No matter how good your cooking skills are, nothing looks the part without a good dinner plate, some placemats and either a great dining table table , or a cracking tablecloth to cover up a bad one. It’s all about the presentation at the end of the day. Dinnerware is something you can have a bit of fun with too.
Colourful plates, cookware and glassware have been trending for the past few years, so you don’t have to just settle for a plain white dinnerware set and call it quits. Instead, you could opt for an everyday 12-piece dinner set for when you don’t have guests, and something more exciting for when you’re entertaining, whether that’s a colourful bowl set or some salad plates, or a complete bright and flamboyant 16-piece dinnerware set. Beyond dinner plates and sets, you can also elevate a table setting with bold cocktail glasses, cutlery sets, some side plates, soup bowls or serving bowls.
Dinnerware is the kind of thing you can collect and play around with to spice up place settings. Just remember to think about materials, whether that be harder-wearing stoneware dinnerware sets and bowls that may be chip-resistant, ceramic dinnerware or the more fragile fine china. These are our top picks for the best dinner plate sets out there, whether you’re outdoor dining , entertaining or just trying to spruce up family mealtimes.
Skip to: What are the best dinner set brands to shop in 2024? | How we test dinner sets: GQ's review process | What are the best dinner set options? | What are the best dinner plates? | What are the best bowls? | What is the best cutlery to buy in 2024? | What’s the best dinner set material? | What should be included in a dinner set? | What is the most durable dinner set? | What should you look for when buying a dinner set? Some of our favourite furniture brands are also in the dinner set game so there is plenty of choice out there. The White Company has a stellar selection of dinnerware and home dining accessories. Our favourite collection is the Portobello , with a fun but simple look that's easy to style.
John Lewis meanwhile, ticks all the boxes for simple, affordable and durable with its Anyday Porcelain Dinnerware . We also love newcomer, Our Place , that offers plates, bowls and drinking glasses in a range of colours, and it wouldn't be right to miss one of the heavyweights of the crockery world – Denby – off the list, of course. We have detailed our favourite dinner set options in more detail further down, but below you'll find a quick fire at a glance section that will give you a run down of our top five.
Best white dinner plates : The White Company Portobello 12-piece, £150 at thewhitecompany.com Best dinner set: Our Place Set The Table Set 20-piece, £300 235 at fromourplace.co.
uk Best porcelain dinnerware: John Lewis Anyday Dinnerware 12-piece, £23 at johnlewis.com Best luxury dinner plates : Villeroy & Boch NewWave Dinner Set, £295 at selfridges.com Selecting the best dinner sets mainly comes down to taste and design, but we're also partial to a set which is designed to be functional as well.
Being dishwasher, microwave and oven safe is a plus that not only makes the plates and bowls more durable, but means you can just use them for more occasions in your home. Ultimately however, aesthetics are most crucial for us. We were looking for unique sets that fit a range of different aesthetic styles, incorporating a few sleek plain-coloured sets, with those that had bolder patterns or colour schemes.
We're confident that whatever style of dinner set you're after, there's something here for you. To make sure our writers and editors are selecting the best of the best, all our interiors guides are edited by Daphne Bugler, Senior Commerce Writer at GQ who has been writing about interiors for the last four years and eaten off a great range of dinner sets. While we've tried to find the best plates below, plenty of these can actually be bought as a dinner set, coming complete with bowls and side plates to Number of plates: 4x dinner plates, 4x side plates Number of bowls: 4x pasta bowls Material: White glazed Portuguese clay Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes – microwave and oven safe Renowned for its chic table settings and designs, The White Company’s pieces are the perfect addition to any dining table, especially if you’re looking for a set that’ll wow your guests over the holiday season.
Simple enough that they won’t clash with any flourishes you decide to add to the table, but also with a uniquely curved shape, they still draw in the eye without being too overbearing. Add in the fact they’re long-lasting and durable, as well as dishwasher and microwave safe, and it’s hard to find fault here. Pieces from £8.
At thewhitecompany.com Our Place Main Plates Number of plates: 4 Material: Hand-painted porcelain Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes We were already big fans of Our Place's plates and then the brand went and made them even more dazzling with its latest colour schemes. Whether you opt for the vibrant electric blue from Our Place's collaboration with Selena Gomez or one of the more neutral colours, these stackable plates are both convenient, well-made and have an excellent vibe for any dinner party set-up.
