Best Lighting Ideas For Your Restaurant – Easy & Inexpensive

Proper lighting can transform your dull restaurant into one exceptional place. With the right lighting, you can add more aesthetics to your eatery. 

The intermix of golden spark with indoor plants is currently quite popular in urban studios and cafes. But, when it comes to adding more light to indoor wide dining settings, you have to think outside of the box.

Best Lighting Ideas For Your Restaurant
Best Lighting Ideas For Your Restaurant

Looking for a way to reignite the charm of your restaurant? Or are you searching for inspiration to bring life to your ideas? 

Well, luckily, we got you covered with the stunning ideas of our professional interior designers. So, sit back and keep on reading!

How To Lighten Up Your Restaurant?

There are several ways to illuminate your restaurant. But, the main rule remains is not to mix bright colors with a low glow. 

  1. Make a soothing vibe by keeping the lights off-white rather than choosing the golden shade.
  2. Too many LEDs will ruin the natural texture of colors.
  3. Keep the surrounding furniture in mind while picking the different types of lighting.
  4. Try to utilize natural light more, as it’ll bring warmth to your eatery.
  5. Paint ceiling and walls with lighter shades for a perfect ambiance.
  6. Always use dark-colored patterns and prints for furniture.
  7. Don’t put golden pendant lights right in the middle of the table as it will change the food color. 

To enhance the interior more, place fake plants as it will give a more natural look while ensuring no bugs. 

Types Of Restaurant Lights

No doubt, you can use a thousand different luminance combinations for a bright dining space. But, in a nutshell, there are three main types only.

1. Ambient Lighting, a.k.a Mood Lights

Ambient creates a soft, smooth, and warm luminance, which is ideal for giving a sense of comfort to your guests. 

Ambient Lighting, a.k.a Mood Lights
Ambient Lighting, a.k.a Mood Lights

These are energy efficient and go well with the ceiling.  This type of light is not suitable while eating as it can be a bit dark.

2. Task Lights

These are suitable for hanging right in the middle of the dining table or somewhere near to you. 

Task Lights
Task Lights

Perfect to focus, and direct light usually came in the form of hanging pendants. Task lights are usually preferred in dark-themed pubs and above the built-in dishwashers for eateries.

3. Accent Lighting

Accent lighting has recently made a comeback with buzz. It is a combo of task and LCD luminous.

Accent Lighting
Accent Lighting

Most people prefer to use it when they want to highlight the artwork. In the restaurant business, It is widely used at the bar table.

Best Restaurant Lighting Ideas – Ensure A Delighted Experience For All!

Our designers recommend having at least four large windows. Low light creates a dull and horror experience where customers don’t feel comfortable. But too bright a glow also won’t be suitable with interior design.

1. Ceiling Lights  – The Mood Soother!

Ceiling lights are undoubtedly the most vital part. Many people prefer to use mood style, while some prefer hanging pendants. 

Ceiling Lights  - The Mood Soother
Ceiling Lights  – The Mood Soother

We don’t recommend you opt for a mood style. No doubt, you want your guest comfortable but not as much that they won’t want to leave. Dull light soothes the mind, and eventually, a person sits more even in a house full of crowd.

The best thing is to either pick LCD or pendants, as the luminous drop will be bright enough to keep people active.

2. Wall Lights – Essentials

Wall lights for fast food restaurants should be more bright and conveniently controlled. 

Wall Lights - Essentials
Wall Lights – Essentials

On the contrary, eateries that offer fine dining and high-end dining experiences need a slightly simple and soft glow. 

Golden luminous is best for fast food cafes, while off-white, light accent light fits best for upscale restaurants.

3. Outdoor Lighting Ideas – Reignite La La Land Romance!

For the spring nights and sunny summer days, many people like to sit outside. So, do you still need to invest in lighting? Well, you may not need any light during the day, but it is essential at night.

Outdoor Lighting Ideas - Reignite La La Land Romance
Outdoor Lighting Ideas – Reignite La La Land Romance

Use fairy lights and contrast of white and golden colors to balance both shades. Put some fairy glow at the entrance and a bright glow lamp after every few meters.

Ensure a stunning environment for your guests. Outdoor space will also help to meet the criteria of Michelin star awards

4. Go For LED Bulbs- Let’s Decorate Bar!

LED strips and lights are essential for bar settings. Before buying LEDs, ensure that they have a slight touch of redness in their light.

Go For LED Bulbs- Let’s Decorate Bar
Go For LED Bulbs- Let’s Decorate Bar

Any restaurant’s bar is incomplete without LED strips that’s why they’re highly in demand. You can also use them to lead your guest toward restrooms or the courtyard.

LED strips go well with the night and dark mode settings. That’s why many people use strips for outside seating.

5. Bring In Chandelier- Ensure Royal Experience

Investing in a chandelier is always a good idea. It looks sleek and classy and adds a royal touch to your property. 

