Alfresco summer dining: outdoor lunch and outdoor dinner ideas

Alfresco summer dining is one of the joys of the summer season. One of the best ways to celebrate the warmer weather is to put together a beautiful outdoor table spread, full of delicious dishes and beautiful tableware. Despite the capital’s recent colder weather, summer will soon be on its way!

Our latest collection features gorgeous Tuscan tableware that is simply perfect for an outdoor dining meal.  

Elegant dinnerware for an outdoor lunch or outdoor dinner

The Osteria collection features handmade Tuscan dinnerware, available in a beautiful selection of four summery shades. Hand-thrown by ceramic experts, each dish has a rustic look thanks to the individual nature of each piece. The pottery is perfect for summer outdoor lunches, because food will be kept hot or cold according to their serving temperature.

Why not serve some delicious pasta fresca for an eye-catching dinner spread? Allóra loves this recipe from I Deliciate. Featuring balsamic vinegar, garlic, sweet white wine, fresh tomatoes and baby spinach (with a healthy handful of Parmesan or Feta cheese on top), this delightful dish is a light, refreshing dinner choice.

Credit: http://ideliciate.com/

Beautiful drinkware for an outdoor lunch or outdoor dinner

There’s nothing quite like a hot summer evening with a refreshing drink in your hand. Italy has some wonderfully refreshing choices of beverage for summer that will invoke feelings of the Mediterranean heat.

Below are some ideas for some pre-dinner, mid-dinner or post-dinner drinks that will be ideal for any outdoor dinner entertaining. Allóra recommends using a season-appropriate collection of drinkware, such as from the Sardines collection or the wider hand-blown glassware range, for a handcrafted touch.

The Bellini

Created in Veneto in Northern Italy, this drink is a wonderful appetiser or celebratory beverage. Chill your chosen glass – such as a handblown Sardine tumbler glass – and add two parts Prosecco to one part peach purée. Serve!

The Negroni Sbagliato

Serve this refreshing Milanese cocktail alongside a flavourful outdoor lunch or outdoor dinner. Sparkling wine gives this cocktail its summery vibes, along with the traditional Negroni being replaced by Spumante for a more summertime drink. Take one part Spumante, one part Campari, and one part Martini Rosso, and mix in each individual glass. Serve in a bright glass tumbler with a slice of fresh orange for a real summer touch.