Restaurant Table Sizes: How Many Covers Fit Each Table?
Most restaurant table sizes follow a simple pattern: a 600–700 mm square or round top seats two, an 800–900 mm top seats four, and a 1200 mm round or a 1400–1700 mm rectangle seats six. Chair style, plate sizes and service style decide where in each range you should sit.
Key takeaways
- Two covers: 600–700 mm square or round. A 700 × 700 mm top is the most flexible two-seater in UK supplier guides.
- Four covers: 800–900 mm square, 800–1000 mm round, or a rectangle of roughly 1000–1200 mm by 600–800 mm.
- Six covers: 1200 mm round, or a rectangle 1400–1700 mm long; eight covers need around 1500 mm round.
- Published charts assume side chairs. Armchairs and tub chairs need a bigger top or fewer covers.
- Dining height is typically 740–760 mm, so specify the base and top thickness together.
Table size decides how many covers a room can sell, how comfortable each guest feels and how easily staff can serve. Get it wrong and you either waste floor area or squeeze plates onto a surface that cannot hold them. This guide brings together the sizes published by UK contract furniture suppliers, sets them out cover by cover, and explains when to go up or down a size. It also covers table height, floor area per cover and the specification details that decide whether a top actually works in service. If you are already shortlisting, our restaurant tables collection shows tops, bases and complete tables made to order in your sizes.
Restaurant table sizes by number of covers
Three UK supplier guides agree closely on the core sizes. Inside Out Contracts lists 600 × 600 mm and 700 × 700 mm squares and a 700 mm round for two, a 900 × 900 mm square or 900 mm round for four, and a 1200 mm round for six (Inside Out Contracts). Tailor-made+ Trade gives 600–700 mm rounds and squares for two, 800–900 mm rounds or an 800 × 800 mm square for four, and rectangles of 1200 × 700 mm or 1200 × 800 mm for four and 1600 × 800 mm for six (Tailor-made+ Trade). Mayfair Furniture adds a 1000 mm round for four and a 1500 mm round for eight (Mayfair Furniture).
| Covers | Square | Round (diameter) | Rectangular | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 600 × 600, 700 × 700 mm (800 × 800 mm in one guide) | 600–700 mm | Not usually used | 600 mm suits coffee and light lunches; 700 mm for full meals |
| 4 | 800 × 800 to 900 × 900 mm | 800–1000 mm | 1000 × 600, 1100 × 600, 1200 × 700, 1200 × 800 mm | 900 mm or 1200 × 800 mm for sharing plates |
| 4–6 | Two 700 mm squares joined (1400 × 700 mm) | 1200 mm | 1400 × 800 mm | Six only for shorter meals |
| 6 | Joined squares | 1200 mm | 1500 × 700, 1600 × 800, 1700 × 700 mm | Deeper tops leave room for shared dishes |
| 8 | Joined squares | 1500 mm | 1800 × 800 mm and up (capacity not stated by Tailor-made+) | Large rounds separate guests across the table |
Why the guides disagree at the edges
The overlaps are telling. Mayfair lists an 800 × 800 mm square as a two-seater, while Tailor-made+ treats the same top as a four-seater. Both are workable; they describe different meals. An 800 mm edge gives each diner a full place setting, but with four people it leaves little room in the middle for bread, sides or a wine bucket. Two diners at the same top have generous space for sharing plates. The practical reading is that the smaller size in each range suits quick turnover, coffee and single-course lunches, and the larger size suits full dinner service.
Inside Out Contracts also notes that its chart is based on side chairs, not armchairs. That matters more than most buyers expect. Armchairs take more table edge and their arms must clear the frame under the top, so size up one step or seat fewer covers.
How much table width does each cover need?
Allow about 600 mm of table edge per person. Mayfair Furniture uses that 600 mm figure as its basic place-setting width and suggests casual cafés can go slightly tighter while upmarket venues should allow more. Read the charts above with that rule in mind: a 1200 mm rectangle gives two diners per long side at 600 mm each, and a 1600 mm or 1700 mm rectangle stretches that to three per side for six covers.
Depth matters too: facing settings share it, and anything in the middle comes out of it. This is why the four- and six-seat rectangles in the guides are mostly 700–800 mm deep rather than 600 mm. A 600 mm deep top suits coffee against a banquette but crowds quickly at dinner.
Menu and service style
Small plates and sharing menus fill the centre of the table and push you towards the upper end of each range. Fine dining adds chargers, cutlery and several glasses per cover. Coffee shops can run the smallest sizes because each guest has a cup and a plate at most. Plan for the table at its busiest, not when it is first laid.
