Many restaurateurs give little thought to lighting, but it is an essential part of the decor. If you want to entice customers into your restaurant, the lighting can’t be too dim or too bright. Dim lighting can be romantic and make your patrons relax, enjoy their meals and sip a glass of wine or two extra. However, you still want enough light so that guests and staff can see where they are going. On the flip side, if the light is too bright, your patrons may feel the need to eat and run.
To create the perfect level of illumination in your restaurant, take a look at these fabulous restaurant lighting ideas.
- Overall Tips for Restaurant Lighting
- Restaurant Bar Lighting Ideas
- Restaurant Table Lighting Ideas
- Restaurant Ceiling Lighting Ideas
- Outdoor Restaurant Lighting Ideas
Overall Tips for Restaurant Lighting
The right color temperature with lighting can make all the difference, and nowhere is it more important than in a restaurant or anywhere else where food and drinks are served. In fact, how certain areas feel can be the result of the color temperature of the lighting you choose. To make an area appear a little smaller and more intimate, warm lighting is the way to go. If you’re aiming for an area that looks larger and more spacious, choose a cooler light temperature.
You may also be considering adding some colored lights in your establishment but do so with caution. Avoid using any lighting that is too bright or has tinges of orange or yellow as this will make your beautiful fresh foods look bland and unappealing. Set the mood by adding lighting that is bright enough to display all the vibrant colors of your food without being overly glaring to the eyes.
When choosing the right lighting, it is also important to create a particular theme or, at the very least, ensure that the lighting you choose matches the rest of the restaurant’s decor. While it is not a problem to mix and match different lighting styles, it’s best to keep your choices simple and perhaps only have different ones, depending on which area of the restaurant you are highlighting.
Restaurant Bar Lighting Ideas
One of the first spaces people notice when they walk into a restaurant is the bar. This area is usually situated at the front or somewhere near the entrance, and it is usually the place patrons wait for the rest of their party to arrive for pre-dinner drinks. The first thing patrons do is look at what the bar has available to drink, and this usually means they are carefully examining the wall behind the bar where all the spirits and mixers are being displayed. While you can add lighting directly above these shelves, the bright light may reflect too much and make it difficult to see what’s on offer. Adding strip lights is a better option. These are easy to install, and most styles allow you to dim or brighten the lights for custom illumination. Not only will your collection of drinks be perfectly displayed, this lighting always looks great.
Right over the bar is another area you don’t want to neglect when it comes to lighting. You can choose a single row of lights for a uniform look, or get creative with pendant lights. These are available in an endless array of designs and materials so you’re certain to find the perfect ones for your bar. Choose pendant lights with glass shades for an elegant look that gives off a warm, romantic glow or go for an industrial shabby chic look and choose pendant lights with cages surrounding the bulbs. These are especially great for bars that have a considerable ceiling height but you can always just have them installed at the ends of the bar if the ceiling height is on the lower side.
Restaurant Table Lighting Ideas
Lighting above the tables in a restaurant is super important. Patrons need to be able to read the menus without squinting and, more importantly, the food needs to look appetizing when it arrives at the table. After all, you don’t just want your customers to enjoy their experience on that day. You want them to enjoy themselves so much that they can’t wait to come back!
There are many different types of lighting you can install over your tables from single-pendant lights to a bar of lighting and many other colors, styles, and designs in between. For example, if your restaurant has a summery, almost tropical theme happening, keep this theme going with a rattan pendant light over each table. These look stunning, and basket-style rattan also allows some of the light to escape outwards to emit a summery glow that is pleasant to the eye and very relaxing.
Smaller restaurants can certainly benefit from lighting that is simple for a minimalistic feel. Anything cumbersome will make the ceiling look crowded and cluttered so opt for small, modern pendant lighting.
Restaurants with retro-chic decor can look spectacular with an industrial pendant light fixture. You don’t even have to have a retro or industrial-themed restaurant as this lighting idea is so versatile that you can install it almost anywhere.
However, if the restaurant has a chic, modern interior, then choosing something dramatic like a sleek, linear chandelier can add elegance and sophistication and when placed above tables, become every bit as part of the decor that will enhance the overall look.
