59 summer dinner party ideas

Looking for easy summer dinner party ideas? We've curated plenty of easy wins for your all your summer entertaining needs, including al fresco ideas and Midsummer party 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.

Easy summer dinner party recipes

Mediterranean summer dinner party

Channel holiday vibes with a spread of mix-and-match sharing plates, inspired by Mediterranean flavours.

Sharing plates

Sun-warmed ingredients, smoky grills and dishes made for passing around the table capture casual entertaining at its most inviting. Assemble a spread of vibrant plates bursting with the colours and aromas of the Mediterranean, from chargrilled steak tagliata with herby mojo sauce to sizzling garlicky prawns with pil pil butter and smoky souvlaki platter with a tzatziki potato salad. Drizzle crisp feta parcels in golden honey or give juicy meatballs a spicy boost with spreadable spicy ’nduja. Pile everything onto the table then add bowls of briny olives, pillowy flatbreads and creamy dips to turn it into a laid-back feast.

Drink

Try a flavourful twist on a classic martini for a fun and sophisticated tipple. Turn up the salty, savoury flavour with a Basque pintxo-inspired filthy pintxo martini with plenty of chilli and olive brine, or reimagine the classic Italian summer salad with a caprese martini. Think refreshing, savoury flavour with a creamy note. You could even transform the chilled Spanish soup into a refreshing, savoury tomato cocktail with this gazpacho martini.

Dessert

Round out the evening with a plate of bitesize loukoumades (Greek-style doughnuts), flavoured with cinnamon and honey for subtle sweetness. They're great to serve as a light after-dinner treat. Or impress guests with a slice of portokalopita, a syrup-soaked cake inspired by the sunshine flavours of Crete.

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.

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. For a tantalising spin on the classic Italian pizza, delve into Gurdeep Loyal's halloumi, mango, courgette, and tarragon pizzettes. These delightful bites defy convention with their absence of a tomato base, proving that venturing beyond tradition can yield mouthwatering results. Or go for our courgette rotolo, filled with lemony herb ricotta — a vibrant, summery main that keeps things light.

Drink

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 make a refreshing limoncello spritz. Take a look at our best spritz recipes for tipples which can be whipped up in minutes.

Dessert

Perfect for a dinner party dessert, impress guests with a boozy limoncello tiramisu, inspired by a limoncello spritz cocktail. Alternatively, our vanilla and honey semifreddo with olive oil and sea salt is a great way to showcase your fanciest olive oil.

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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

Everyone loves a dip and this summer sharing board mixes up creamy goat’s cheese with tangy beetroot and a spicy olive oil for the ultimate mix and match combo. 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.

Dessert

Turn a handful of storecupboard ingredients into date flapjacks for a sweet finish.

Drink

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. And if you're craving some barbecued meats, then our marinated pork in a sticky, sweet-and-sour BBQ sauce, then served with vibrant seasonal greens and steamed rice, is a simple yet impressive dish that celebrates summer’s finest produce.

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, try this giant filo pie filled with honey, harissa-spiked veg and halloumi, served with a creamy tahini, lemon and yogurt dip. Otherwise, our easy crab mac ’n’ cheese is bound to sate hungry guests. Or stick with the seafood theme and try our Cajun seafood boil. Honey roast halloumi and summer veg spiral pie

Drink

This frozen tequila and watermelon frosé is summer in a drink – save a wedge of watermelon to garnish for ultimate holiday vibes. 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

Strawberry sumac pavlova with pistachios and basil makes a beautiful display of summer flavours. Serve sunshine on a plate with this Mexican-inspired toasted coconut and mango tres leches cake, topped with a pillowy coconut cream, toasted coconut flakes and mango. Edd Kimber's banana-misu sundae is a summery mash-up of two retro desserts and is a breeze to put together. Just like any sundae, it's incredibly easy to adapt to your preferences.

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 strawberry tequila sangria – swap the strawberries for raspberries, if you prefer.

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. Serve something a little bit different with this rippled raspberry and goat's cheese fool. For a delightfully effortless dessert that allows you to spend more quality time with your guests, indulge in Edd Kimber's divine Amaretto roasted peaches. With minimal preparation, let your oven take charge, allowing you to sip on a refreshing summer cocktail while the irresistible aroma fills your kitchen.

Drink

For a thirst-quenching drink, nothing says summer quite like a refreshing round of gin fizz, right?