A round dining table seats more people in less space than a rectangle and has no corners to bump into. As a guide, 90 cm seats two to four, 110 to 120 cm seats four comfortably, and 150 cm seats six. Allow 90 cm behind each chair so people can sit down and get up.
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Buying guide
Round tables suit the way many UK homes eat: in a kitchen corner, a knock-through or a small dining room where every centimetre counts. Everyone can see and talk to everyone else, and there is no head of the table.
Allow about 60 cm of edge per person. On that basis, a table of 80 to 90 cm suits two people, or four for a quick meal. Choose 100 to 120 cm for four with room for serving dishes, 130 to 140 cm for five or six, and 150 cm or more for six to eight.
Leave at least 75 cm between the table edge and a wall, and 90 cm where people walk behind seated diners. Add the two clearances to the diameter and you have the room the table needs, which is the figure that matters in a kitchen with cupboard doors.
A central pedestal leaves the whole circumference free for knees and chairs, so you can squeeze in an extra seat. Four legs are steadier on larger tops but limit where chairs go. Check the gap between the floor and the underside of the top: around 65 cm leaves enough room for most thighs and chair arms.
Standard dining tables are 74 to 76 cm high. Pair them with chairs at 45 to 48 cm so there is 25 to 30 cm between the seat and the tabletop. Armchairs need their arms to slide under the top, so measure both before ordering.
Solid wood tops can be sanded back after years of use. Marble and stone look striking but need sealing and coasters. Laminate and lacquer wipe clean quickly after children's meals. Extending round tables open into an oval, useful if you host a few times a year.
Where space is really tight, a 70 to 80 cm table against a wall or in a bay window gives two people a proper place to eat. A drop-leaf model folds down to a half circle on weekdays. Push the chairs fully under the top when you are not using them and the floor stays clear for the cooking.
A round shape is easy to light: hang a single pendant over the centre, with the bottom of the shade around 70 to 80 cm above the top. A round or square rug should reach at least 60 cm beyond the edge so chair legs stay on it when people sit back.
Pick the circle if you usually eat as two to five, if the room is square or if the table sits in the middle of an open-plan space with routes on every side. Pick a rectangle if you regularly seat eight or more, or if the table has to stand against a long wall.
At a glance
| Diameter | Seats | Room needed |
|---|---|---|
| 80 to 90 cm | 2 to 4 | About 270 cm square |
| 100 to 120 cm | 4 | About 300 cm square |
| 130 to 150 cm | 6 | About 330 cm square |
Allow 60 cm of edge per person: 90 cm seats two to four, 120 cm seats four comfortably and 150 cm seats six.
Yes. Everyone faces the centre, can see each other and talk across the table, with no one stuck at the end.
At least 75 cm to a wall, and 90 cm where people need to walk behind the chairs.
74 to 76 cm, with chairs at 45 to 48 cm.