Complete cafe table sets

Buying a top and a base separately means two measurements to get right. These 31 tables come matched. Most pair a solid wood top with a cast iron or steel base, and laminate, wood and resin tops turn up too. Pick the height first, dining or bar, and then the size for the party that will sit there.

What a complete table saves you

One line on the order, one thing to check at delivery. The top and the base arrive as a pair, sized for each other, so you skip the work of matching a spread to a diameter and a column to a thickness. For a new shop opening on a tight date, that is a real saving of time and a few phone calls.

Solid wood leads the tops, with wood, laminate and resin behind it. Bases are mostly cast iron, then steel, with a little wood and aluminum. Nearly all are for indoor use; a few are listed for patio use as well.

Shapes and sizes

Rectangles and squares are the most common shapes, then rounds, and a handful of drop-leaf tables fold down when a wall needs to clear. Size by the party. Two people want at least a 24-inch square and are happier at 30. Give four people 36 inches a side, or a 42 round. The family of five or six that comes in on Saturday wants a 48-inch round, so one in the corner earns its place.

Height matters as much as size. Dining tables finish at about 29 to 30 inches, bar tables at 40 to 42, and a set bought at the wrong height means the wrong chairs as well. Read the listing before you add it to the basket.

A solid wood butcher block table suits a bakery wall. A laminate dining table is the budget end. Prices range from about $86 to $515.

Related tables

Taller sets for a window or a stand-up corner are in the bar-height tables. The long shared tables are in the communal tables, and the folding tables cover overflow and catering. The whole range sits under cafe tables.

Each set counts toward the eight-piece minimum, which tables and chairs share in any mix, so a few tables with their chairs clear it easily. Lay them out on your shop plan first.