£45 £35. At fromourplace.co.
uk La Redoute Olympe Sun Earthenware plates Number of plates: 4 Material: Earthenware Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes While you can’t literally bring the sunshine inside, this is as close as it gets. Bright and bold, this set of plates from La Redoute is one of our favourites for year-round use, capturing that vibrant feel in the summertime, and adding a much-needed boost to your mood in the winter. Comprising of four plates, all made from earthenware and designed to be long-lasting, this is a budget-friendly win for just £24.
Pair it with some fun drinking glasses and a white or yellow tablecloth and you’re all set for seasonal entertaining and beyond. From £30. At laredoute.
co.uk Habitat x Kew ceramic dinner plates Number of plates: 2 Material: Ceramic Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes If you haven’t been, London’s Royal Botanical Gardens are one of the quietest and most relaxing corners of the metropolis, tucked away down in the southwest at Kew, near Richmond, and home to dozens of different plant species from around the world – some of which apparently appear on these plates, which are a collaboration between Kew and Habitat (specifically, they are inspired by Kew’s majestic Palm House). At eight quid each, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better way to introduce a little colour and flower power to your dining table.
They’re dishwasher and microwave-safe, which makes them all the more useful for day-to-day eating and serving, too. £16. At argos.
co.uk Oslo Rim stoneware dinner plates Number of plates: 4 Material: Glazed stoneware Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes Do Norwegians have a particular affinity for rimmed stoneware plates? We’re not sure, but we can certainly imagine these “Oslo” plates gracing the table of a Joachim Trier film set, so we’ll roll with it. La Redoute sells four of them for less than £40, which is frankly a steal.
In a shade they call oatmeal, these glazed stoneware plates are easy and cheap additions to any kitchen, charming enough to look good but not so dear that you’ll be afraid to use them for raucous dinner parties (after which you can chuck them in the dishwasher without worrying). £36. At procook.
co.uk Number of pieces: 4x dinner plates, 4x side plates Number of bowls: 4x cereal bowls Material: Stoneware Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes This is a brand synonymous with quality stoneware and their popular dinner sets more than live up to expectations. With Denby, you always get a wonderfully weighty pottery piece, whether that’s a dinner plate, side plate or cereal bowl.
This 12-piece set consists of four of each and boasts a free-form speckled glaze finish that stretches with the curves. The coupe-shaped plates ensure there are no spills, while the bowls are generous in capacity. This set can lay claim to being microwave, dishwasher, oven and freezer safe.
£212 £145.50. At amazon.
co.uk Number of plates: 4x dinner plates, 4x side plates, 4x dessert plates Number of bowls: 4x pasta bowls, 4x breakfast bowls Material: Ceramic Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes – microwave and oven safe up to 175 degrees In our eyes, Our Place can do no wrong. While we love the brand's iconic Always Pan , this dinnerware set gives it a serious run for its money.
A set of four dinner plates, four dessert plate, four pasta bowls, four side bowls and four side plates – all stackable with an impeccable hand-painted aesthetic – this is the dinner party set-up that dreams are made of. £330 £235. At fromourplace.
co.uk Number of plates: 4x dinner plates, 4x side plates Number of bowls: 4x cereal bowls Material: Porcelain Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes For any and all essentials, there's no better spot than John Lewis & Partners. Affordable and designed to last, the Anyday Dinnerware set contains all of the basics as a 12-piece set, including four dinner plates, four side plates and four cereal bowls.
Stylish in their simplicity, the plates and bowls are kiln-fired for durability, meaning they are dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe and even freezer-safe (just don't put them in the oven). £23. At johnlewis.
com Number of plates: 4 dinner plates Number of bowls: 4 soup bowls Material: Porcelain Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes We’re very taken with the dynamism implied by this set of dinner and soup plates, which forgoes colour and adornment in favour of unusual forms. The set comprises four plates and four bowls, both of which have a sculptural quality that will – for example – interest guests when you’re hosting without seeming gimmicky; we love how they sit at the top end of what you might get away with without being accused of buying “stunt dinnerware” (if such a thing exists). £295.
