Setting the table is both a practical endeavor and a chance to express your taste. You need a plate to eat — but which plate you choose is completely dependent on how you live (say, constantly throwing fancy dinner parties, or living with kids under 10 years old) and what you like (a goes-with-everything white surface or an out-there number that makes a statement). This week on the Strategist, we’re covering all things tabletop: the best plates, yes, and also everything that goes around (and underneath) them.
We surveyed over 50 people with very good (and distinct) taste to curate lists of great tablecloths, flatware, and more. We dug into the archives to surface our favorite drinking glasses and candlesticks. We asked expert hosts about the nonnegotiables they always have on the table, like salt cellars and name cards. So whether you’re simply desperate to replace the set of chipped Ikea pasta bowls you inherited from old roommates, or you’re hunting for a stunning handmade ceramic serving platter, or you want a complete overhaul of your cabinets, we’ve got you covered. Check back here daily, as we’ll be adding stories on all the dining essentials (and then some) as they come out. Welcome to Tabletop Week on the Strategist.
After spending weeks interviewing chefs and recipe developers, home cooks and avid hosts, designers and prop stylists, artists, and photographers about all the items that make up their table settings, kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman has learned a bit about how to set a table, where to find the best pieces — and what trends are taking over the tablescaping scene. So if you’re ready to start building (or improving) your own tablescape, read her report for doing so here.
Tapers are attractive décor in any setting. “But where they really shine,” says Wartzman, “is as part of a table setting, nestled among water glasses and serving bowls, slowly dripping down to nothing over the stretch of a dinner party.” She talked to interior designers, avid hosts, home-goods store owners, and other candle obsessives to find 13 tabletop-worthy ones. Find all their picks here.
And as you will need something to put your taper in, Wartzman also asked experts about the best candlesticks of every material, shape, size, and texture. (Wartzman notes, though, that these holders are just as beautiful an addition to a table setting empty as they are with candles in them.) Find all her picks here.
Cloth napkins instantly elevate a meal, says writer Lauren Ro, but there’s a world of choices out there, varying in material, color, and pattern. As with most other things that go on your tabletop, the best choice depends on your personal preferences. But to help narrow down the field for you, Ro rounded up 25 of the best cloth napkins according to designers, hospitality professionals, and people with exceptional taste. Find all their picks here.
It’s not necessary, of course, but a nice napkin ring can even further elevate your tablescape. And because there are truly countless options, they’re a good place to add personality. Writer Ambar Pardilla went on an “exhaustive hunt across the internet” to find the 36 best rings for every tabletop, from simple, classic options to truly statement-making pieces. See all her picks here.
“In the world of grown-up tableware, platters and serving bowls tend to take a back seat to nice glasses and decent flatware,” says Wartzman. But she’s of the mind that everyone should own at least one — even if you rarely host. “Transferring your food from a cooking to serving vessel enhances the experience of eating,” she says. To that end, she asked chefs, designers, and prop stylists to share their favorites, and she included a few picks of her own. Find all her top serving platters and bowls here.
Speaking of servewear, when social-media consultant (or, to her friends, “the friend who cooks”) Rachel Karten built her wedding registry over a year ago, she had no idea the serving bundle from Jono Pandolfi would become her favorite gift. “Every dinner that I’ve hosted since receiving this bundle has been 100 percent chicer,” she says, and the pieces have helped tie together her eclectic collection of servewear. Read her full review of the serving bundle here.
A good trivet, first and foremost, protects your counters and tables from heat-induced damage. But ideally it also looks nice. Junior writer Bella Druckman scoured the internet to find 32 options that fit the bill, from a simple $7 cork trivet from Muji to an elegant ceramic option from Sin Ceramics. Find all her picks here.
Bowls generally fall into two categories: Small-portion, high-sided bowls (often called cereal or soup bowls) and larger, shallower bowls and “blates” (often called pasta bowls). Generally, you’ll want to have both in your home, so Wartzman talked to chefs and recipe developers, home cooks and avid hosts, designers and prop stylists, and, of course, Strategist staffers to find the 30 best bowls. Find all her picks here.
Flatware is hard to buy online, which is why, in 2021, Ro went on a long search to find the best sets, based on recommendations from the likes of Claire Saffitz, Ellen Van Dusen, and Dan Pelosi. For Tabletop Week, she has updated her guide to include even more stylish and sturdy sets. Find all 35 of her picks here.
Dominique Pariso has been writing about glassware for the Strategist for over half a decade, and in that time, she has tested dozens of drinking glasses and interviewed more than two dozen restaurant, beverage, and interior-design experts about their favorites. She has found 14 glasses worthy of being called the best, from a $17 Duralex set you don’t have to fuss over to a Hudson Wilder handblown pair for special occasions. See all her picks here.
“There’s no singular quality that makes a great dinner plate,” says Wartzman. As long as it’s well made, what qualifies comes down largely to personal taste. To find options for truly every preference (patterned or plain, stoneware or porcelain, big or small), Wartzman asked over 50 chefs, home cooks, hosts, stylists, and more to share the plates they use themselves. Then she narrowed down their recommendations to the 26 best. Find all her picks here.
Sure, place mats protect your table from damage, says Druckman, but they do so much more, too: “When factored into an overall tablescape, they can transform a blandly set table into a spread that’ll have guests reminiscing about more than just the food.” To find place mats that check both boxes, Druckman asked over a dozen tasteful folks to share the ones they own and love. Find all their picks here.
“A tablecloth is the foundation of a well-set table,” says writer Rachael Griffiths, and it’s an affordable way to add personality, too. To round up the best ones, she talked to people with great taste about their favorites, including ones that make a statement at a dinner party or simplify cleanup after weeknight dinners. Find all her picks here.
When Wartzman asked an assortment of notable artists, designers, and chefs about styling their tables, many compared the task to choosing an outfit: It requires thinking practically, developing a personal style, and, in many cases, incorporating pieces collected over quite some time. See their setups (and shop many of the items) here.
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