Look for a window of sunlight, not one perfect time
The sun may be above the horizon while a terrace remains behind a building's shadow. Direct sun reaches the table only when the line toward the sun is clear. As the sun moves, the shadow boundary moves too, sometimes across just part of the seating area.
For a lunch booking, the useful question is whether the chosen area stays clear of building shade for the visit. Check arrival, halfway through and departure. Treat a very short apparent interval cautiously: imperfect building heights or an unmodelled obstacle can change it.
How to check in Coffee in the Sun
- Find the address and identify the terrace rather than only the entrance.
- Select the relevant date and use local time at that location.
- Move through the time controls to see when the building-shadow edge leaves the area.
- Continue until shade returns, then compare that interval with your plans.
- Check cloud cover and verify trees, awnings and other obstacles on site.
The result is an estimate from mapped buildings, not a reservation or a guarantee of sunshine. The model does not include trees, awnings or terrain. Building coverage and height data vary, and a rooftop terrace may behave differently from the map surface.
Why the same café changes through the year
Earth's tilted axis changes the sun's seasonal path. At many locations outside the tropics, lower winter sun creates longer shadows than summer sun. See NASA's explanation of the seasons. Compare dates rather than transferring a July observation to January.
Solar noon, when the sun reaches its daily highest point, is not necessarily 12:00 on the clock. Time zone and daylight-saving changes are another reason to use the app's local date and time instead of a fixed rule.
Weather is a separate check
The absence of a building shadow means geometric access to the sun in the model. Clouds can still remove direct sunshine. Conversely, a bright overcast terrace can feel pleasant without direct sun. Choose based on comfort as well as the map.
Read the summer and winter terrace comparison for seasonal planning, or use the step-by-step map checklist.