At selfridges.com La Redoute AM.PM Gandra Stoneware Flat Plates Number of plates: 4 Material: Enamelled stoneware Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes Bringing a flash of colour to your dining table, the AM.
PM Gandra dinner plates are made from enamelled stoneware with a visual and sensory effect and finished in a lovely dusty pink tint. Hand-made in Portugal, they are both microwave and dishwasher-friendly, which is always a plus in our book, while their flat shape and straight edge will keep the gravy on your plate and not your table. There’s plenty of irregular contours too, ensuring no plate is identical because it's nice to be different.
£50. From laredoute.co.
uk Marks & Spencer Artisan Dinner Plates Number of plates: 4 Material: China Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Unspecified Marks & Spencer offers some of our favourite bedding , but the high-street wonder also dabbles in dinner sets and some of its ranges are well worth your attention. The Artisan Dinner Plates are finished with a textured design and a high shine, giving them a superb contemporary and modern feel. They come in just white as a colour option, but there are a range of matching options, from mugs for your cup of tea every morning, to pasta bowls, cereal bowls and side plates.
Helpfully, they also have the company's StayNew technology which should help with resisting chips and resilience against temperature changes. £24. At marksandspencer.
com Soho Home Hillcrest Handmade Stoneware Dinner Plates Number of plates: 4 Material: Stoneware Dishwasher safe: Yes Microwave safe: Yes Sleek white plates will never not be on trend (it's for a good reason they're the restaurant standard the world over) and these Hillcrest dinner plates from Soho Home are a masterclass in just how good they can look on your table. Taking inspiration from the exclusive Soho Farmhouse member's club, the plates embellish the white design with a leaf trim for a touch of countrified personality, made from 100 per cent stoneware but still dishwasher and microwave safe. £150.
At selfridges.com Every Story Studio Porcelain Plates Number of plates: Available in different set sizes Material: Porcelain clay Dishwasher safe: Unspecified Microwave safe: Unspecified Made with porcelain clay and finished in a soft white glaze, these wonderfully craft-driven plates bring a homely warmth and textural interest to the table, whether they’re dressed up or down. With their irregular pinched edges, you can see and feel the maker’s mark, which brings with it bags of charm.
We loved that the plates come in three sizes, rather than conventional dinner and side plate dimensions. They’re also sold individually or in handy sets of two, four, six and eight. A tablescaper’s dream.
From £30. At etsy.com Dinner plates FAQs To help guide you through the process of picking out the best dinner set and dinnerware, we've compiled a useful guide below to everything you should be looking for.
Happy shopping! There are all sorts of options, from porcelain and ceramic, to stoneware and even plastic. There's no right answer here, it just depends on which offers the best balance between the style you're after and the functionality it provides. Stoneware, for example, is a rather hardy choice, and can handle dishwashers, microwaves, and even ovens.
Plastic though (while obviously not as premium) is ideal for large gatherings, particularly if there are children about, or even serving up treats when camping. Typically, a dinner set will include plates, side/dessert plates, and two types of bowls with different depths — ideal for cereal and pasta. Some sets throw a few extras into the mix, like mugs and cups for a more cohesive eating and drinking experience.
While having a few fancier pieces of dinnerware that you save for special occasions and parties is fun, making sure your everyday dinner set is durable is an important factor to take into consideration when shopping. Stoneware plates and bowls are some of the most common you'll come across, and they also tend to be regarded as some of the most durable, especially given that they're typically microwave and dishwasher safe (although do check before use), and don't break very easily. Fine china on the other hand will probably smash if you drop it just once, but if you're after a good middle ground, porcelain is another good option that's fairly durable.
The best dinner sets are versatile and suitable for a range of different purposes, looking good enough to pull out at dinner parties but also being durable and hard-wearing enough for everyday use. It's sometimes nice to have a more luxurious set that you pull out on special occasions, but given that these designer plates and bowls can often be more delicate, you'll want to keep in mind something for using on a daily basis as well, to prevent them from getting broken when you're in a rush. You'll also want to think about the style of your kitchen and how your dinnerware can add to it, whether by tapping into contemporary, antique or maybe more traditional vibes or by bringing your space to life with a pop of colour incorporated into the design.
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