Restaurant table sets

A table set arrives with its top and base already paired, so the question of which base carries which top is answered before you order. This page lists 31 of them. Decide first how many guests each table serves on a normal night, because that number sets the size and shape, and the material choice follows from the room.

Size the table to the party

Think about the parties your room seats, not the furniture. A 24-inch square is a table for two who are only having coffee or a drink. Give two diners a 30-inch square and their plates have room. A party of four calls for 36 inches square, or a round of 42 inches; give five or six guests a round of 48 inches. Plan on two feet of edge, 24 inches, for every guest, and the count rarely goes wrong. Most sets on this page come in square, rectangular or round tops, and a few offer a drop leaf for rooms that push tables together on a busy weekend.

What the tops and bases are made of

Solid wood leads the tops here, followed by laminate, wood and resin, with one werzalit top. Underneath, cast iron is the most common base, then steel, with a couple of wood bases and one in aluminum. A solid wood butcher block table, for example, sits on a cast iron base in one of several sizes and comes with a choice of wood finishes. For a dining hall or a room where tables move every day, a laminate dining table is the simpler choice. Sets start around $86.

Only four of these sets are listed for patio use. Everything else belongs indoors, and a wood top left out on the terrace will swell and fade.

Sets, tops and bases in one house

A set is the easy path when every table in the room is the same. Rooms that mix heights or shapes may be better served by choosing the top and base separately, so one base family runs through the whole room. For the bar, look at bar-height tables. Long shared tables for a taproom or a dining hall sit in communal tables, and rooms that fold up after an event can start from folding tables.

Tables and chairs together count toward the eight-piece order minimum, in any mix. Build each room as its own plan in Venue plans, then step back to all tables for the next one.