Outdoor Restaurant Lighting Ideas

Lighting is like magic and can instantly change the mood of a place. Lighting can make a room feel intimate and cozy, or it can make a space feel bright and airy. It’s no wonder that so many people are drawn to lighting design, as it is one of the most powerful tools in any designer’s toolbox. Lighting design can be used to create a romantic ambiance, highlight architectural details, or make a space feel larger than it really is.

Today we are talking about Outdoor Restaurant Lighting.

Why do people like dining in the outdoor area of a restaurant?

People love dining outside

The answer is simple: outdoor dining offers an experience that’s hard to replicate. You can enjoy the fresh air as well as the sights and sounds of nature—all while indulging in delicious food and drinks. The outdoor area of a restaurant is a great place to enjoy food, drinks and the company of friends or family members. In addition, It is easier for people to relax in the natural environment because they are not confined in a small space. It’s more comfortable and relaxing than being inside a restaurant. Whether you're looking for an intimate setting or something more lively, there's no shortage of options for outdoor dining in good weather.

A Great Outdoor Dining Area Can Benefit a Lot

Great experience brings repeated customers

Outdoor dining spaces are important for a restaurant. And it is no doubt that the taste of the food is very important to a restaurant. On the basis of ensuring the quality of the dishes, high-quality service and a good dining environment can bring customers an unforgettable dining experience, that can bring your customers back again and again. In addition, the outdoor dining space is also a good way to attract new customers. If you have a beautiful dining area, it will attract more people to come and enjoy their meal with you.

How to Make the Outdoor Area Perfect?

Outdoor Restaurant Lighting

There are many ways to create a great dining environment, such as the use of lighting, music and decor.

For outdoor dining, music doesn't do much to enhance the experience because you're outdoors and the music will be drowned out by other things or it will be too loud to be enjoyed. It can also be distracting if it is not the right type of music.  In addition, you often need to invest a lot of money to change the decoration, because this may involve structural changes.

The use of lighting is a great way to add an inviting atmosphere to outdoor dining area since the whole feeling will change soon after you turn the lights on. The cost will be low for this type of enhancement and it can be done easily while the result will be great.

But it should be done carefully because there are many types of light bulbs and different ways to use them; this makes it easy for someone to make a mistake when planning their outdoor lights.

Different Types of Lights Create Different Feelings and Atmospheres

Here are some outdoor restaurant lighting ideas that you can use to help you get started on your outdoor lighting project.

Shapes of Lights

Different shapes of solar light wind chime

There are so many shapes of lights in market, the principle to choose the shape is to match the style of your restaurant. You can choose the traditional shape like globe or square, or you can select a modern one like cylinder or tube lights. If you want to create a romantic atmosphere in your restaurant, then you should use small round lights or globe lights 锚文本

instead of large square lights.

If your restaurant or party has themes, you can choose the lights based on these themes.

Solar Paper Lantern

For example, if your restaurant is themed with fairy tale, then you can use fairy tale characters as the light and hang them from trees or poles. If you have an Asian restaurant, then you can use traditional Chinese style lights like lanterns or hanging paper lamps instead of using modern tube lights. Or if you are going to hold a winter party, you can use some lights in snowflake or snowman shape.

Solar Snowman Stake Lights

Size and Number of Lights

This is easy. The size of the light should be proportional to the place. If you are going to use lights in a big space, then choose large lights instead of small ones. This will make your party look more elegant and beautiful.

Vintage Hanging Solar Lantern

If the lights are too small, they will look silly and cheap. But if they are huge, then you might end up looking like a Christmas light monster. So find the perfect size of lights that look beautiful but not overdone with too many lights hanging around in your restaurant or party venue.

However, if you do really want to use the small lights in a big outdoor space, just make sure that you have enough of them to cover the entire place. You can put them in a cluster. This way, you will create an interesting effect that looks like a small galaxy of stars.

little solar mushroom lights

If you want to use hanging lanterns, then make sure that they are not too heavy so that no one gets hurt when they fall on someone’s head during the party.

Color of Lights

Color Changing Solar Lights

The color of the lights is another important factor to consider. You can go for a colorful theme or keep it simple with white lights.

The most popular light color on market is cold white (6000K) warm white (3000K) and RGB (Red, Green, Blue). Additionally, there are also some less popular colors, such as purple, pink, orange, etc. You can also try out different light colors and see which one looks best with the outdoor restaurant area theme of your party.

