyard, hidden from street view, is the ideal spot for Lady and the Tramp–style canoodling. No wonder we’re in love with the al fresco era.