Restaurant table decoration ideas


11 Restaurant Table Setting Ideas That Will Impress Your Customers

To be able to use Shoes for Crews GB in full range, we recommend activating Javascript in your browser.

Easy Returns

Free Shipping

Safety, Comfort, Style

Get 15% off when you sign up to our Newsletter! Sign up below now!

Get 15% off when you sign up to our Newsletter! Sign up below now!

From:: Shoes For Crews Europe Posted on July 4, 2017

 

Have you ever been to a restaurant where the centerpiece or table setting was intriguing, sparking conversation between you and your companions? Or the chairs and tables were unique and bespoke, or even where the cutlery was so unusual you wondered where it was made? Well, as a restaurant owner, you’ll want to ignite similar inspiration when designing your own tablescapes. Which table settings will delight customers and which will make them raise their eyebrows in confusion?

 

Here are  eleven restaurant table setting ideas that will impress your customers, make them talk about your restaurant for weeks, and bring them back in droves.

 

Seasonal flowers in creative vessels

 

There’s a reason that flowers are one of the most common table centerpieces; they lighten up any room. Your restaurant doesn’t have to spend a fortune on flowers to make pretty centerpieces. You can use seasonal flowers in creative vessels. From carnations in a bud vase (carnations will last up to a month if placed in sugar water) to a peony or hydrangea in a tin can decorated with ribbon to a single rose in a stem vase, floral centerpieces can be sparing yet pretty. If you have a bigger flower budget, then a mixed, seasonal floral arrangement in a trendy, low square vase is the way to go; hurricane glass and speckled silver glass is popular these days too.

 

image credit

image credit

image credit

 

 

image credit

 

Alternate centerpieces

 

For restaurants who don’t have it in the budget to change fresh foliage weekly, then you can create centerpieces with natural elements like twigs, scattered with twinkle lights, and small groups of succulents (everything in threes for the most stylish designs) in little glazed pots. Succulents are low maintenance, and inexpensive, but look pretty year-round. Some variety even flower.  Twinkle light twigs will look rustic, and magical to create nature-vibes and ambiance.

 

image credit 

image credit

image credit

 

 

 

 

Mismatched themes

 

Nothing inspires guests more than being reminded of a mad hatter’s tea party. Your restaurant doesn’t have to have matching china and crockery to get noticed. A mismatch of new, old, and vintage styles can add interest in the table scape and feel homely and warm - the only trouble might be in stacking the dishes! Either try completely mismatched pieces, or try something like a white dinner plate, a geometric, coloured side plate, and a flower-shaped salad bowl to create visual interest. Keep the table decorations unique and colourful too.

 

image credit

 

image credit

 

image credit

image credit

image credit, image credit

image credit

 

Slate, stone, or marble cutlery trays

 

A most unique table setting idea is to have a cut slab of stone, slate, or marble for customers to place their cutlery on. You can have the slate to the left or right side of the plate, and set out the knife and fork on it. That way the customer has somewhere - that’s not the table - to place his or her cutlery down between courses (if new cutlery isn’t provided), and, for the restaurant, it’s easier to wipe down the slate and replace it than to remove all the table decoration to wipe down any spills. It cuts down on flatware getting the placemats and the tablecloths mucky.

 

image credit

image credit

 

Napkins and placemats

 

For your restaurant, you don’t have to have boring white linens; you can mix it up with fabrics with different patterns and textures. Placemats can be wooden, linen, silky, bamboo, grasscloth, or other fabrics. You can have simple placemats, or a tablecloth and placemats, or even a runner and placemats. Try out new designs and variations. New swaths of fabric can be simple to add but create diversity. For a twist and to save on table cloth washing, try layering burlap table runners with ribbon or lace; these materials are inexpensive to replace if guests make stains that cannot be removed with laundering.

image credit

image credit

 

image credit

     
   

image credit

 

Candles

 

Most restaurants use candles to create ambiance, but you can create variety with candles. You can have tall tallows, or small tealights. You can group mismatched tea light holders, or even use LED tea lights for candles that will last (and not be a fire hazard). Candles will finish off your centerpieces, and make your space feel inviting to guests. Make sure to choose unscented candles as strong scents can put guests off their meal - and take away the focus from the chef who has worked hard to create a delicious dish.