The white light is bright and clean, mostly used in the common areas, such as in the walkways and around the entrance to a party venue.

The warm white light is subtle and relaxing, often used in the dining areas and other places where guests will be eating or drinking.

RGB light is fun and exciting, perfect for a party that has a focus on entertainment and activities.  It is a new type of lighting that allows you to change the color of the lights according to your preference. The red light is very vibrant and energetic, perfect for a party that has a focus on entertainment and activities. The blue light is calming, cool and relaxed. It is often used in wedding receptions and other events where people are expected to sit around tables for long periods of time. The green light is a calming and relaxing color, perfect for a party that has a focus on being social and interactive.

Purple is traditionally associated with royalty, luxury and sophistication. It can also be used in wedding receptions or other events where people are expected to sit around tables for long periods of time.

Pink light is often associated with romance, femininity and innocence, is often used where people are expected to sit around tables for long periods of time. It is often used in conjunction with purple light, which can be used as an accent color.

Orange light is often associated with warmth and energy, making it ideal for parties where people will be moving around a lot.

You can go for any color, as long as you have the right bulbs to make it happen. You can also mix different colors of lights together if you want to create a more interesting effect.

Lighting Mode of Lights

Solar Meteor Lights have multi lighting modes

A light with multiple lighting modes is common in the market. The common lighting modes include steady on, flashing, and chasing modes. You can choose the mode that you want to use for your party depending on what you need.

For example, a steady-on mode is also good for parties where people will be sitting around tables eating or drinking while talking with each other. The chasing mode is good for parties where people will be dancing and moving around.  The flashing mode is good if you want to create a more fun and exciting mood during your party.

Knowing Your Customers is a Prerequisite for Setting up Lighting

Dining outdoor

To make a perfect night dining lighting plan, we need to know more about the customers. What do they pay more attention to when dining, and what kind of atmosphere do they want the restaurant to create?

Dinner Monday to Thursday night, most people after a tiring day of work. they often hope for a quiet and comfortable place to rest. For this reason, lighting should be soft, gentle and warm. This will create a relaxing atmosphere for customers.

On Friday night, it is totally different atmosphere. People are more energetic and active, since the weekend is waiting for them. So the lighting should be brighter and more vibrant.

On Saturday night, it’s a time for celebration. Most customers come to a restaurant with family or friends after shopping at the mall. They want to have fun and enjoy themselves in this place. Hence the lighting should be lively and colorful, so that customers will feel like they are in a happy place.

On Sunday, it is a quiet day. The lighting should be dimmer so that customers can relax and enjoy their time.

Choosing Solar Powered Lights

Solar Light

What is the advantage of solar light compared to the traditional electrical light?

1)Solar light is eco-friendly. It does not produce any carbon dioxide or other gases that cause global warming.

2)They don’t require any wiring or batteries, so they are easy to install and use.

3)You don’t have to worry about the cost of electricity because there is no electricity bill.

4)It does not need to be maintained by an electrician. You can just set up the solar lights and leave them for months without worrying about the battery running out of charge.

We recommend you use these solar lights to decorate your outdoor restaurant area or patio

1) Accent Light

Accent Light is the best type of light for highlighting particular areas, the customers' attention will be drawn to that particular area.

In outdoor restaurant lighting, that can be a Solar Flame Light. The outdoor dining experience can be enhanced by the presence of an open flame beside your table. The fake flame solar light is safe and easy to use. You don't have to worry about it starting a fire, or having the flame blow out on anyone. It looks realistic and can be used as an accent light to attract customers' attention or even as your primary lighting source in outdoor dining areas.

2) Task Light

Task Light is a light that is used for a specific task. It doesn't have to be a task lamp or desk lamp, it can also be a flashlight or something else. In the outdoor dining area, task light can be a solar candle on the table. The Solar Candles mimic a real candle tea light, with a base and dancing flames. They can create a warm, inviting and romantic ambiance.

They can help customers to read the menu easily and make them feel more comfortable. You can also use a solar candle as a centerpiece to attract customers' attention while they are waiting for their orders.

3) Ambient Light

Ambient Light is is a type of light that provides a soft, even light over an area. Solar String Light is great for the outdoor restaurant, since they are stretchable and can provide an even light for the whole area.

If you have umbrella in the outdoor area, you can use solar umbrella light, installing them under the umbrella to create a soft, romantic ambiance.

If there is hook or trees, you can use the solar light bulb, the edison bulb gives a vintage look, making customers sense the timeless.