Since 1976 — Bespoke kitchens

Outdoor Kitchen with Barbecue, Sink, Hob and Fridge

STONE · STEEL · MADE TO MEASURE

In short

Outdoor kitchen with lit wood-fired barbecue, sink, black bases and lacquered wood worktop — The Black Fire, the Wood That Dresses It — photograph of a Michelessi project.

The outdoor kitchen — a Michelessi vision

From the block,
the fire

01 A raw block of Calacatta Oro on the terrace above the sea, under the brass lamp, at the hour when the sky turns from orange to blue. Mallet and chisels lie on the floor: the kitchen is still all inside the stone.

02 Two stonemasons, standing beside the block, work it with mallet and chisel. The faces are squared, chips fly, white dust rises in the sea wind; then come the long shape of the island, its sides, the openings of the fronts, the fire channel and the sink, carved slowly. Finally the stone is honed and the gold veins come out.

03 The top is polished, the sink set in, the brass tap mounted, the fire lit in the channel. The stonemasons walk away and the kitchen stays, lit above the sea, with a veil of dust on the floor.

Keep scrolling — the scene follows you

Outdoor kitchen with barbecue: what it is and who builds it

An outdoor kitchen with a barbecue is a bespoke unit that brings together barbecue, hob, sink, fridge and worktop space, with water, drainage and electrics designed to live outdoors. It is built by Michelessi SRL, stonemasons in Aprilia since 1976: we design it, work it and install it with our own team throughout Italy.

Anyone searching for an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue mostly finds modules and catalogue barbecues. The questions that decide whether it will work are different: where the sink drains, how the water is protected from frost, which fridge copes with cold and heat, which sockets can go outdoors. You will find them here. For the fire itself, with a wood, charcoal or gas barbecue and an oven, there is the page outdoor kitchen with a stone barbecue; all our outdoor kitchens are under outdoor kitchens, the department under bespoke kitchens.

The Black Fire, the Wood That Dresses It

The flame burns in its black frame and lights the wall clad in lacquered wood, which answers with amber reflections: a dialogue between darkness and warmth, orchestrated with an elegance almost worthy of an interior. Black bases run beneath the counter carrying the sink and the working spaces, shelves order tableware and objects on the wooden wall, and the dark beams of the covering close the scene above. The wood-fired barbecue, protagonist, promises fragrant cooking and long evenings.

Fogher Larès modular FKC 023 in black with steel top, sink, barbecue and service module

The FKC 023 composition entrusts the top to steel and the structure to black: above, the technical surface runs uniform, carrying the sink with its spring tap and the built-in barbecue beneath its cover; below, door-fronted modules and a side service unit keep order and multiply the landing space. The contrast between the sheen of the top and the matt of the bases gives the line its clean, professional character. It is the configuration of those who work hard and clean fast: steel forgives everything and never ages.

Outdoor kitchen with built-in appliances, light granite worktop and treated wood structure, U-shaped

The Great U of Teak and Granite in the Woods

The U spreads generously over blue stone paving and the woods embrace it on every side: the treated wood structure, with its warm, orderly doors, bears the light granite worktop running along three sides, carrying the barbecue with its steel hood, the sink, built-in appliances and the counter where high seats await company. Little plants on the tops add their domestic green to the great green of the trees.

Circular outdoor kitchen in treated marble and granite with professional steel barbecue and night lighting

The Curve of Stone That Welcomes the Evening

The night is an accomplice: warm lights run beneath the counter and trace the curve of the kitchen like a luminous ribbon, while the base of stone in irregular courses anchors the composition to the garden. The dark stone counter follows the circumference without a single hard corner, receiving the professional steel barbecue on its left flank and then stretching toward the bar, where tall seats await the guests. Treated marble and granite, protagonists of the construction, withstand the seasons while keeping their depth; the built-in refrigerator works discreetly in the base.

Modern U-shaped outdoor kitchen with light marble tops, wooden bases, fridge and built-in barbecue

The Great U with Marble Worktops

The U opens generously into the woods and lays out a true piazza of taste: great slabs of light marble run along three sides, luminous against the deep green of the trees, while wooden bases with classic doors pace the perimeter with ordered warmth. The built-in barbecue works beneath its steel hood, the fridge stands guard in the base, and white parasols open their corollas over the scene, ready to shade long lunches. The house with its great windows watches from behind.

