Summertime in Puget Sound is accompanied by the fragrant perfume of roses, the sight of fresh white daisies ... and the sprouting of deck chairs outside every restaurant with even a few square feet of adjacent sunlit space. Each summer, the throngs turn out at the traditional outdoor-dining spots -- say, The Pink Door in Pike Place Market and Salty's on Alki Beach in West Seattle. But where can you go for a new or unusual al fresco meal? Here's our tour of a half-dozen enticing Seattle-area options, starting in north Seattle and winding up south of Bellevue.

IVAR'S SALMON HOUSE

Wallingford

More folks probably know Ivar's Acres of Clams near the ferry terminal on Elliott Bay, but the Salmon House's deck offers unique Northwest ambience and cuisine. The deck is a floating, 1960s-era former fuel barge,  offering views of the Ship Canal, Lake Union and the University and Ship Canal bridges.

Inside, the Northwest Indian longhousestyle architecture and carvings are adorned with photos and other memorabilia. Come for Sunday brunch, or bring the kids on Tuesday night and watch costumed boaters do doughnuts as part of the just-for-fun Duck Dodge race on Lake Union. They'll laugh while you enjoy an extensive menu of Northwest favorites, with many wild-caught seafood choices, including three varieties of alder-grilled Alaskan salmon.

TIDBIT

Capitol Hill

If you're baking in a summer traffic jam on Interstate 5 trying to get onto the 520 bridge, bail out and wind down while you enjoy Spanish or Italian food on the modest deck on the north side of new Mediterranean-themed eatery Tidbit. Opened last September by co-owners Nicola Longo (chef) and John van Deinse (general manager), Tidbit has a warm yellow and orange interior that leads out onto the deck, a hidden getaway in a relaxed, mostly residential neighborhood.

The walled-in deck keeps the traffic noise down while still offering diners a glimpse of the sunset. Sipping a grappa while you feast on marinated leg of lamb or North Atlantic salt cod with kalamata olives and capers, you'll realize you weren't in that much of a hurry after all.

SIX SEVEN

Downtown Seattle

Lots of restaurants have a water view in this town, but at the Edgewater Hotel's Six Seven restaurant overhanging Elliott Bay, if your table was any closer to the water, it would be in the water. The deck has an intimate feel, as there's just a single row of 10 tables wrapping around the restaurant's west and south sides.

Watch the Victoria Clipper, cruise ships and ferries chug by as you dine on king crab salad, or perhaps prime seared tenderloin with fresh morels, roasted cippollini onions and a reduction of Cabernet. Cap the evening watching the lights come out as you stroll Alaskan Way, or head to the nearby Olympic Sculpture Park for more Elliott Bay views.

HULA HULA

Belltown

Sometimes you just want to leave the rat race behind -- waaay behind. When that urge comes over you, head to the flamingotrimmed sidewalk dining spot offered by tikilounge Hula Hula, which sits back-to-back with Tini Bigs.

Throw a straw into one of those big rum drinks that come in a bowl with a flaming volcano in the middle, or maybe a bright Blue Hawaiian. Then kick back, munch from a pupu platter of honey-ginger chicken wings or tropical prawns, and let the rest of Seattle hustle along for a while without you.

BIN VIVANT

Carillon Point, Kirkland

Opening in July, this new restaurant inside the tony Waterfront Woodmark Hotel has a lot to offer, including 80 wines by the glass and seasonal Northwest cuisine from star chef Lisa Nakamura, whose résumé includes a stint as sous-chef at California's famed French Laundry. The menu was still in development at press time, as was the décor, which is planned to feature soft autumntoned hues.