Selection by Venue Type
A café and a restaurant do not need the same table base. What decides it is not the name of the venue but three things: table turnover, area per cover and cleaning regime. This guide gives the right top size and base arrangement for six venue types.
Settle the seating plan first
Base selection cannot be separated from the layout. The main advantage of a single-column base is that chairs tuck fully under and no guest meets a stretcher rail with their foot. In densely planned rooms that means roughly one extra table per unit of floor area compared with a four-leg table.
| Top size | Covers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 60 × 60 cm square | 2 | Café, quick service |
| 70 cm round | 2–3 | Café, coffee shop |
| 80 cm round | 4 | Restaurant, bistro |
| 90 cm round | 4 | Fine dining, generous covers |
| 120 × 70 cm | 4 | Restaurant, banquette runs |
Allow 45–60 cm between tables for service circulation. Where wheelchair access is required, that becomes 90 cm.
Café and coffee shop
High turnover, small tops, constant wiping. The priority here is cleanability and impact resistance. Powder-coated steel or cast iron is the right answer; timber tires quickly in a room wiped down dozens of times a day.
Small tops sit fine on a narrow single column. If there is pavement seating, pair the light top with a heavy base.
Restaurant and bistro
Bigger tops, heavier materials, longer dwell time. At 80 cm and above, marble and ceramic are common — which means a heavy base with a wide top plate.
In this segment the base also carries the character of the room. The design range and wooden bases become decisive in concepts that do not use tablecloths.
Bar and poseur tables
At 105–110 cm the overturning moment rises sharply. For the same top size you need a wider and heavier base than at dining height. If a footrest ring is planned, confirm the column section can carry it.
Terrace, garden and outdoor
Outdoors there are three enemies: moisture, UV and wind. Use a stainless steel or aluminium body; carbon steel risks corrosion under the coating. In exposed positions the base should weigh at least twice the top.
Adjustable feet are not optional — outdoor floors are almost never truly level.
Hotel lobby and lounge
Low height (45–55 cm), low turnover, high visual expectation. Proportion and material texture matter more than durability here. Sculptural bases with glass or stone tops are the usual choice.
Summary
| Venue | Top | Base | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Café | 60–70 cm | Single column, narrow foot | Coated steel / cast iron |
| Restaurant | 80–90 cm | Single column wide foot or cross | Cast iron / heavy steel |
| Bar | 60–70 cm | Heavy, wide foot | Cast iron |
| Terrace | 60–80 cm | Weighted foot, adjustable glides | Stainless / aluminium |
| Lounge | 50–70 cm | Low, design-led | Design range |
| Meeting / office | 120 cm+ | Twin column | Coated steel |
Let us shortlist for your venue
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