Bring In Chandelier- Ensure Royal Experience
Bring In Chandelier- Ensure Royal Experience

Most restaurant owners prefer to install a rectangular chandelier in the lobby as with the seating area. Retrieve the seating space with this small restaurant decor idea. The best thing is you can change any single faulty bulb.

6. Spooky Halloween – It’s All About Festivals

Want to do something extraordinary? Then, we strongly recommend adjusting the lighting to the theme of spooky festivals.

Spooky Halloween - It’s All About Festivals
Spooky Halloween – It’s All About Festivals

Mostly, restaurants already have golden and orange shade lights. And luckily, you won’t be running out of pumpkins.


All you need to do is reinvent the child out of you and carve a few pumpkins. Put some lights, and small pubs or cafes can place them on every table.

7. Christmas Spirit – The Light From North Pole!

The festive feel is enough to keep everyone energetic. Around Christmas, everyone wants to set up their tree at the end of November.

Christmas Spirit - The Light From North Pole
Christmas Spirit – The Light From North Pole

This will bring festive vibes and passion to your visitors. You can also choose to set up two trees. If you have regular customers with children, then it’s best to let children decorate trees.

8. Emergency Lights – Safety First

Don’t think that you’re done with the light settings for restaurants. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, every eatery or hotel must have a special emergency light door with bright enough “EXIT” written on it.

Emergency Lights - Safety First
Emergency Lights – Safety First

These are the basic rules for safety purposes. You can’t operate a restaurant in the USA without a safe exit door or exit sign.

9. Fly Trap Lights – Essential Hygiene Practice

For hygienic reasons, restaurant fly traps are considered essential. Nobody wants to serve food with flies around. That’s why you need to invest in it.

Fly Trap Lights - Essential Hygiene Practice
Fly Trap Lights – Essential Hygiene Practice

Don’t rely on regular Plasma fly light as it can produce squeaky noise. The best thing is to go for a regular pest spray. 

Keep in mind that flies always be around a light, so it is strongly recommended to measure safety precautions. Don’t put it near the customer’s table. Otherwise, they may sue the restaurant for poor hygiene

Restaurant Table Lighting Ideas

Tables are either neglected or over-rushed with vases and flowers. The most common mistake restaurant managers make is not ensuring that the serving table is bright enough.

So, here’s how you can use a little light on dining tables:

1. Bring In Candles – Celebrate Testimony Of Love

Bring In Candles - Celebrate Testimony Of Love
Bring In Candles – Celebrate Testimony Of Love

If you feel that the table is a bit dull. Then, putting an electric or real candle will fix the problem. Reignite the passion and fill the colors to dull canvas.

2. Cordless Moon Lamp – Party Every Day!

Cordless Moon Lamp - Party Every Day
Cordless Moon Lamp – Party Every Day

These small moon lamps are great to be the centerpiece of attraction for your guest table. Illuminate the ambient lighting and let your customer enjoy the finest delicacy. 

3. Glowing Flower – Valentine Special

Bring back beauty and beast to life with this little trick. It’s romantic and practical. 

Glowing Flower - Valentine Special
Glowing Flower – Valentine Special

The glowing flowers are made of plastic, and you can later use them. Or, you can also give them a loyalty reward. 

4. Place A Lamp – Be Old Schooled!

Place A Lamp - Be Old Schooled
Place A Lamp – Be Old Schooled

Give a little taste of Vegas to your visitors by putting a small lamp in the middle. Just make sure that it won’t make it difficult to reach for anything across the side.

5. Use Lantern – Simple And Beautiful

Surprise everyone with lanterns. It will provide essential light and also add aesthetics to the surroundings. 

Use Lantern - Simple And Beautiful
Use Lantern – Simple And Beautiful

Such beautiful table decor will also help you during the soft opening of the restaurant phase.

Why Is Lighting Important In Restaurants?

Lighting is important in restaurants so people can enjoy food while actually looking at it. Furthermore, to read the menu and check the overall quality.

Why Do Restaurants Use Yellow Lights?

The yellow color has warmth in it. Warm colors make you feel comfortable and secure. Apart from that, yellow is a light color. And, it is easy to see food with light colors.

What Kind Of Lighting Is Best For Restaurants?

It is best to use mood lighting for restaurants while serving dinner. Utilize more sun in the daytime. Focus lighting is best to use from noon to evening.

Editor’s Endnote

Apart from the luminance and glow, it is also important to ensure that your restaurant is bright enough. Keep the interior and lighting balanced rather than choosing high contrast.

Remember, before tasting the food, the customer will observe the vibe and aesthetic of your restaurant.

Use LED lights to brighten up the dining area. You can also place a customized table lamp or lantern to add more light.

Steve
Steve here! I like to research and write about best kitchen and home appliances. If you are on the hunt for the best products, quick hacks, and interesting food options, my writing will surely help you out!