From First Coffee to Last Call: Creating an Outdoor Kitchen Bar for Resort-Style Living

An outdoor kitchen can be much more than a place to grill dinner.  

Imagine walking outside early in the morning, pouring your first cup of cold brew or iced coffee from your outdoor kitchen bar, and settling into a comfortable chair as the sun comes up. A few hours later, the same space becomes the center of a pool day. By sunset, the coffee glasses have been replaced with wine glasses, dinner is on the grill, and friends are gathering around the bar.

That is the idea behind resort-style outdoor living: designing an outdoor kitchen around the entire day—not simply around the grill

At Riviera Outdoor Décor, we believe a well-designed outdoor kitchen beverage center can help turn a backyard into a place you genuinely want to use from the first cup of coffee in the morning to the last drink of the evening.

Start the Day at Your Outdoor Coffee Bar

For many of us, one of life's simplest luxuries is a quiet cup of coffee in the morning.

Instead of walking back and forth between your indoor kitchen and patio, imagine having a dedicated outdoor coffee bar built directly into your outdoor kitchen.

Depending on how you enjoy your coffee, your custom beverage center could incorporate a traditional coffee maker or espresso machine, refrigerated cream and milk storage, an outdoor-rated refrigerator, an ice maker, a sink and even cold brew or iced coffee on tap.

Add comfortable lounge seating, shade from an umbrella or pergola and a coastal-rated fan, and your outdoor kitchen suddenly becomes your favorite place to begin the day.

It's not just an outdoor kitchen anymore.

It's your morning café with a view.

Outdoor Kitchen Bar, from left to right, wine reserve, double tap beverage dispenser, outdoor refrigerator, ice dispenser- cabinet ready.  All outdoor kitchen appliances are marine grade.  All outdoor cabinetry is marine grade with sealed gaskets and magnetic closure.  No sand can get in and wind gusts cannot open

One Outdoor Bar, Multiple Experiences

The beauty of a custom outdoor kitchen bar is that it doesn't have to serve just one purpose.

With thoughtful planning, the same beverage center can transition throughout your day:

Morning: Coffee, espresso, cold brew, juice and breakfast by the pool.

Afternoon: Iced coffee, sparkling water, soft drinks and cold beverages while everyone enjoys the pool.

Happy Hour: Wine, beer and cocktails as friends begin arriving.

Dinner: A convenient beverage station that keeps guests entertained—and out of the cooking zone.

Evening: Wine or cocktails around the fire table while the outdoor kitchen becomes the backdrop for a relaxing night outside.

That's one of the differences between simply purchasing outdoor appliances and designing an outdoor living experience.

Resort Style Outdoor Living for Coastal Areas, made  exclusively at Riviera Outdoor Décor,
 Built to Last, Made to Entertain, 
Designed for Endless Resort Style Living.

Put Beer, Cold Brew or Iced Coffee on Tap

One of our favorite additions to an Outdoor Kitchen Bar is a double or single-tap beverage dispenser.

A streamlined tap built into the countertop creates the feeling of a luxury resort bar while taking up relatively little counter space.

Depending on the equipment and beverage system selected, a tap station can be designed around options such as beer, cold brew coffee or iced coffee.

For the homeowner who loves entertaining, a draft beer station can become a natural gathering spot during games and cookouts.

For the coffee lover, imagine stepping outside in the morning and pouring cold brew right from your outdoor kitchen.

It's a small luxury that can completely change how you use the space.

Outdoor Kitchen Bar with double tap station for beer, cold brew coffee or iced coffee, wine reserve to the left, marine grade and food safe refrigerator to the right, and ice machine to the far right- cabinet ready.

Add an Outdoor Wine Center

Wine lovers can take the concept even further with a Marine Grade Wine Reserve or On Tap in your Outdoor Kitchen Bar.  

A custom outdoor wine bar can incorporate outdoor-rated wine refrigeration, glass storage, countertop serving space and cabinetry for accessories.

For larger outdoor kitchens, consider a dual-zone refrigeration system so different beverages can be maintained appropriately while still keeping everything conveniently located within the entertainment area.

Then create a comfortable place nearby to enjoy it.

Swivel lounge chairs overlooking the pool, an outdoor dining area or deep seating around a fire feature can turn a simple glass of wine at sunset into the kind of experience you normally associate with vacation.

Except you don't have to leave home.

Don't Forget the Ice

Ice is one of those details people often overlook when planning an outdoor kitchen.

Until the party starts.

A dedicated outdoor ice maker can eliminate constant trips inside and make an enormous difference when you're entertaining.

Depending on your outdoor bar design, you might incorporate an ice maker, insulated ice storage, cocktail preparation area or clear-ice system.

Combine that with refrigeration, a sink and adequate counter space and you've created a true outdoor beverage preparation center.