Restaurant Ceiling Lighting Ideas
No matter how many lighting ideas that can be implemented into a single restaurant, the one very obvious place that must not be neglected is the ceiling. Yes, this is the traditional place for lighting in most homes, businesses, and other establishments, but there is always going to be a need to have ceiling light fixtures in a restaurant. The reasons are numerous, but the main ones include the ability to turn on extra lights when they are needed and, sometimes, the ceiling lights may be the only lights you need. Lights above and around the tables may not be very practical during the day and this is when the ceiling lights, combined with sunlight coming in through the windows should be enough.
If you don’t want to go overboard with another decorative light fixture, but you still want lights on the ceiling, consider installing recessed lights. These are usually packed in multipacks giving you plenty of lights to spread around and they can be placed along the edges of the dining area or in various patterns along the length and width of the restaurant.
The entrance to the restaurant and a few strategic places along the ceiling can be enhanced with a stunning chandelier. The one with crystal pieces not only adds elegance and charm but the glass also reflects the light in a spectacular fashion. One in the center of a smaller room is great, but if you need more, place these sparingly around the room.
A dining area that is decorated in a contemporary style is begging for modern lighting ideas. Choose track lighting with several bulbs that can be pointed in different directions and shine the light where it’s needed. This option is ideal if you don’t want to have too many light fixtures as you can use one and direct the light towards different tables or other features inside the restaurant. Add some strip lights around the edges of the ceiling and you’ll complete the look of a modern, stylish restaurant with simple lines that focus more on the light and less on the fixtures.
Outdoor Restaurant Lighting Ideas
Who doesn’t like dining ‘al fresco’, especially in the summer months? Any restaurant that has the luxury of an outdoor dining area has the benefit of not only creating extra seating and table space but also offering patrons the option of enjoying sunny days and warm nights while they eat their dinner.
If restaurant lighting ideas are important anywhere, they are important outside. Regardless of where the outdoor dining area has a patio or market umbrellas are used, there are many different lighting ideas that can be implemented outdoors. For starters, many restaurants have expanded to include an outdoor area that is an extension of the restaurant itself. This usually involves adding a patio or deck and patio-style roofing that is attached to the existing restaurant. This means there are walls and where better to add a lighting idea than to an existing wall? Wall lamps can be placed along the entire length of a wall or in a few spaces, depending on how much lighting is needed.
If you want to add a festive flare to your outdoor dining area, you can’t go wrong with string lights. These can be installed in between posts, along rooflines, or strung like a web over the entire dining area. You can also string them between trees or any other elements, depending on the effect you are trying to achieve.
Market umbrellas are very popular in sunny areas, particularly if a restaurant doesn’t have a dedicated covered area for dining. The umbrellas are essential during the day, but at night, it can be quite dark and dining in these conditions is less than favorable. However, you can attach an umbrella light to the pole of a market umbrella and this gives off just enough light for diners to see their glasses and plates without being too bright.
Safety should always be a priority with any business and the last thing any restaurateur wants to deal with is guests tripping in the dark while trying to get to and from their tables and even more so, if guests need to navigate stairs. Light up any steps with step or deck lights. These are easy to install and shine over steps so guests can see them. You’ll really appreciate having these when you have guests that like to have a bottle or two of wine with their meals. You also don’t need to limit the use of these types of lights to steps and stairs as they are easy to install along balustrades on the edge of the outdoor dining area.
Don’t neglect the pathways from the restaurant or car park leading to the outdoor dining area. These are also areas you need to consider installing lighting for safety purposes but you can also use them to create a magical theme. Use solar globe lights that are easy to spike into the ground around garden beds or tree lines. Not only do they look spectacular, they add just enough light to shine the way to dinner.
If you want something a little simpler, choose outdoor spotlights and place them all around the dining area as well as around trees, and the garden beds surrounding the entire restaurant. These lights can also be placed in larger plant pots to highlight special plants or shrubs.
There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to choosing the best restaurant lighting ideas so you can mix and match them in any way you like. However, keep in mind that it is always a good idea to choose similar styles in all types of lighting to fit the theme of the restaurant. Use these restaurant lighting ideas to create a welcoming feel and keep your customers coming back time and time again.
