Summer menu ideas for restaurants

For many restaurants, June to August is the busiest time, with tourists on the move, students in the mood to celebrate the end of classes, and many people eager to get out of the house or office to revel in (or escape) the warm weather by dining out. 

So, what can a restaurant do to make a splash when temperatures rise? One simple way is to design an irresistible summer menu, making customers want to chill out and relax.

Summer menu ideas for your restaurant

As temperatures rise and days lengthen, it's essential for restaurateurs to incorporate fresh and innovative summer ingredients. These should be able to create a memorable dining experience that attracts and retains clients even when they are on holiday. 

A well-designed summer menu refreshes your restaurant's appeal, highlighting seasonal ingredients and enhancing the quality of your dishes while managing food costs effectively. From light brunch menus to gluten-free options and signature dishes, thoughtful menu planning can truly boost your restaurant's popularity. 

Tips for an exciting summer restaurant menu

🥗 Light and refreshing summer dishes

In the summer, many people are in the mood for lighter fare. But lighter shouldn’t mean less exciting. 

• Offer alternatives to rich sauces and heavier meat dishes. Plan your menu to include more grilled and/or marinated meat and fish options with a variety of summer herbs. 
• Be sure to offer a few enticing salad mains. 
• Feature locally sourced seasonal vegetables. Depending on where you are, typical summer vegetables include courgette, aubergine, tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus and lettuce.

You might want to consider smaller plates and tapas-style dishes for lighter eaters and people who enjoy sharing. Phase in a few cold dishes such as chilled soups — try a gazpacho, creamy carrot soup, or summer cold pasta.

🍉 Delight your clients with fresh fruit desserts

The most creative part of your summer menu should be the dessert cart. Be bold and explore the great variety of fresh fruit available. 

Think about how you can feature peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, and plums in tarts and pies. Plan to insert some crumbles, chilled fruit mousses, homemade ice cream and sorbets, as well as panna cotta and cheesecakes into your menu. 

Your clients will be excited to try all the delicious treats you have up your sleeve!

🍹 Showcase eye-catching refreshing drinks

When it’s hot and sultry outside, nothing’s more refreshing than taking a break with a cool drink in a tall, chilled glass. Summer is the perfect time to showcase your take on old-fashioned drinks like iced tea, coffee, lemonade or root beer. 

Serve these old favourites with a slice of well-matched fruit, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a sorbet. Choose the glass carefully, so that your signature drink really pops with an eye-catching look. 

Discover the endless possibilities for creating enticing cocktails and mocktails featuring your own blends of fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables.

Why not celebrate your hometown by naming some drinks after emblematic landmarks or famous people?

🧒 Create a family-friendly summer menu

In summer, many people are either on holiday with their kids and eating out, or getting used to having the kids at home all day and especially in need of a break. 

Be sure to tailor your restaurant’s summer menu to kids as well. Opt for either a selection of half-size adult dishes tailored to kids’ appetites or some fun kids’ options such as grilled teriyaki chicken or ribs, do-it-yourself tacos or a mini salmon poke bowl. 

Remember the fresh fruit and vegetables! For dessert, why not offer homemade popsicles and ice cream cones? 

If you really want to attract tourists, think about offering them a sightseeing map of your town or other printed games that can catch kids’ attention. 

Seasonal ingredients to include in your summer menu 

The key to a well-thought-out summer menu is seasonality. Fresh, locally-sourced ingredients benefit every UK restaurant by enhancing the flavour of dishes and promoting community-mindedness. 

Juggle fresh flavours in every course. Opt for the vibrant colours of cherry tomatoes, courgette, bell peppers and cucumbers. You can craft rich and refreshing mixed salads for your light brunch menus or more gourmet options like risotto with peas and mint.

For your main courses, choose locally sourced meat or fish. If you’re eager to try something new, you can also experiment with plant-based alternatives, seeds and unconventional ingredients to create extraordinary signature dishes. 

Remember to include summer fruits like watermelon, peaches, strawberries, and raspberries across all of your courses. This will help you add an extra burst of freshness that clients are looking for in their summer meals. 

Promote your summer creations with powerful and colourful posts across your social media channels!

🎉 Get menu inspiration from local festivals and special events

Find out about summer festivals in your area and offer special themed menus. 

If your area is hosting a salsa music festival, you can offer a Cuban inspired menu. Is your town holding a classical summer concert series? Name the dishes creatively after famous composers or their most famous pieces. 

Remember to offer a discount to people presenting festival tickets, and ask festival organisers if they would agree to include you in their promotional advertising.

🤩Attract customers with summer promotions

Depending on where they come from, tourists may not be used to eating at your country’s local dinner or lunch hours. 

For example, Southern Europeans usually eat considerably later than Northern Europeans to avoid the heat. 

Take this into account to transform your dining experience by including an early bird special for guests who are willing to eat at 7 PM. Another great summer idea is to design an early brunch menu at 9 AM so that tourists can get on with sightseeing visits planned for the day. 

Whatever enticing summer menu ideas you decide to offer, keep in mind that in hot weather, many clients may be tired and overheated when they enter your restaurant. 

Make sure that your staff are well-trained and bring water out quickly. Try your best to make customers feel physically comfortable. 

If you are lucky enough to be able to offer an outdoor dining area, make sure to provide plenty of shade and comfortable seating. 

Do you only have indoor seating? Keep it cool, but don’t overdo it: in some cultures, air conditioning is a must-have, while in others, people really don’t like it. Train staff members to be attuned to customer requests, and consider using ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning for a more sustainable way to keep dining rooms cool.

While you may not be able to please everyone all the time, you can make every effort to create a cool, relaxing, inviting summer vibe, as well as trying out some of our summer menu tips to boost your business’ summer trade. ☀️