Café gardens are the outdoor dining trend to try this season

A weekend morning jaunt to a café for a coffee and almond croissant is one of life’s small joys, but as the weather finally warms up in the UK, why not recreate the aesthetic without needing to leave the house?

Café kitchens have been a popular trend in recent years, bringing the cosy coffee shop aesthetic into our homes so you can enjoy your leisurely morning coffee without needing to free up a table. It’s all about curating a special corner of your kitchen dedicated to cafe culture, so why not take this outside to our gardens too?

As we enter outdoor dining season, it’s time to give our garden furniture a zhuzh to make sure it works well for the upcoming months. This is where café gardens come in – it’s an outdoor dining area that is convenient to pop out to for a morning coffee and works just as well when hosting alfresco dinners. It’s intimate and easy, so you can spend as much time as possible outdoors and less time pulling seat cushions out of the shed.

What is a café garden?

How exactly does a café garden differ from your standard outdoor dining area, we hear you ask?

‘A café garden is an outdoor garden space styled like a charming café, typically using small-scale, café-inspired furniture and decor to create a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, as if you’ve brought a Parisian café into your back garden or patio,’ explains Lena Gierasinska, head of product and displays at Barker and Stonehouse:

‘It draws from the aesthetic of a cosy kitchen breakfast nook or indoor bistro corner, but places it outdoors for seasonal use, socialising, or quiet relaxation.’

Curating your dream outdoor dining set-up makes long leisurely summer dinners all the more enjoyable, but sometimes you want a seating area that is more informal and easier to nip out to on a daily basis.

Here’s how you can get the look for your very own café garden.

1. Position close to the kitchen

A café garden differs from regular outdoor seating in that it’s designed for impromptu sit-downs just off your kitchen area, without needing to set up chairs and cushions in a more ‘formal’ area.

‘The concept is inspired by extending the cosy, informal feel of a kitchen dining area into the garden. These setups are often placed just outside the kitchen, on patios, decks, or gravel areas, to create a natural flow between indoor and outdoor spaces,’ explains Lena.

If you have patio doors, adding a small bistro table and chairs to the area just next to them will provide seamless indoor-outdoor living. Likewise, consider revamping an unused patch of patio for a renewed small outdoor dining idea.

2. Dress the table

A café garden is supposed to be informal, but we can’t help but indulge in a bit of tablescaping. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but a simple tablecloth and napkins can suddenly make a bistro table feel like a romantic spot to dine at.

Linen is always the star of the show for summer dining and you don’t need to worry about it looking perfect. Layer different colours of linen tableware for a simple yet interesting look.

3. Go for casual bistro seating

To really indulge in the café look, lean away from larger pieces of rattan furniture and instead turn to a casual bistro table and chairs.

This kind of seating is designed for enjoying a quick coffee or slice of cake and is much easier to maintain than some other styles of outdoor furniture. You won’t need to worry about keeping it under cover when the inevitable rain strikes, and it’s an affordable garden update that you can make on more of a whim.

4. Layer soft furnishings

While we love bistro furniture, there’s no denying that it can be a little uncomfortable for long periods of sitting. However, it’s nothing that some soft furnishings can’t solve.

Adding some outdoor seat cushions will add comfort while also helping you lean into a specific style of your choice. Go for stripes for a true Parisian café-inspired look or turn to a ditsy print to indulge in an English garden aesthetic.

An outdoor rug is also a simple addition to make and it can even be one that you use in the kitchen in the winter months, ready to be moved to your café garden as the weather warms up.

5. Don’t forget lighting

There’s not much better than a summer evening spent outdoors with family and friends, but as the balmy nights draw in you’ll need the right lighting to add ambience to your café garden.

Rechargeable table lamps are our favourite method for outdoor lighting as you can simply move them around wherever they’re needed, and easily transfer them from indoors. They also perfectly fit the laidback café aesthetic.

Fairy lights, or festoon lights, will also make a café garden feel lit with atmosphere at every turn.

Will you give the cafe garden trend a go this summer?