The best dining tables are one of the most important pieces of furniture in your home. The centrepiece of your dining room, kitchen or living room, you’ll rarely invest in a bigger focal point for friends and family. Just think about how many memories are going to be based around it over drinks or a weekend takeaway. And given that you’re hopefully going to have yours for years to come, it’s not a decision to be rushed.
The best place to start is with an aesthetic and design style. Try and figure out what vibe you’re going for with your home decor, and whether or not it would suit a modern, industrial dining or relaxed dining table, and then you can go from there. To make matters easier, we’ve organised our pick of the best dining tables to buy in 2023 by design style, giving you contemporary, farmhouse and even extendable dining table options that allow you to easily adapt your space for entertaining larger groups.
From tables best suited to large dinner parties, to pieces that’ll make your home feel more casual immediately, we’ve tracked down the best dining room tables to invest in right now. From solid oak and marble styles to round dining tables, your home will never have looked so good.
What are the best Black Friday dining table sales?
If you’re looking to really reap the rewards of the best Black Friday deals, shopping for investment pieces is the way to do it. Sure, you could grab a few new shirts or a pair of shoes and save £50, but if you’re in the market for something like a dining table and get it in the sales, you could be saving anywhere from £500 to upwards of a grand. Thankfully for anyone who has made the plunge and decided to grab a new dining table, whether to replace a damaged one or to finally bring your dining room together, there are some great Black Friday dining table deals this year, our favourites of which we’ve highlighted below.
When is Black Friday 2023?
This year, Black Friday lands on Friday 24 November, timed (as always) with American Thanksgiving weekend. What this means, is that it’s a great opportunity to get ahead with any shopping that you need to do for Christmas, and while gifts might be the first thing that comes to mind, you also do need somewhere to eat Christmas dinner via the best Black Friday furniture sales. Whether it’s your first year having the whole family round and you want to step up and impress with a beautiful table to fit everyone, or you’re just ready to upgrade from whatever makeshift situation you’ve been using in the past, a good dining table is the key. We’d particularly recommend the extendable options, a great idea if you’re planning to entertain a crowd but don’t want a huge table in place all year round.
What type of dining table is best?
There’s no one definitive style of dining table that’s best. It all depends on your own personal tastes, how big your eating space is, the number of people you need to fit around the table, and whether or not you need it to be extendable. Farmhouse styles can look great for a more subtle, yet still sophisticated look, while in a more minimalist kitchen or dining room you may want something with a sleek contemporary feel. To make matters easier, we’ve broken down a few of the design styles to keep an eye out for, and our favourite pieces from each.
What are the best dining tables to buy in 2023?
Customisable to suit your design and size needs, Heal’s Oslo Dining Table manages to tread the line between being both chic and stylish, while also giving off a relaxed look with the cross-style legs. Take your pick of finishes and lengths and you’ll be set with a table that’s made to last the years.
Using Soho House’s 76 Dean Street outpost as a reference point, the Foxbury Dining Table will give your dining room an instant injection of sophistication. Constructed from solid oak for a premium feel, it can also be extended to seat anywhere from six to eight people, ticking off the boxes for being both stylish and functional.
When a good quality dining table comes in at under £500, we’re paying attention. In an industrial design style with a metal frame and a sleek, stripped-back look, it’s a great addition to contemporary homes that’ll work with the contrast of the wooden tabletop and metal legs. It won’t overbear on your space, but it’ll still make a refreshing impact.
The best dining tables at a glance…
- The best wooden dining table, Heal’s Oslo, £2,089
- The best extendable dining table, Soho Home Foxbury, £2,995
- The best budget-friendly dining table, John Lewis Hairpin, £449
- The best industrial dining table, Heal’s Madrid, £2,039
Shop GQ’s edit of the best dining tables…
The best extendable dining tables
Ideal for small spaces that you may not want to fill with a six or eight-seater dining table, extendable tables mean you can keep things small most of the time, but still cater to dinner parties when you need the extra dining space.