Large modern wood-fired barbecue with double grill, black metal hood, stone walls and log store

Wood-Fired, Beneath the Great Black Hood

The fire already lives within the mouth of the barbecue: embers glow beneath the double grill, ready to receive the meat, while the great black metal hood descends from the ceiling like a technical curtain, gathering the perfumes of the wood. At the sides, stone walls in irregular courses frame the scene with their ancient roughness; below, open bays keep logs stacked in order, beside drawers of contemporary line and the adjoining sink.

Outdoor kitchen in marble and brick-format marble with sink, barbecue, refrigerator and wooden canopy

Beneath the Canopy, Marble Facing the Hills

The dark wooden canopy frames the landscape like a panoramic screen: beyond the counter, the hills fade into the sunset light and the evening begins. Beneath this built sky, the kitchen works with elegance: marble counters, brick-format marble cladding giving rhythm to the vertical surfaces, the sink, the barbecue and the refrigerator each recessed in its place. The great screen at the side accompanies the evenings, the fan stirs the air, and the table laid at the centre awaits its guests with glasses ready.

Cabinex Premium series outdoor kitchen with 5-burner BeefEater barbecue, drawers, black sink and fridge display

Five BeefEater burners at the centre of the anthracite line: the Premium series in this size allows parallel cooking and true service tempo, the generous grill beneath its black lid and the row of steel controls within reach. At the sides, the kitchen organises the trade: the black sink with its flexible tap, the column of drawers that distinguishes the Premium series, doors guarding provisions and gas bottle, the refrigerated display keeping the evening cool.

Outdoor kitchen in irregular stone with marble counter, oven, hooded barbecue and warm night lighting

Irregular Stone, the Evening Turns to Theatre

The night lights sculpt the irregular stone and exalt its every protrusion: the base of the kitchen becomes a warm bas-relief winding through the garden, crowned by the marble counter that softly reflects the glimmers. Along the curve work the oven with its mouth at the ready, the hooded barbecue, and the round built-in grill adding its fire to the brigade; further on, the bar receives tall seats for those who watch and raise a glass. Pale paving draws the stage; the dark fencing and the trees close the wings.

Complete outdoor kitchen with sink, wood-fired stone barbecue, bar table with stools and wooden pergola

The Pavilion of Fire, Stone and Pergola

It is a small pavilion devoted to fire: the wooden pergola with its bold beams covers the space, the wall of stone in irregular courses receives the wood-fired barbecue with its mouth at the ready, and before it the bar table with tall stools invites you to sit exactly where everything happens. Hanging lanterns, shelves set into the stone and the service sink complete the equipment, while the lawn breathes around in the sunset light.

Detail of outdoor kitchen with integrated sink, lively grained stone counter and sliding doors

Detail of a Counter: The Grain That Tells

The camera drops to the counter and discovers its grain: a surface of minute pebbles, alive as a polished riverbed, receiving the pepper mills and the cooking grill with material ease. The integrated sink opens in the surface with its flush lid, ready to disappear when a resting surface is needed; below, sliding doors — here in a pale wood tone — glide silently on the cream-coloured base.

Complete outdoor kitchen with gas barbecue, rotisserie, burner, sink and lacquered wood doors

Rotisserie and Refractory stone Beneath the Green

The great black hood descends over the barbecue and its rotisserie, ready to gather the aromas of slow cooking; beside them, the burner and the gas barbecue add their quick fires, while the round sink carved into the black counter awaits the service. The refractory stone structure with its living surfaces carries everything with solidity, and lacquered wood doors warm the bases with their golden grain. Above, the pergola filters the light; around, the green presses in generously.

Prefabricated or bespoke outdoor kitchen: the comparison

A prefabricated kitchen is made of modules in fixed sizes; a bespoke one follows your space, your connections and the kind of fire you want. For a regular corner a module may be enough; for a terrace or a porch with connections in one precise spot, the design starts from the survey.

Aspect	Prefabricated modules	Michelessi bespoke
Dimensions	Fixed modules: the space has to adapt	Drawn on your space, water and power connections included
Structure and worktop	Those of the model	Structure in dry-laid refractory stone, steel or treated wood; worktop in granite, quartzite, sintered stone, travertine or marble
Services	Those the model provides for	Shown in the design: water, drainage, power, gas

Outdoor kitchen with a gas, wood or charcoal barbecue: which to choose

Gas lights in a few seconds and gives precise temperature control; charcoal gives a smoky flavour with longer cooking times; electric suits places with restrictions, such as some terraces, but cooks less intensely. These are the assessments of a retailer's guide to equipment.

