Best Al Fresco Dining Spots To Sip Away The Summer

Thanks to COVID 19, indoor dining at our favourite local hangouts is out, and al fresco dining is all the rage! Well, it is nearly summer, and honestly? We’re not that mad about it as we need all the vitamin D we can get right now. There’s nothing better than enjoying a refreshing glass of folc rosé al fresco style, whether it be nestled in the English countryside, at the seaside, or even in your back garden, especially now friends & family are allowed to join us too!

If you’re a little bored of your local park, pack your picnic essentials (and lots of folc rosé) and try out our favourite UK al fresco dining spots next time a long, lazy afternoon lunch tickles your fancy. Ibiza who? 

For a classic London experience, it’s fair to say that nothing beats Hyde Park. With views of Kensington Palace, Serpentine swans and acres of luscious green grass to choose from, it would be a crime to not include this quintessentially London park in our list. Pack up your hamper, spread your blanket beneath the English blossoms, dash to the corner shop for bags of ice, and ward off the dogs trying to invade your picnic with gusto. What could be more London than that?

If you fancy travelling a little further afield (and post lockdown Londoners are probably desperate for this!) try the picturesque Lake District. The beauty of this English region inspired Romantic poets such as Wordsworth, Byron and Shelley, making this spot perfect for a romantic dining getaway. With nothing but fresh, damp air and green hills for miles in every direction, you’ll be in social distancing paradise. Pack sturdy walking shoes and wet weather gear as the region can be unpredictable weather wise, however this is nothing a glass of rosé can’t fix, right?!

If the wilderness of the lakes prove to be a little too exotic for you, come back towards London and lay your picnic blanket at Hampton Court Palace. Henry VIII’s pleasure palace is certainly impressive (he brought all of his six wives here once he’d kicked Cardinal Wosley out) but its grounds are the star of the show when it comes to picnics, and good news: they are open now! Enjoy 60 acres of formal gardens and 750 acres of parkland where over a million daffodils come to life each April; you’ll feel like royalty amongst all the gold. 

Heading out to the coast and towards Kent (Folc’s homeland!), try Deal for a classic seaside spot. This charming little town between Dover and Sandwich boasts a fantastic golf course, a steep pebble beach and a high street packed with charming artisanal shops where you can pick up everything you need for an al fresco dining adventure. Picnic on the beach, at the end of the long pier or high up on the white cliffs of Dover. Finish with a chilly dip in the ocean, but be wary of the strong current especially after an afternoon of rosé! 

Now, we couldn’t write a guide to the UK’s most wonderful al fresco dining spots without including the world’s oldest English speaking university - Oxford. This iconic city has arguably some of the most beautiful picnic spots in all of England. If you manage to sneak into a college quad and can spread out there, well done you! However, if you don’t have a way behind those wrought iron gates, fear not, the University Parks are full of magical shady glades in which to dine, or better still rent a punt, drift down the canals, pull your boat up on a grassy knoll and go from there. Someone will inevitably fall in, but you can dry off in the sunshine and if all else fails just add rosé! 

Food and folc really do taste that much better when enjoyed al fresco - Folc’s 2021 Vintage is available to purchase here.