How to make an outdoor dining area

Here’s how to make an outdoor dining area that looks good and works perfectly for entertaining in style and comfort.

The secret to a great outdoor life is to create a home-like space in the garden for you, friends and family to relax into. Think about making an indoor room outdoors and you get the picture. The idea is to place your BBQ at the middle of everything, the focal point for the fun, the warm, beating heart of every alfresco occasion.

How to make an outdoor dining area – Choose your space

Most of us don’t have much choice about where we put things outdoors, with small city patios and suburban gardens the name of the game. But whatever size or shape your garden is, it’s important to make the entertainment area comfortable.

Let’s start with the weather. If there’s an area that gets more sun than the rest, use that and think about whether you’ll need to add shade. If there’s a particularly windy spot, avoid it or think about how to add shelter.

A flat spot is handy, simply because the BBQ itself, your garden furniture and your guests will find it easier to stay safely upright! And what if you’re keen on privacy? If you’re overlooked in some places and not others, either choose a secluded area or think about adding a shade sail or gazebo to keep the fun discreet.

Don’t burn your plants. Make sure there’s space for them to thrive without being overheated. And most important of all, mark out an area with enough room for your garden furniture and accessories, with the BBQ either in the centre or to one side facing the furniture. It’s a matter of either careful measuring to fit your existing garden furniture into the space, or measuring before you buy the furniture so you don’t make crazy mistakes.

A word about inches and centimetres. Take care not to mix them up or you could end up with massive garden furniture that won’t fit in, or teeny furniture that gets lost in a big space. Neither is much good for people’s comfort and enjoyment.

Last but not least, make sure the chef of the household is happy with the BBQ’s position. They’ll probably want to face everyone rather than cooking with their back to the action!

Pick the perfect barbecue

We’ve already mentioned where to place the barbie. But which barbecue do you choose in the first place, and why? First, think size. Will the barbecue you want fit the area, or are you being unrealistic? Is there space for it, and for people to walk around it without getting in the chef’s way, knocking food and drinks over?

We have everything from small, neat portable BBQs for travel, camping and glamping to models that are more like outdoor kitchens than a barbies, with a fridge, loads of different burners, even a sink included. Large, medium or small, we have them all, sourced from trusted manufacturers and made to last. Would you prefer a model with the capability to smoke food as well as grill it? Smoker grills are such fun, adding another dimension to the flavours you can create.

Then there’s permanence. A brick or stone barbecue makes a stunning permanent feature. They arrive in chunks for you to self-assemble and can weigh, literally, a ton. In this case you need to be 100% certain where it’ll go before ordering it. Once it’s assembled and ready to go, that’s it. They look gorgeous and they’re sure to add value to your home as well as adding more fun to your very own little slice of the Great Outdoors.

Make intelligent decisions

Will you want to add a food preparation surface to the area? How about lockable garden storage to keep your BBQ equipment and accessories safe and dry? Will you be buying a garden candle lamp, plant shelves, other accessories to add to the atmosphere? Basically, can you fit it all in and if not, what are your priorities? Think outside the box. Would you be better off with a few bistro sets scattered around than one big garden dining set? Would a load of single garden chairs be better than multi-person settees? Think about the purpose rather than buying purely on looks.

Now you know how to make your own outdoor dining area. Thinking first and buying second makes all the difference, and it’s an enjoyable process. Happy shopping!