Barbecue	Strength	To bear in mind
Gas	Lights in a few seconds, precise temperature control	Cylinder or gas line; installed by a qualified contractor; the air gap prescribed by the manufacturer
Gas with side burner	An extra burner beside the grill, for sauces and side dishes	Same cylinder or line; the burner is kept out of the rain, with a lid or under the roof
Charcoal	Smoky flavour	Longer cooking times; a refractory stone bay with the cooking chamber in refractory bricks
Wood	Embers in a refractory bay	Dry wood, under 20% water (ARPA Piedmont); smoke and hood are worked out in the design
Electric	Suitable where there are restrictions	Cooks less intensely; needs a protected socket

The wood and charcoal barbecue is in refractory stone; the gas one is a built-in appliance set into the worktop, and meat is cooked on a gas barbecue as on the others: it is its typical use, with the extra of temperature control. An LPG cylinder may stand outdoors, but not below ground level and not near openings to lower rooms, combustible materials or electrical equipment; it stands upright, with the valve at the top, and, with its hose, away from sources of heat: these are the Italian fire service's instructions. In the design, the cylinder bay is separated from the fire zone.

The clearance from materials that burn is given by the manual: the maker of a built-in barbecue writes at least 250 mm on every side from combustible building materials. The manual of the model installed always applies; that is why space is left between the fire and a treated-wood door, or a zone in stone or steel.

Garden kitchen with barbecue, sink and hob: how it is put together

It is composed of four zones, fire, cooking, water and cold, separated by worktop space for trays and utensils. The unit can be linear, L-shaped or an island, against a wall or free-standing in the garden.

Fire: the barbecue, where the smoke does not blow towards the table or the windows of the house.
Cooking: the hob beside the barbecue lets you cook other things in parallel, gas or induction. Gas needs the cylinder or line already described, induction a protected socket; it is wise to choose appliances that the manufacturer declares suitable for outdoors and to fit them to its data sheet, with cut-out size and ventilation clearances in the design before the worktop is cut.
Water: the sink with an outdoor tap, close to the supply and the drain stack.
Cold: the outdoor fridge, with a protected socket.

The American NKBA guidelines for kitchens ask for a work aisle of at least 107 cm with one cook and 122 cm with several, and worktop space of at least 30 and 38 cm on either side of the hob. They are written for indoors, so outdoors they serve as a reference, not a rule. Outdoor heights and clearances are covered in our Italian-language guide to outdoor kitchen dimensions; for an island unit there is the page bespoke kitchen with island, and for the garden our Italian-language page on the garden kitchen with barbecue.

Outdoor kitchen with a sink: water, drainage and frost

An outdoor sink needs a water supply and a drain, and in winter the water must be protected from frost. If you prefer, you can do without it and keep an extra piece of worktop.

Drain: as short as possible and with a fall. A plumber interviewed by a home magazine explains that long, almost horizontal runs fill with deposits of grease and soap.
Frost: water expands as it freezes, by about a tenth (Treccani): pipes and taps are not left full in the cold.
Winter: a shut-off and drain valve is provided and, if there is a frost-proof tap, its valve is fitted with the seat in a frost-protected area, as one manufacturer's instructions ask; how the system is drained is set by the qualified contractor.

The survey, the services and the stages of the work are on the page bespoke kitchen design and renovation.

Outdoor kitchen with a fridge: why a household one is not enough

An outdoor kitchen needs a fridge made for outdoors: a household one works correctly only within its climate class, and below +10 °C correct operation is no longer guaranteed. One fridge manufacturer's classes:

Climate class	Ambient temperature
SN	+10 to +32 °C
N	+16 to +32 °C
ST	+16 to +38 °C
T	+16 to +43 °C

A household fridge under an open porch is likely to work outside its class on cold evenings. The same manufacturer declares, for one of its outdoor models, operation from -10 to +43 °C and IPX4 protection against splashes: that is the kind of appliance to look for.

Water, gas and electricity outdoors: the services

The electrical, water and gas services of an outdoor kitchen are carried out by a qualified contractor: Italian decree DM 37/2008 also covers the grounds of buildings. In the design we show where water, drainage, power and gas arrive.

