Best small kitchen tables: Compact furniture from £150
Are you ‘small space living’ or do you have a tiny kitchen? The best small kitchen tables offer a slimmed-down solution for your home
Kitchen tables: they’re used for everything from doing homework to working from home. And sometimes, we even sit and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at them. But with a tendency to be big and unwieldy, a table can take up a sizeable amount of floor space in a compact kitchen, leaving you squeezing past it when you’re cooking.
This is where small kitchen tables come in: offering plenty of surface space for everyday life, yet taking up a fraction of the room. There’s a range of designs to choose from, including bistro-style tables, extending tables and even breakfast bars. We’ve selected some of the best small kitchen tables you can buy – as well as the questions to ask when choosing one for your home. Below, you’ll find our buying guide to help you choose a small kitchen table or you can scroll on for our top picks.
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Best small kitchen table: At a glance
- Best bistro-style small kitchen table: Habitat Berlin Grey Dining Table | £150
- Best extending small kitchen table: Newark Extending Dining Table | £399
- Best breakfast bar table: Dulwich Bar Table | £1,810
How to choose the best small kitchen table for you
What shape and style of table should I choose?
Bistro-style – One of the smallest types of kitchen table, these café-style round or square tables can seat one or two people comfortably, with slightly larger formats able to seat three or more. Some can be bar stool-height – perfect for parking at the end of an island or peninsula – while others fold up like outdoor bistro tables.
Bar table – Perfect for enjoying a coffee, glass of wine or informal meal, bar tables are raised higher than a standard kitchen table, meaning they’re best paired with high stools. Check the height before you buy, though – as there’s no standard height of bar tables or stools, you’ll need to make sure that both are compatible.
Pedestal – If banging your legs on a table’s legs is a bugbear, look for a pedestal kitchen table. These sit on a single central leg or may have a diagonal arrangement of supports, meaning that you can tuck yourself under without the potential hazard.
Bench style – Good for kitchens where there’s a little more space for the table but not the chairs, these come with coordinating benches that tuck underneath when not in use, helping to free up floor space.
Drop leaf – Similar to extending tables, drop-leaf designs have one or two leaves that are hinged. This allows them to be up when the table is in use and dropped down to help save space when they’re not.
Extending – Great for taking up minimal space when folded away, before expanding to accommodate more people, extendable tables increase in size in various ways, so look for one that fits your room. They include those with butterfly leaves, where the extra surface expands out from the centre like wings, those with a removable extra leaf, and tables with leaves that slide out.
What else do I need to think about?
A small kitchen table needs to be practical, so when you’re buying, make sure you factor in how many people it needs to seat, whether it doubles up as your dining table, and if it’ll be used for activities besides meals. Durability is key in a kitchen setting, where damage is more likely than in a dining room. Make sure that the surface doesn’t scratch or dent easily and that it’s easy to wipe clean on a regular basis.
How much should I spend on a small kitchen table?
Budget around £50 to £150 for a bistro-style table, £60 to £200 for a drop-leaf table, and £100 to £500 for a bar-style table. Designer tables can cost over £1,000, but if they are well-made and versatile they can be worth the investment.
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The best small kitchen tables you can buy in 2023
1. Dulwich Bar Table: Best breakfast bar table
Price: From £1,810 | Buy now from Case
While it’s definitely an investment piece, the Dulwich Bar Table is a thing of beauty for your kitchen. Designed by Matthew Hilton, it features slender legs to maximise leg room, a central footrest, solid wood construction and a durable clear lacquer finish to ensure the timber stays looking great.
While its timber top should be fairly low maintenance with a quick wipe down, if you’re planning to use it as an additional workspace, there’s the option of a more durable tabletop. This is made from Polaris: a heat, fingerprint and scratch-resistant material that’s also antibacterial – perfect for food prep.
Key specs – Finishes/material: Lacquered solid oak, walnut or black stained oak with a veneered or Polaris top; Dimensions: 140 x 80 x 105cm (WDH); Seats: Up to four; Weight: 25kg
2. Conklin 106cm Pedestal Dining Table: Best small kitchen pedestal table
Price: £283 | Buy now from Wayfair
With its classic good looks and compact dimensions, this Conklin pedestal table is the ideal fit for a smaller kitchen – tucking into a corner when not in use, while not having legs at each corner that restrict movement. Plus, its neutral finishes give it timeless appeal for a country or farmhouse-style kitchen.
Perhaps the only element to be aware of is that its oak veneered top is oiled – meaning that over time, it may need re-oiling to keep it water-tight and to protect the surface from scuffs and scratches. However, this also means that any light damage can be sanded out easily.
Key specs – Finishes/material: Ivory or grey lacquered manufactured wood with oak veneered rubberwood top; Dimensions: 106 x 106 x 75cm (WDH); Seats: Up to four; Weight: 24.6kg
3. Newark Extending Table: Best extending small kitchen table
Price: £399 | Buy now from Marks & Spencer
Sometimes we all need more table space – when family and friends visit or when cooking. Get it easily and quickly from a small kitchen table with this Newark design. Its tabletop simply slides halfway along the base, and then a hinged section flips open, meaning you can double your table space in seconds. Plus, its modern styling is sure to fit any type of kitchen. There are even matching items if you love the look and a 10-year guarantee.
Perhaps the only thing you need to bear in mind is that, unlike some extending tables, the solid oak legs stay in the same place. This means that if you have several guests crowded around, one or two might end up straddling the legs. However, unless it’s extended more often than not, it’s a minor quibble.
Key specs – Finishes/material: Oak legs and oak veneer top with chipboard and MDF; Dimensions: 80 x 80-160 x 75cm (WDH); Seats: Up to four unextended, up to eight extended; Weight: 49kg
4. Habitat Berlin Grey Dining Table & Two Grey Chairs: Best bistro-style small kitchen table
Price: £150 | Buy now from Argos
Great value for money as it also includes a pair of matching chairs, Habitat’s Berlin table might be affordable but is no less stylish for it. Simply designed with tapered timber legs and a durable wipe-clean tabletop, its diminutive dimensions make it perfect for a compact kitchen – against a wall, tucked in a corner or to subtly divide two areas in an open-plan room.
Much like a typical bistro table, however, it will only seat two comfortably – and larger meals might be something of a squeeze. But for breakfast, light lunches and convivial coffee breaks, it’s a win.
Key specs – Finishes/material: solid wood; Dimensions: 70 x 70 x 75cm (WDH); Seats: Up to two; Weight: 8.3kg (each chair 4.2kg)
6. Compact Earth Dining Table and Two Low Dining Benches: Best small kitchen table for a kitchen-diner
Price: £1,109 | Buy now from Furniture Village
When your kitchen table doubles up for family dining on a regular basis, it’s best to choose a compact table that still offers enough surface space. This industrial-style Compact Earth table is a great example: designed with a space-saving V-shaped pedestal base made of durable powder-coated metal, it’s paired with a pair of backless benches that can accommodate three adults while taking up less space than chairs. Pop a chair at each end and its seating capacity rises to an impressive eight.
This table is topped with a piece of solid oak – perfect for adding plenty of character to your kitchen while being relatively low maintenance. And when you’re done dining, each bench tucks below, so there are no chair backs to navigate around.
Key specs – Finishes/material: solid oak, oak veneers and powder-coated steel with faux leather benches; Dimensions: 135 x 80 x 75cm (WDH); Seats: Up to eight; Weight: 37.5kg (each bench 13.5kg)