Soho Home Foxbury Extendable Dining Table
If we had to choose the ultimate table for entertaining bigger groups, Soho Home’s Foxbury easily makes the list. Taking inspiration from Soho House’s 76 Dean Street location and its wooden furniture designs, the table is made from a solid oak base, with a butterfly extension mechanism that converts it into a table suitable for up to eight people. Get your table setting right, and this will be one of the most elegant models you can find. £2,995. At sohohome.com
Dunelm Vixen 4-6 Seater Extendable Dining Table
Simplicity is the key with this table from Dunelm, the perfect addition to your home ahead of the busy Christmas period. Easy to fit into any kind of home aesthetic, it brings a modern, industrial feel to your space thanks to the contrast between the oak-effect tabletop and the metal legs. In its smaller form, you can use it easily in a corner or as a kitchen table, comfortably seating four people around it, with the option to then extend this to seat six. It’s hard to fault, and by far one of the more affordable pieces we’ve found that still manages to bring plenty to the table (no pun intended). £249 £174. At dunelm.com
Oka Kaishu Extendable Dining Table
If your dining table is going to be the statement piece in your dining room, opting for something bolder than just a wooden table can really bring the drama. In a sleek black finish, this Kaishu table from Oka is ideal for more formal dinner parties, giving off elegant vibes from both its colour and curved legs. The extendable feature also means you can move it from an eight-seating table to a ten-seater with the easy-to-use butterfly leaf mechanism. £3,895. At oka.com
West Elm Hargrove Expandable Dining Table
This West Elm table is all about simplicity, keeping things nice and stripped back to help compliment the rest of your home’s design. With no leaf, you’ll comfortably be able to sit six people, but add in the extendable segment and you can gather eight around it easily, giving you the option to host when you want to, but without taking up too much space the rest of the time. We’d say it’s also a great shade of wood for most design styles, whether you want to tie it together with a more modern look, or contrast with a more retro or vintage-styled aesthetic. £1,299. At westelm.co.uk
Cox & Cox Oak Dining Table
Mix together blonde oak and a chevron tabletop design with tapered legs and an extendable butterfly mechanism and you have yourself one majestic dining table. The light oak colour is ideal for a more neutral, minimalist space and leaves you open to turning it into more of a statement piece with the right table setting and centrepiece. £1,795. At coxandcox.co.uk
Homcom Foldable Drop Leaf Dining Table
A bargain even when not on offer, this drop leaf dining table from Homcom is an absolute godsend for those who are very short on space. From small kitchens to compact apartments, it’s an ideal choice for those who want a dining table that barely takes up any room when closed. When you’ve got company simply unfold both ends, and you can enjoy a full meal with friends and family in an instant. £90. At amazon.co.uk
The best kitchen tables
While often both labelled as “dining tables”, we’d say there’s a pretty big difference between the type or table you want in your kitchen and your dining room. While dining tables are normally larger, more elegant, and often more formal, kitchen tables are their casual alternative, the kind of place you’ll gather for a quick breakfast or dinner, rather than when you have friends around or are hosting a dinner party. The best kitchen tables tend to be smaller in size, with round options being a great way to facilitate easy meals, and lighter woods giving off that more casual, yet light and airy vibe.
West Elm Mid-Century Round Expandable Dining Table
For that nonchalant kitchen table aesthetic, West Elm is a great choice, especially given the brand’s great range of mid-century furniture. The wood colour comes in slightly darker than your traditional kitchen table pines, tapping into that moderately retro feel and also adding slightly more elegance to a casual room. And if you’re short on space, you can also make use of the drop-in leaf to extend the table for dinner parties and gatherings, without having to have such a large piece in your kitchen day in and day out. £949. At westelm.co.uk
Rowan & Wren Ellery Dining Table
If you’re going for a farmhouse-style design in your kitchen, this Rowan & Wren table makes for a dreamy piece for breakfasts or dinners. Inspired by English antiques, it has that rustic, antiquey feel to it that makes it looks like you’ve really put the effort into sourcing a vintage piece, despite the fact it’s actually brand spanking new. It’ll seat six people around it and looks particularly good if placed near some natural light by the window. £798. At rowanandwren.co.uk
The best wooden dining tables
While marble, steel or glass dining tables have become increasingly popular styles over the past few years, it’s wooden tables that we keep coming back to. Their classic, yet still contemporary designs give us more of a relaxing feel than any of the others. This is what you’ll find in our home.
John Lewis Trestle 6 Seater Dining Table
This gorgeous, organically curved dark oak dining table is as beautiful as it is unusual. With rounded ends and curved slatted leg pieces, it’s as much a piece of art as it is a functional piece of furniture. Designed with easy circulation in mind (aka, no sharp corners that jut out into the room so that people can pass by easily), it’s a very well-considered piece that will shine in any dining room it finds itself in. £800. At johnlewis.com
Heal’s Oslo Dining Table
Being able to make a piece of furniture your own cannot be undervalued as a feature, and Heal’s Oslo Dining Table gives you the option to do that, and then some. From your choice of six finishes (including oak and walnut), seven lengths, two table widths, three edge profiles and two fillers, it’s hard to think of any design setting that you won’t be able to make this table suit. The table itself is understated and simple, with a relaxed feel that best fits into contemporary and farmhouse kitchens thanks to its subtle elegance. Less is often more when you buy larger pieces of furniture, especially when it means you get a timeless style that’s made to last. £2,089. At heals.com
Barker & Stonehouse Modi Reclaimed Wood Extendable Dining table
Reclaimed wood can add a really nice feel to a piece, giving it plenty of character and making it feel like, for want of a better expression, part of the furniture of your home. The wooden top has its natural knots and grain, which we think just adds to the piece, while the base incorporates splayed legs that complement the darker wooden top in a matt black-coloured finish. And the real cherry on top? The table is extendable thanks to a handy table leaf which can be stored inside. Add in some matching benches, and you’ll have nailed the wooden dining table style. £455. At barkerandstonehouse.co.uk
The best industrial dining tables
Industrial furniture can be a great way to spruce up a more contemporary home. Defined by the contrasting use of wooden and metal materials, industrial dining tables normally have wooden tabletops with metal legs, bringing an unfinished, relaxed feel that can work well in more urban aesthetics. Of course, if you happen to have some exposed bricks in your home, this is a winner.
