51 summer dinner party ideas
Try our easy recipe ideas for your next get-together to host the ultimate event at home, from easy-to-assemble mains and make-ahead desserts to cocktails you can whip up in minutes
Looking for easy summer dinner party ideas? Fancy serving an elegant dinner party menu to friends in your garden? We've come up with plenty of easy wins for your next summer dinner party with our alfresco entertaining ideas.
We've split them into menus to help you decide on the vibe of your dinner party. Serve an Italian-inspired feast, an easy-to-assemble BBQ or tapas-style table. Try our ideas below, then check out our easy entertaining recipes, no-oven entertaining ideas, picnic food recipes and BBQ recipes for even more inspiration. We've also asked 15 foodies to share their entertaining hacks.
Easy summer dinner party recipes
Italian summer dinner party
A simple but effective Italian-inspired feast will always win over dinner party guests.
Starters
Start your elegant summer dinner menu with burrata and tomato salad and a plate of gorgonzola and grape flatbreads.
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Main
For mains, our truffle pasta mafalde uses shop-bought pesto to cut corners, while our super-easy Sicilian aubergine pizzas – using crème fraîche instead of a tomato base – are made for entertaining.
Drinks
An elegant coupe glass will transform any drink or dessert – your dinner party guests will never guess our strawberry sgroppino takes just five minutes to prep. Alternatively, try a deceptively easy negroni sbagliato, requiring just three ingredients, or take a look at our best spritz recipes for tipples which can be whipped up in minutes.
Dessert
Impress guests with this cherry and pistachio Neapolitan, a dessert using easy shortcuts that looks like the Italian flag while highlighting Italy’s iconic flavours; cherry, pistachio and vanilla.
Picnic-style summer dinner party
The beauty of a picnic summer dinner party is that it allows you to make all dishes ahead of time.
Starters
For starters, our easy crudités with chipotle aioli only takes 15 minutes to prep and serves six.
Make-ahead picnic mains
Our simple and quick Italian picnic loaf sees ciabatta stuffed with an olive salad, salami, roasted red peppers and mozzarella. Other make-ahead ideas include our muffuletta squares, black bean crunch wraps and honeyed fig and curd cheese tart.
Sharing platter
If you’re looking for a no-cook entertaining platter that will allow you to enjoy the sunshine with your guests, look no further than our hummus platter with all the veg. Combine hummus with your favourite flavours and serve with veg, focaccia or savoury biscuits. We've also got a classic picnic platter with cheese, charcuterie and pate alongside a homemade quick pickle.
Desserts
Turn a handful of storecupboard ingredients into date flapjacks for a sweet finish.
Drinks
Make sure to serve our portable, make-ahead contessa cocktail bottles and elderflower and raspberry mocktail bottles for summer sipping.
Easy summer BBQ wins
Starters
Pass around a plate of these lightly charred BBQ corn on the cobs for everyone to nibble on. We've given this grilled Mexican-style street snack up a spicy twist with punchy Korean gochujang sauce.
Mains
Our recipe for BBQ prawns with roasted gooseberry salsa might steal the show – whip up a pleasantly sour salsa, pair with a plate of juicy grilled prawns and let your guests tuck in. Veggies don't have to miss out – our super simple and easy-to-make spiced halloumi and watermelon skewers are seasoned with coriander, sumac, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Watch them disappear in seconds.
Side
A perfect an extra snack for your summer BBQ, all you'll need is five ingredients to make our harissa-honey sausage skewers, ready on the table in just 30 minutes. For some veg, grill this BBQ cabbage or make this crisp and fresh courgette salad with chimichurri dressing.
Dessert
For dessert, simply buy shop-bought buns to make our super-easy brioche ice cream sandwiches.
Crowd-pleasing summer dinner party
Starters
Tiger prawns with garlic, chilli and lemon can be whipped up at the last minute with no fuss and minimal prep. Plus, they look restaurant-worthy when served with chilli, garlic and charred lemon. Alternatively, get the party started with our easy-to-prep blue cheese dip, which is crying out for some potato wedges or chicken wings for dipping.
Main
For a crowd-pleasing main, our easy crab mac ’n’ cheese is bound to sate hungry guests, or go veggie with our five-ingredient classic mac ’n’ cheese.
Drinks
A real easy win at a summer dinner party is preparing a large jug of raspberry frosé or one of our other jug cocktails.
Dessert
Wrap things up with our cheat's version of Swedish cardamom buns – bread mixes are a genius shortcut.
Tapas-style summer party
Tapas dishes
Make entertaining easy with a tapas-style spread of simple, quick dishes: serve piquillo pepper salad, grilled padron peppers and chorizo skewers with honey drizzle, chorizo al vino and everyone's favourite tapas staple, patatas bravas. Perfect for entertaining, our super-easy prawns pil pil with crusty bread takes just 10 minutes to assemble.
Drink
Pair your tapas with a jug (or two) of sangria, or switch things up with our white wine sangria, boasting seasonal fruity flavours.
Long summer lunch
Make-ahead salads, breads and dips are perfect for a leisurely lunch where guests can nibble on throughout the afternoon.
Sharing lunch plates
Serve a big bowl of Tex-Mex-style sweetcorn salad with warm pittas for scooping, our cheat's shortcut celeriac chimichurri salad and a filling orzo deli salad. Another creative idea is a build-your-own wrap or kebab station to keep guests busy.
Dessert
For a sweet finish, cleanse your palate with our no-churn pomegranate ice cream – it couldn't be easier to make and requires just four ingredients.
Drink
For a thirst-quenching drink, nothing says summer quite like a refreshing round of gin fizz, right?
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