Monsoon is here! 9 Tucson restaurants and bars to watch the weather (2024)

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Sheltered views

If a meal at Vivace is out of your price range, try the nearbyBlanco Tacos + Tequila,2905 E. Skyline Dr., where you can cozy up to a bar and witness — yet feel sheltered from — the majesty of nature, for the slightly-inflated price of a co*cktail.

Similarly, The Moonstone at the Graduate Hotelgives you panoramic views from the heart of town alongside bar eats and pretty co*cktails. The restaurant and bar is located on the top of the hotel right behind Main Gate Square,930 E. Second St.

Desert setting

While neither of these places are cheap, per se, I had to mentionTohono Chul’s bistroat7366 N. Paseo del Norte(they offer bottomless prickly pear mimosas) andSaguaro Corners,3750 S. Old Spanish Trail,as well.

There’s nowhere better to feel like you are an integrated part of the desert we love so much.

Safe in the wild

If watching the monsoon from your car is more your speed and the roads are safe, I’d suggest theSweetwater Preserve,Babad Do'agorAgua Calientetrailheads to watch the storms come through.

Pack a picnic, or pick up some pastries from Tucson institutions likeLa Estrella BakeryorLe Buzz Cafe. You could also pick up St. Mary's Mexican Food and head to a nearby park for car views.