Heal’s Rocca Ceramic Extending Dining Table
Made from fine Italian ceramics and glass, this highly resistant dining table shrugs off scratches with ease, while offering the additional benefits of being liquid and heat resistant. Despite its hardy DNA, it’s a beautiful piece, with its porcelain stoneware aesthetic lending itself nicely to industrial-focused interiors. If that wasn’t enough, it’s extendable too, letting you sit up to six people when closed and 10 when open, thanks to a cleverly hidden butterfly extension. Available in black or white ceramic, it’ll make for a worthy centrepiece of your carefully curated dining room. £2,849. At heals.com
Heal’s Madrid Dining Table
Contemporary and chic, Heal’s Madrid is the ideal centrepiece for a contemporary or industrial kitchen, keeping things interesting with splayed metal legs that have varying widths. Adding depth and dimension it draws in your eyes, with the legs being the real stand-out feature here. We’re also loving the fact you can customise the design to your space, whether by choosing the finish or size, something which has been instrumental in why Heal’s is now one of our favourite furniture stores. Each piece is unique, with its own natural grain pattern, and given your home is too, it seems like the perfect fit. From £2,039. At heals.com
John Lewis & Partners Hairpin Dining Table
For durable furniture that’s stylish and well-crafted, yet still budget-friendly, John Lewis and Partners never misses. One of our most affordable favourites, this small dining table has a minimalist metal frame with hairpin legs and a solid oak veneer top for a sleek, simple look. Best for smaller spaces or more compact areas, this rectangular table is a winner. £449. At johnlewis.com
Dunelm Bryant Dining Table
Industrial-style furniture has really had a hold on us this year, and while it tends to be associated more with office furniture, you needn’t just consider these pieces for your workspace. In classic metal-legs-meet-wooden-tabletop design, Dunelm’s Bryant brings the urban, city-living vibes of the aesthetic to the kitchen. Affordable, at just over £200, and well-made, this is a dining table for those who want some subtle style points, but don’t want to splash out on a real statement maker. £215. At dunelm.com
The best farmhouse dining tables
If you want to give your home a truly relaxed vibe, farmhouse might be the style for you. These tables normally bring a rustic and slightly retro feel to your living space, often made from oak or pine wood and inspired by vintage, wooden tables. The twist, however, is that while purely rustic pieces work to maintain the natural feel and appearance of the wood, farmhouse styles are more refined, sometimes incorporating colours to add a contemporary touch to the more traditional tables.
Dusk Alice Dining Table
Dusk’s foray into dining furniture has been an exciting one, given that it’s already one of our go-to brands for affordable, yet well-made bedroom pieces. The Alice dining table is on the more charming and vintage-inspired side of what is a very contemporary collection, contrasting an oak-effect table surface with chic white legs for a dining table that looks both modern and farmhouse style at the same time. Pair it with Dusk’s white chairs or one of the dining table benches for a relaxed dining experience. Oh, and did we mention it’s less than £300? £299. At dusk.com
Cotswold Company Painswick Farmhouse Table
For smaller spaces, whether you’re looking just for a table for your kitchen or have limited room in your dining area, this wood dining table is ideal. Best suited to seating four people, it’s a contemporary take on farmhouse designs with a light pine tabletop and painted grey legs. £199. At cotswoldco.com
The best round dining tables
One of the more familiar interior design styles, contemporary round dining tables have a modern feel, often defined by minimalism and elegant wooden or marble designs.
Soho Home Edson Low
A more luxe version of slatted garden-style tables, this Edson Low table brings the al fresco experience indoors, while also being a work of art in its own right, playing on the eye with a unique ribbed pattern that draws your attention immediately. Based on the outdoor spaces of Soho Houses globally, in particular the laid-back chic feel of Soho House Austin, it’s got Soho style, adding a fresh spin on contemporary design so they feel new and exciting still. The mid-tone stain goes in on the Southern US vibes with a warming feel that makes us think of hot summer meals outdoors, even if you’re really just in dreary London. £1,396. At sohohome.com
John Lewis Estate 4 Seater Round Dining Table
If you pictured a kitchen table when you started reading this section, this one from John Lewis is probably exactly what you had in mind. The most typical style of kitchen table, it’s got a nice round design with that bright pine colour that feels light and fresh for your morning breakfast stop. The warmer, lighter wood feels more rustic and relaxed and fits into a more countryside-inspired kitchen than a more formal one. Sometimes all you want is just a classic style done really well. £799. At johnlewis.com
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