Component	What it needs	To know
Gas barbecue and hob	Cylinder outdoors or gas line	Clearances and ventilation from the manufacturer's manual
Sink	Water, drain, frost protection	Frost-proof valve in a protected spot
Fridge	Protected socket, suitable climate class	A model made for outdoors
Sockets and lights	Fittings protected from dust and water sprays	For example with an IP44 cover; the degree suited to driving rain is set by the installer

Outdoor kitchen structure: refractory stone, steel or treated wood

We build the structure in dry-laid refractory stone, stainless steel or treated wood, with no mortar or cement. The choice depends on the place, the weight the terrace or garden can bear, and the style.

Structure	How it is made	To know
Refractory stone	Blocks fitted together dry, cooking chamber in refractory bricks; it lasts a lifetime	It is heavy: on a terrace the load is checked in the design
Stainless steel	AISI 304; AISI 316 near the sea or a swimming pool	It scratches; clean without bleach or steel wool
Treated wood	Structure and doors designed and built to measure (outdoor wooden kitchen)	Clearance from the fire to respect and treatment to maintain

Grade 316 contains molybdenum and resists chlorides, and so seawater, and chlorine better than 304. Steel and stone together: stainless steel and stone outdoor kitchen; steel on its own, with finishes and care: bespoke stainless steel kitchen.

Outdoor worktops: granite, quartzite, sintered stone, marble and travertine

For the worktop of an outdoor kitchen you choose granite, quartzite, sintered stone, compact treated travertine or marble with its caveats; composite quartz is ruled out.

Worktop	Heat	Sun and UV rays	To know
Granite	About 250 °C, but not concentrated heat sources	To be assessed on the sample and at the site survey	Absorbs 0.05 to 0.40% water; should be sealed
Sintered stone (Dekton) and porcelain stoneware (Laminam)	Manufacturers declare they withstand high temperatures and direct heat from pots and pans	Not altered by UV rays, say the manufacturers	Laminam is non-porous and comes in 12 and 20 mm (nominal 12.5 and 20.5)
Marble	To be assessed; kept away from the grill	To be assessed	Fears acids; outdoors only with caveats, on landing areas

Composite quartz does not go outdoors: the maker of one of the best-known ranges warns that UV rays can damage its surface. Quartzite is assessed variety by variety, on the sample. Travertine outdoors only if compact and treated: it is covered on the page travertine. Granite has its own page, bespoke granite kitchen; for Dekton (from 4 to 30 mm) and Laminam there is the page bespoke porcelain stoneware kitchen. The comparison for choosing the stone is in the guide outdoor kitchen: which stone to choose.

Barbecue in the garden: is a permit needed?

Under Italy's Glossary of free building works (ministerial decree of 2 March 2018), garden furnishings, a barbecue included, are among the works that need no building permit, subject to the rules of the local council and landscape protection. Presidential decree 380/2001 (art. 6) lists the furnishing elements of a building's grounds among the free works, with the same proviso.

It is not a green light for everything. Fixed canopies, verandas and roofs follow their own rules, explained on the page enclosed and covered outdoor kitchen. A barbecue on a balcony or a shared terrace depends on the building's rules and on the local council's regulations (page rooftop terrace outdoor kitchen). Distances from the boundary are covered in our Italian-language guide to permits, distances and neighbours. The final check is made by your surveyor with the council, and we prepare it with you in the design.

Outdoor kitchen all year round: roof, smoke and winter

Yes: makers of outdoor kitchens offer them for every season, winter included, provided the roof, the water and the fridge are designed for the cold. A pergola protects little in winter, warns one Swiss manufacturer.

Under a roof, smoke matters: the same maker gives at least 2.50 m of clear height above the grill and notes that a closed roof with no air circulation traps heat and smoke. Roofs and enclosures: enclosed and covered outdoor kitchen; the kitchen under a pergola: outdoor kitchen under a pergola; pergolas: pergolas.

Outdoor kitchen in the masonry style

Anyone searching for a "masonry" outdoor kitchen is looking for a fixed unit, built on site: ours is built in dry-laid refractory stone, with no mortar or cement. Mortar and cement tend to crack with heat and damp; dry-laid blocks have no mortar to shrink, and each block can be replaced on its own. The difference is explained on the page outdoor kitchen in the masonry style, built in refractory stone; for the barbecue there is the page refractory stone barbecue, no cement.

How much does an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue cost?

The price of an outdoor kitchen is decided by seven items: linear metres and shape, structure, worktop, barbecue and hob, sink and fridge, services and installation. A price list per metre could not weigh them; the written quote, item by item, is free everywhere.