Pubs often favour rectangular tables because they line up along walls and suit groups of four to six; a pub dining table made to order in several lengths fits each run of wall without awkward gaps.
Table height and the space underneath
Standard dining tables sit at 740–760 mm. Inside Out Contracts gives that range and pairs it with an average dining chair seat height of about 500 mm and an ideal seat-to-table gap of around 260 mm (Inside Out Contracts table heights guide). The same guide lists counter-height tables at 760–900 mm and poseur tables at 980–1100 mm, so always confirm which height a quotation refers to.
The gap that matters is between the seat and the lowest point under the top, not the top surface. A deep apron, frame rail or dropped edge eats into knee space. With a separate top and base, finished height is base height plus top thickness, so a 40 mm oak top and a 12 mm compact top give different results.
From table size to floor area per cover
Table size is only part of the space calculation. WebstaurantStore publishes typical dining areas per guest: about 12–15 sq ft (roughly 1.1–1.4 m²) for full-service restaurants, 18–20 sq ft (about 1.7–1.9 m²) for fine dining and 10–11 sq ft (about 0.9–1.0 m²) for banqueting (WebstaurantStore). They include the table, chair and a share of circulation.
Around each table, Mayfair Furniture recommends a minimum gap of about 700 mm to walls and neighbouring tables so guests can pull out chairs and stand, and staff can pass without knocking them. Aisles, accessible routes and service paths need their own planning; our guide to restaurant floor plan basics covers space per cover and aisle widths in more detail.
Choosing the right mix of table sizes
Few restaurants should buy one table size for the whole room. Start with your booking data or, for a new site, the party sizes you expect. A typical mix looks like this:
- A core of flexible two-tops. Squares of 700 × 700 mm can be pushed together into a 1400 × 700 mm table for four, a combination Tailor-made+ highlights for larger groups.
- A few fixed four-tops at 900 mm square, 900–1000 mm round or 1200 × 800 mm where tables cannot easily be moved, such as in window bays.
- One or two six- to eight-seat tables for groups, ideally positioned so they do not block a main aisle.
- Banquette runs with two-tops in a line, which can be joined for parties without moving chairs.
Square tops are the easiest to combine, which is why the square bistro table is offered in 600, 700 and 800 mm sizes. Round tops seat odd numbers more gracefully and soften a room, but they do not join into a straight run. Our comparison of round and square restaurant tables sets out the trade-offs in covers and flexibility.
Common sizing mistakes to avoid
- Choosing tops before bases. A large top on a small base wobbles or tips when someone leans on the edge. Size the base to the top, not the other way round.
- Ignoring the chairs. Armchairs, tub chairs and wide upholstered seats need more table edge and more clearance under the frame.
- One size everywhere. A room full of four-tops sells empty seats every time a couple sits down.
Planning a fit-out?
Get your table schedule specified and quoted
Send us your floor plan and the covers you want to seat. We return a written specification and quotation for each table size, then a pre-production sample in your chosen top and base finish for approval before production.
Frequently asked questions
What size table seats four in a restaurant?
UK supplier guides list 800–900 mm square tops, 800–1000 mm round tops, or rectangles of about 1000–1200 mm by 600–800 mm for four covers. For full meals with side dishes and wine, the 900 mm square or round and the 1200 × 800 mm rectangle are the more comfortable choices.
What is the standard height of a restaurant table?
Inside Out Contracts gives 740–760 mm for dining tables, with an ideal gap of about 260 mm between seat and table. Counter tables run 760–900 mm and poseur tables 980–1100 mm, so always confirm which height a quotation refers to.
How much table width does each diner need?
Mayfair Furniture advises allowing about 600 mm of table width for each person. Casual cafés can work slightly tighter, while upmarket venues with larger plates and more glassware should allow more.
Can a 700 × 700 mm table seat four people?
The UK guides list 700 × 700 mm as a two-cover table. Two of them pushed together make a 1400 × 700 mm table, which is a practical size for four and can take five or six for shorter meals.
Do armchairs change the table size I need?
Yes. Inside Out Contracts notes its size chart is based on side chairs, not armchairs. Wide armchairs and tub chairs take more table edge per cover, so plan a larger top or fewer covers per table.
Sources
- Restaurant Table Size Guide: Choosing the Perfect Fit for Your Space, Inside Out Contracts (accessed 28 October 2026)
- How to Choose the Right Restaurant Tabletop Size, Tailor-made+ Trade (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Choosing the right size restaurant tables, Mayfair Furniture (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Designing Your Restaurant’s Dining Room Layout, WebstaurantStore (accessed 28 October 2026)
- In the Know: Table Heights Explained, Inside Out Contracts (accessed 28 October 2026)