Bar-height restaurant tables

Raising the eye line

A room at one height can feel flat, like a banquet hall waiting for the speeches. Introduce a band of tables at 41 to 42 inches and the space gains layers. Guests on stools see over the dining room, and guests at dining height look up toward a livelier zone near the bar. That change in level does the job of a partition without walling anything off.

Place the tall tables where they read as a deliberate zone: along the bar, under a run of windows, or against a wall with a mirror or shelving behind. Scattered at random among dining tables, high tops look like leftovers. Pair them with bar stools whose seats sit 29 to 31 inches up, and choose a frame finish that repeats the dining chairs so the two heights share a thread.

Wood, steel and teak at bar height

Nine of the 16 tables here have solid wood tops, in plank and butcher block styles that bring warmth up to eye level. Plank tops show their seams and grain, which suits rustic and industrial rooms; butcher block reads finer and more even. An industrial series pairs wood tops, some in dark walnut, with black, silver, or dark gray metal frames, a bridge between a modern room and a warm one. Reversible laminate in oak and walnut or black and mahogany lets you shift the mood when the season changes. Stainless steel gives a clean, kitchen-bright look for raw bars and wine counters. A teak table and an aluminum table with a faux teak top carry the look outdoors, and five of the tables are listed for indoor and patio use.

Bases that look right at full height

At bar height, the base is in full view, so its shape matters as much as the top. Slim X-prongs keep things light, while cast-iron columns feel grounded and a little old-world. When you build a table from parts, choose from bar-height table bases and pair them with wood table tops. Keep the spread at two thirds of the top's diameter or more so tall tables stay steady. Save the combination on your Finish board beside the stools, and look through the wider restaurant tables range for dining-height pieces in the same finishes.