The items are described in the guide how much does an outdoor kitchen cost; from survey to design and services, on the page bespoke kitchen design and renovation.

From the site survey to installation

In an outdoor kitchen the process has one extra step: before cutting, connections, drain, cylinder bay and clearances from the fire are fixed on the 3D drawing, because outdoors there is no floor to reopen. The site survey is free in Rome, Latina and Lazio; the quote is free everywhere; outside Lazio the survey is done with measurements and photographs, guided by us over a video call.

The six steps common to every kitchen, from survey to installation by our own team throughout Italy, are on the page how a bespoke kitchen comes about; the top end outdoors is in bespoke luxury kitchens. For other questions there is the page bespoke kitchens: questions and answers.

The quote is free: request it here.

More from the bespoke kitchens department

Frequently asked questions

Is a permit needed for a barbecue in the garden?

Under Italy's Glossary of free building works (ministerial decree of 2 March 2018), garden furnishings, a barbecue included, are among the works that need no building permit. The rules of the local council and landscape protection still apply, and they vary from place to place: so it is checked with your surveyor before building. Canopies and closed verandas follow different rules.

Gas, wood or charcoal barbecue: which to choose?

Can I cook meat on a gas barbecue?

Yes: it is its typical use. A gas barbecue lights in a few seconds and controls the temperature precisely, according to a retailer's guide to equipment; charcoal and wood add the smoky flavour with longer cooking times. In the design the gas barbecue is a built-in appliance set into the worktop, with the cylinder outdoors, upright and away from the fire, as the Italian fire service instructs.

Where does the gas cylinder of an outdoor kitchen go?

Outdoors, but not below ground level and not near openings to lower rooms, combustible materials or electrical equipment. It stands upright, with the valve at the top, and, with its hose, away from sources of heat: these are the Italian fire service's instructions. In the design, the cylinder bay is kept separate from the fire zone.

Does an outdoor sink need a drain? And in winter?

Yes: it needs a water supply and a drain, as short as possible and with a fall, because long runs tend to fill with grease and soap. Water expands by about a tenth as it freezes, so in winter pipes and taps must be protected, with the valve in a frost-free spot and a drain-down valve, as the qualified contractor determines.

What fridge does an outdoor kitchen need?

A fridge made for outdoors. Household ones work correctly only within their climate class, which starts at +10 or +16 °C and reaches +32, +38 or +43 °C; below +10 °C correct operation is no longer guaranteed. An outdoor model declares, for example, -10 to +43 °C and IPX4 protection against splashes.

What outdoor sockets are needed and who installs them?

A qualified contractor installs them, with the declaration of conformity: decree DM 37/2008 also covers services in the grounds of a building. Fittings must be protected from dust and water sprays, for example with an IP44 cover. The degree of protection suited to your exposure, under driving rain, is set by the installer.

Which materials stand up outdoors in an outdoor kitchen?

For the structure, refractory stone, stainless steel or treated wood; for the worktop, granite, quartzite, sintered stone, compact treated travertine, or marble with its caveats. Steel near the sea or a swimming pool is AISI 316, which resists chlorine and salt air better. Composite quartz is not used outdoors: UV rays can damage its surface.

How far should a barbecue be from wood and combustible materials?

The manual of the barbecue installed applies. As a reference, the maker of a built-in barbecue gives at least 250 mm on every side from combustible building materials. That is why, between the fire and a treated-wood door or a neighbouring structure, the design leaves a gap or puts in a zone of stone or steel.

Can you cook on a balcony with a barbecue?

It depends on the building's rules and on the local council's regulations, which vary from place to place: there is no answer valid for everyone, so check both before buying. If you choose gas, the cylinder must still stay outdoors: not below ground level, and away from openings to lower rooms, combustible materials and electrical equipment, as the Italian fire service instructs.

How much does an outdoor kitchen with barbecue, sink and fridge cost?

There is no price that applies to everyone: it depends on linear metres and shape, structure, worktop, barbecue and hob, sink and fridge, services and installation. Michelessi does not publish price lists: the written quote, item by item, is free everywhere, and the site survey is free in Rome, Latina and Lazio.

Does Michelessi install outdoor kitchens outside Lazio?

Yes: installation is by our own team and reaches all of Italy, and we deliver and install abroad too, with one real project in Dubai. The site survey is free in Rome, Latina and Lazio; outside Lazio the survey is done with measurements and photographs, guided by us over a video call. The quote is free everywhere.