New Canaan’s restaurant owners say they’re excited about the formal start of the outdoor dining season downtown, as an unpredictable and unseasonable early spring begins to show signs of sustained warm weather.
Chef Luis Lopez outside his eponymous restaurant on Elm Street on May 4, 2026. Credit: Michael Dinan
Temperatures are expected to soar into the mid-70s Tuesday, just four days into the 2026 outdoor dining season in New Canaan, which runs through October.
“We are very excited,” said Daniel Lombardi, co-owner with his brother Andrea of both Dolce and Lombardi’s on Elm Street. “It’s been a long winter and we’re very happy that finally the weather has started to get better.”
Noting that this year’s outdoor dining is confined to sidewalks—in some cases, recently widened sidewalks—with no in-street tables, as allowed immediately after the pandemic, Lombardi added that “it probably won’t be as big as in previous years.”
Outside of Solé on Elm Street on May 4, 2026. Credit: Michael Dinan
Even so, he said that Lombardi’s—which doesn’t have a widened sidewalk outside—has reached a town-approved agreement with J. Crew next door that will see the high-end Italian restaurant offer about 30 seats of outdoor dining starting at 6 p.m. daily.
Another restaurant making new use of its sidewalk outside with the disappearance of in-street tables hemmed in by plastic barriers is Chef Luis up the street. Owner and chef Luis Lopez said he’s making the best use of the space by offering two long tables and communal seating.
“We can’t seat too many people here, so we decided to do two long tables — family-style, community tables, so that whoever wants to sit there can do that,” he said.
Elm wasn’t too busy outside on May 4, 2026. Credit: Michael Dinan
Asked how he’s feeling about the newly started outdoor dining season, Lopez said, “It’s been strange, because the weather has been very cold. Last year at this time we were already booming, the weather was nice and we opened in April. Right now we’ll probably have another couple of weeks like this. But we’re excited.”
Gino Racanelli at Spiga on Main Street said people “love to dine outside” as long as it’s at least 65 degrees.
“Everybody wants to sit outside,” he said, noting that even on cooler or rainy days, the restaurant can open its floor-to-ceiling windows onto the sidewalk for some outdoor exposure.
Laura Budd, executive director of the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, said that with the recent change it weather “it’s great to see all the tables on the sidewalk and diners enjoying their meals alfresco.”
“Outdoor dining really brings downtown New Canaan to life,” she said.