If you’ve ever wondered what a pub table is, how it would fit into your home, or the major differences between pub tables and a similar counter height table, then you’ve come to the right place.
Picking the right size is important when you’re thinking about dining tables in your home – and every dining table is different. Different heights, different styles, and different shapes.
So, how do you decide between them all?
Well, the right information helps.
That’s why today we’re concentrating on pub tables so you can learn everything about them to decide if it’s right for your new home makeover…
What is a pub table?
Let’s start by identifying a pub table. They get their name because they are similar to the pub tables you find in pubs.
They’re also called bar tables in the US, and the two terms have become interchangeable.
Regardless of what you call them, all bar tables and pub tables can only be classified as such when they are 42 inches high.
They need to be a high table to be classed as a pub table or bar table because their primary function is to have bar stools beneath them as the seating surrounding them.
Despite their name, they aren’t just ‘pub tables’ in the traditional sense (i.e. designed for drinks) – they serve as dining tables too.
Are they the same as counter height tables?
We see this question a lot because in terms of design, they’re very similar. But counter height tables are typically 36 inches tall.
You can find a counter height table that’s more similar to pub tables because they’re 42 inches tall. Usually, this is only the case when the table is designed for bar stools and the countertops surrounding the table are also 42 inches tall (instead of the standard 36).
Typically, though, the major difference between counter tables and a bar table is the height.
What styles do pub tables come in?
It isn’t one-size-fits all with a pub table. In fact, you can find bar tables in many styles, and which one you prefer comes down to design preferences.
For example, there are:
- Square bar tables
- Round bar tables
- Bar tables which are more similar to traditional dining tables (i.e. larger surface area and more seating and more room around them)
- Cafe tables (a more relaxed style)
What materials are used with bar tables?
Again, there isn’t just one type of material that can be used.
There are many wood species, for example, and you can find a pub table that’s made of all composite wood, chipboard, or more traditional solid wood like oak, mahogany, and pine, etc.
In addition to the wood, you can also find a bar table that makes use of cast iron, glass, steel, and many other materials.
Other bar tables might mix up the materials used for the legs too, so you can always find a bespoke or unique bar table because it’s easy to mix and match styles and materials to suit different spaces.
Using a bar table in your home
Making use of bar tables in your home bar is clever. The bar stools surrounding them can be personalised to suit your style, and bolder colours often work great against the more traditional colours and materials of the bar tables themselves.
So, if you’re looking for a new dining table and you’re thinking about using bar tables instead, read on below for the best way to use them.
But first, let’s look at why they work so well in a dining room or kitchen.
1. Bar stools and bar tables are great space savers
By using bar tables as dining tables, you actually create more space in the room. Physically, the bar table might take up as much room as your old dining table in terms of usable space, but actually the additional height creates the illusion of more space.
It’s also true that most pub tables (square pub tables, round pub tables, etc.) actually take up less floor space on average than other dining tables. So not only does it look roomier, but often it is too.
Dining rooms can often be tight spaces with limited space, so by using a bar table to take up less room, you get some extra space to play with.
A smaller space can be made to feel much larger with bar tables as dining tables.
2. A bar table is great fun for everyone
And we mean everyone. Taller people will find it more comfortable to sit at bar stools and the taller bar table.
Children will see the taller table as an adventure (although really small children probably wouldn’t be safe at such a height, so more traditional dining tables might be better for those will toddlers).
Guests and friends will love to relax around the table, and actually, they can accommodate more people, notes Gentleman Zone. Even if your bar table only has four chairs surrounding it and no other furniture, because of the style of table, it’s much easier for people to stand nearby.
That means small spaces, like a small kitchen or dining room, can fit more people in to eat food or drink their drinks together.
Best way to use bar tables in your home
If you want to use a bar table as a dining table in your dining room, then that’s fine. Opt for a solid wood option to recreate the style of the classic cafe tables you’re used to seeing in upmarket cafes (you know, the high square tables) and it’ll look great.
But we’ve often found that they work best as a more informal dining area away from your dining room. Kitting out your garden is always a good idea for when the good weather comes around.
To create a more relaxed style of eating and drinking for your guests, opt for bar tables with bar stools to create that classic pub vibe.
However, you probably don’t want to sit at a pub table when you’re entertaining on special occasions, that call for more guests. Here, a traditional dining table may work best.
Final thoughts
With a wide selection of pub tables available, you can find some that match your personal style and needs more than others.
If you don’t want to feel like you’re out in the pubs and bars, then opt for a sturdy traditional dining table or counter height table.
But if you want a more relaxed dining experience, then there are no better options than pub tables.
For us, having both a traditional dining table and a pub table probably works best!
I wish I had space in our house for a bar table. Would be nice to sit down with my husband after my kids are asleep and enjoy a quiet peaceful drink together
I would probably go for both a traditional dining table and also a bar table due to the problem fitting multiple people around a bar table
Never realised the difference – certainly look cool in homes too