Customize the Outdoor Bar Around How You Live

There isn't one perfect outdoor kitchen bar because different families entertain differently.

That's why customization matters.  Schedule a Design Call with one of our Specially trained Outdoor Room/Kitchen Designer Appointments or find more information on our Marine grade Outdoor Kitchens.

A comprehensive outdoor kitchen beverage center might include:

• Cold brew or iced coffee dispenser
• Single- or multi-tap draft beverage system
• Outdoor refrigerator
• Wine refrigerator or wine reserve
• Beverage refrigerator
• Outdoor ice maker
• Cocktail sink with filtered water
• Stainless steel sink and faucet
• Built-in blender station
• Coffee or espresso station
• Glass and stemware storage
• Bottle and beverage storage
• Pull-out trash and recycling
• Outdoor kitchen cabinetry
• Generous preparation and serving countertops
• Under-cabinet and task lighting

And the beverage center doesn't have to look commercial. Appliances can be incorporated into custom cabinetry so the entire space feels like one beautifully designed outdoor kitchen.

For Coastal Homes, Materials Matter

A beautiful outdoor bar isn't much of a luxury if the coastal environment quickly begins deteriorating it.

Salt air, humidity, intense sun and moisture create very different conditions outdoors than inside a climate-controlled home.

For coastal outdoor kitchens, material and appliance selection should therefore be considered carefully and made specifically for coastal areas.  You may pay a little more on the front end but save money in the long run due to longevity.  You will not only need to look for 316 Stainless Steel construction and fasters but all refrigeration should have protective coating on wires to protect from corrosion and salt spray.  View here for a curated selection of  Marine Grade Outdoor Kitchen Appliances.  View here for a curated selection of Marine Grade Outdoor Kitchen Cabinets

At Riviera Outdoor Décor, marine-grade materials are an important part of how we approach outdoor kitchen design. Depending on the application, that can include marine-grade stainless steel cabinetry and components designed for demanding outdoor environments, along with outdoor-rated appliances and corrosion-resistant finishes.

Even the beautiful soft coastal colors homeowners love can be incorporated through powder-coated stainless steel cabinetry, allowing an outdoor bar to have a sophisticated resort appearance while maintaining the performance characteristics needed for outdoor living.

Create a Resort Around the Bar

The beverage center is only one part of the experience.

Think about what happens around it.

Place comfortable bar stools where guests can talk with the person cooking. Add an outdoor pool table or other games nearby so people have something to do while dinner is on the grill. Incorporate marine-grade fans to make hot coastal afternoons more comfortable.

Then consider umbrellas, retractable screens, outdoor dining, deep lounge seating, lighting and a fire table or dining fire table for the evenings.

Suddenly, you've created different destinations within the backyard:

The coffee bar. The pool. The grill. The game area. The dining table. The cocktail bar. The fire lounge.

That's what gives a great resort its atmosphere. There is always somewhere else to go and something else to experience.

Your backyard can work the same way.

Design for Sunrise to Sunset

When planning an outdoor kitchen, one of the best questions isn't simply:

"Which grill do I want?"

Ask instead:

"How do I want to live out here?"

Maybe your perfect Saturday starts with cold brew beside the pool.

The kids swim while lunch goes on the grill.

Friends arrive in the afternoon and someone starts a game of pool.

At sunset, wine is poured at the outdoor bar.

Dinner comes off the grill.

And later, everyone moves to the fire table.

That's a very different design objective from building a row of cabinets around a grill.

You're designing an experience.

At Riviera Outdoor Décor, we believe your favorite resort should be your address

At Riviera Outdoor Décor, we design outdoor kitchens and outdoor living spaces around the way our clients want to live, relax and entertain.

From marine-grade outdoor kitchens and custom marine grade outdoor kitchen bars to refrigeration, coffee bars, wine centers, draft systems, outdoor games, furniture, shade, fans and fire features, we can help bring the individual pieces together into one cohesive resort-style outdoor environment.

Because the best outdoor kitchen isn't necessarily the one with the most appliances.

It's the one that makes you want to walk outside in the morning—and stay there all day.

Ready to Create Your Outdoor Kitchen Bar?

Let's design a custom outdoor kitchen beverage center around your lifestyle—from that first cup of coffee in the morning to wine at sunset and drinks with friends after dinner.

Schedule a Design Call with one of our Outdoor Kitchen Designers or contact us at: Riviera Outdoor Décor for our monthly newsletter for all the updates on Coastal Outdoor Living

Helpful Links:

Ten Years of Field Testing Outdoor Kitchens and Furniture

Beach House Outdoor Kitchens, what actually lasts near the ocean

Outdoor Kitchen Cost Estimator, Marine Grade 316 Stainless Steel and 304 Stainless Steel