Outdoor dining, also known as ''al fresco'' dining or ''dining al fresco'', is the act of eating a meal outside. In

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

climates, al fresco dining is especially popular in the

summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

months when temperatures and weather are most favorable. It is a style of dining that is casual and often party-like in its atmosphere. In order to promote and accommodate the pedestrian activity and vibrancy associated with ''al fresco'' dining, some communities have passed ordinances permitting it at restaurants, including the service of food and alcoholic beverages to customers at pavement tables, until late at night.

Etymology

The phrase ''al fresco'' composed of two words, is borrowed from Italian for "in the cool/fresh ir. It is not in current use in Italian to refer to dining outside. Instead, Italians use the phrases '' fuori'' ("outside", "outdoor") or '' all'aperto'' ("in the open ir). In Italian, the expression '' al fresco'' usually refers to spending time in jail. Open-air and spaced-out seating creates a safe and relaxed atmosphere for patrons.

COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020, responding to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, many cities increased the options for restaurants to offer outdoor dining, in order to promote open-air and spaced-out seating, and help businesses economically recover from the pandemic's impact. In

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, 10,600 restaurants had enrolled in the city's outdoor dining program by September 2020, compared to just 1,023 sidewalk cafes that existed before the pandemic. The use of bubble tents or outdoor dining pods also increased during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, these pod installations were rare. Although outdoor pods reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to indoor dining, they have been criticized for their lack of air ventilation. Some cities, such as New York and

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

, have taken steps to preserve outdoor dining installations that were originally introduced as a COVID-19 mitigation, albeit with new regulations and fee structures. In other cities, such as

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

and

Claremont Claremont may refer to: Places Australia *Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland * Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart * Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth * Town of Claremont, Perth * Claremont Airbase, an ...

, rollbacks to initially liberal pandemic-era dining policies have resulted in a significant decrease in the availability of outdoor dining.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Al Fresco Dining Serving and dining

Etymology

COVID-19 pandemic

See also

References