9 best dining tables to serve dinner with style

With the promise of family and friends gathered around the dinner table on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to invest in a stylish furniture piece to be proud of.

Whether you’re looking for a classic elongated table for your formal dining room or a space saving circular number for your open-plan studio, there’s a host of designs to choose from with prices ranging from the surprisingly affordable up to the realms of investment piece.

Demanding centre stage, a dining table worth its salt (and pepper) should be easily accessible with enough room for guests to pull out chairs and seat themselves comfortably, so make sure you measure up well.

Team your table with the right dining chairs that tuck in neatly and you won’t interrupt its pleasing lines, alternatively opt for trendy canteen-style benches if you’re looking for a relaxed dining experience.

Our round-up features dining tables to suit every taste, space and budget, each one scoring high on style, sturdiness and quality of craftsmanship.

Read more:

• 8 best benches for a functional upgrade to your living spaces

• 9 linen table cloths that will instantly re-vamp your set-up

• 10 best bar stools for your kitchen island or breakfast bar

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Ikea voxlöv dining table

Thanks to its thoughtful design, this contemporary dining table will happily seat six with two chairs at either end of its rounded rectangular top. Crafted from particleboard with a bamboo veneer, it scores high on sustainability – and it is big on the style front, too.

Beautifully pale in tone, it gives the dining space an air of serenity while in an open-plan kitchen, it offers a laid-back vibe that’s perfect for informal gatherings. At under £200, it is impressively affordable. We loved the way the curves of the table top are mirrored in the frame underneath.

Buy now £199.00, Ikea.com

John Lewis & Partners trestle 4four seater round dining table

Made from solid oak with oak veneers, this is another pale furniture piece that brings a welcome sense of calm to the dining area. A sculptural affair, the pedestal base is fashioned from a series of spindle rods, bringing textural interest underneath, while in contrast, the lacquered table top is super smooth with only the natural patina of the oak giving a visual texture. On the practical side, this one seats up to four and suits a number of dining chair styles – including those with generous arm rests.

Buy now £499.00, Johnlewis.com

Nkuku ordoa marble dining table

This is an investment piece of a dining table, and one that’s guaranteed to induce a few wows from dinner guests. Most impressive is the six seater’s juxtaposition of simplicity and outright glamour. Its top is crafted from a black variegated marble, which is sourced from northern India, and offers a visual feast with all its naturally irregular veins. While its contrasting frame is made from a sustainable mango wood that looks wonderfully rustic and raw. Where industrial chic meets unapologetic luxury, this is one arresting furniture piece.

Buy now £1600.00, Nkuku.com

Housecosy torin 6 seat dining table

Merging high style with sustainability is this contemporary dining table from Housecosy. Its beautifully textured top is crafted from 100 per cent reclaimed teak and boasts a diamond pattern that accentuates the wood’s various natural tones – not unlike parquet flooring.

In a stark contrast, the table boasts a slim, black iron frame with tapered and angled legs, awarding the furniture piece a hint of mid-century style. For just £80 more, this one’s also available as an eight-seater, so get planning those dinner parties.

Buy now £569.00, Housecosy.com

Oak Furnitureland Brooklyn dining table

This is one imposing dining table – and a bold statement from a brand that typically offers a more traditional aesthetic. Mixing industrial chic with the altogether homely, the Brooklyn boasts a rich, warm oak top and a hard-edged metal frame. Look closely at the table ends and you’ll see the way the wood has been skilfully layered up, while the sides are finished in a curvy, organic shape. In an abrupt contrast the chunky X-shaped legs, supported by a central brace, make this furniture piece a contemporary beauty. This one will easily seat six, or more if you team it with matching industrial benches and chairs at either end.

Buy now £879.99, Oakfurnitureland.co.uk

La Redoute interieurs Watford round vintage style dining table

La Redoute’s offering pays homage to the classic mid-century walnut furniture we all know and love, yet its design isn’t pastiche. Rather it takes the Sixties aesthetic and gives it a contemporary twist with sharp-angled metal legs and a smooth bevelled top. This one is crafted from MDF with walnut veneers while its base is made from strong black steel with an epoxy (read glossy) finish.

A space-saver, the Watford is just 120cm in diameter but thanks to its round shaping and slim legs, we found it offers a comfortable setting for a family of four. Clearly we aren’t the only ones who think so either as it’s currently out of stock, but keep your eyes peeled!

Buy now £325.00, Laredoute.co.uk

Dwell passare round 4-6 seater dining table

Similarly, Dwell takes mid-century modern design and reimagines it for a contemporary audience. This is another dining table finished in walnut veneers, which keeps the cost relatively low yet offers a homely warmth. Keeping to the Sixties silhouette, the Passare table boasts splayed metal legs that look retro and chic with the added advantage of giving you ample leg space when you’re tucked in. The circular top – 120cm in diameter – is beautifully smooth with its natural wood grain on full show. You wouldn’t know it isn’t made from solid walnut.

Buy now £349.00, Dwell.co.uk

Raft lifestyle dining table

This is a brand with a focus on simple, honest design. Its ever popular lifestyle table is made from sustainable teak and boasts a warm honey tone with all its knots and natural swirling grain on full show. This awards the table a wonderfully rustic aesthetic – and a relaxed look in the dining room. Impressively, this one comes in seven sizes, from a 2-4 seater up to a 12-14 seater – if regal banquets are your thing. Beautifully made and stylishly simple.

Buy now £971.00, Raftfurniture.co.uk

Falln Trunk oak U-box 4 seat dining table

U-box style tables, with their angular looped legs, are fast becoming a contemporary classic but typically the base is a dark metal contrasted with a natural wood top. What’s most striking about this furniture piece is its monochrome design. Crafted from a warm, mid-toned oak, the industrial look is given a softer edge.

This one is an all-over celebration of the wood’s natural grain, boasting visual texture from top to bottom, yet it is perfectly smooth to the touch. As with many tables of this style, the ends are out of action due to its chunky underside – but team it with matching benches and smaller family members can comfortably take it up to a six-seater.

Buy now £1050.00, Fallntrunk.com

The verdict: Dining tables

Ikea’s voxlöv dining table proved a great buy for its Scandi-chic look, its quality of craftsmanship and its affordability. We loved its overall lightness – in both colour and form – along with its curved contemporary lines.

We were also taken with Nkuku’s Ordoa marble dining table for its striking mix of materials. This is a furniture piece that successfully combines glamour with the utilitarian – and it gets marks for sustainability, too. An investment piece to cherish.

When the family descends for dinner be ready to mop up any and all spills with one of the best reusable napkins on sale now