alfresco

adjective or adverb

al·​fres·​co al-ˈfre-(ˌ)skō 

: taking place or located in the open air : outdoor, outdoors

an alfresco lunch

an alfresco café

dining alfresco

Did you know?

In addition to describing a type of dining, alfresco can also describe a kind of painting. The word fresco, which comes from the Italian adjective fresco, meaning "fresh," refers to a method of painting on fresh plaster. Although the "outdoors" sense of alfresco is by far the most common in current use, the term is sometimes used to describe painting done in the fresco manner—that is, on fresh plaster.

Synonyms

• outside
• out
• outdoors

Examples of alfresco in a Sentence

the restaurant's shaded terrace is highly recommended for those seeking to dine alfresco

during the summer months, the theater company puts on a series of alfresco performances

Recent Examples on the Web

The kitchen, fitted with bespoke oak cabinetry and top-tier appliances, flows directly onto a terrace with an alfresco kitchen. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2025

Sip wines made right on-site, sweat out nights of excess in the barrel sauna and cold plunge, and savor in-room breakfasts and alfresco wine dinners. —Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2025

Terracotta tiling rings the saltwater pool and wraps into an alfresco kitchen built for late-summer grilling. —Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

To top it off, the sundeck features a Jacuzzi, sunbeds, and dining spaces for yet more alfresco hangouts. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alfresco

• fresco

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