 

image credit

 

image credit

 

 

 

 image credit 

 


image credit

 


Natural elements
  

 

A cloth napkin tied with twine and finished with a sprig of herb creates a memorable decorative item. Incorporate natural elements in your design to create a rustic, yet warm ambiance. Little plants, or twigs and dried fruits in a vase can add interesting variety too. Even a vase filled with limes, and then filled with flowers creates a visual spectacle.  

 

image credit

image credit

image credit

image credit

image credit

image credit

 

image credit

 


Pattern, colour, and texture for linens
 

 

When choosing linens for your tablescape, make sure you keep pattern, texture, and colour in mind. It will seem quite boring to have a cotton napkin with a cotton tablecloth and a cotton runner. Make sure you vary your linens. Different patterns can be dramatic. Try a paisley tablecloth with a burlap runner with cotton napkins tied with twine or ribbon.

 

You can keep your colours complementary for a uniform look, mismatched and colourful for a whimsical look, or monochromatic for a more relaxed, calm feel. Think of the different materials and linens you’d use to create a nautical style, an Indian bazaar, a floral-inspired tea party, or an elegant mixed-metal display. Keep themes in mind when deciding on your designs. Linens can pack a lot of punch, but you don’t have to use everything. You can choose only to use cloth napkins and skip runners, placemats, and tablecloths altogether - it all depends on what you want the final product to look like.  

 


image credit
image credit image credit 

 

Seasonal menu cards

On the continent, many restaurants have a seasonal menu card depending on the type of produce of the season, so in Germany in pumpkin season, you’ll see a Kurbis Carte (pumpkin menu), and in white asparagus season, you’ll see a Spargel Carte (asparagus menu), containing chef-specialty dishes using the seasonal ingredient. During asparagus season, you might be served a pile of white asparagus, boiled new potatoes, and a jug of melted butter, and for pumpkin season, you might see pumpkin soup, drizzled with pumpkin oil, topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, and served with pumpkin prosecco, or you might even see pumpkin risotto. For your restaurant, create a seasonal menu card. It not only adds something pretty and simple to the top of the bread plate that your customers can browse, it creates a timely offer. Your chef can develop a menu around the seasonal meats, veg, and fish available and your customers will want to share with their friends because the offer only lasts as long as the season or the supply.

 

image credit

image credit


Decorating for the holidays
 

Most guests want to get into the holiday spirit, but you don’t have to overload your centerpieces with Easter eggs, menorahs, stars and moons for Eid, or mini Santas to get your point across. Subtle decorations can add holiday cheer without going overboard. Try adding decorative coloured ribbons to tie the napkins or around wine glass stems, or create tasteful bunting or natural decorations. Even a little confetti can be fun.

 

image credit

image credit


Drama with monochrome

If you have a monochromatic palette for your restaurant, you can create the most impact with a monochromatic tablescape. Imagine a white tablecloth, white napkins, white plates, white (or silver) cutlery, milk glass, white tealight holders, and white flowers. A table design in the same colour or shade variations will make a beautiful, ethereal design. You can mix in some pops of colour in muted or bright colours for added variation too. For example, in a white tablescape pops of green, gold, or silver would add elegance (but red might be overpowering, for example). Monochromatic spaces are relaxing for guests as there’s not as much visual overload.

 

 

image credit

image credit

 

Monochromatic designs can manifest in using mostly one colour palette with the same colour palette even in the centerpieces (as above with white and gray as the main colours), or with natural centerpieces and similar shades (as to the right with black, grays, and natural elements working together). 


No matter what table setting ideas you decide on, make sure you keep a theme in mind to help inspire you. That way you can select the centerpieces, the cutlery, stemware, and linens based on your theme. You can also keep little tweaks in mind that will take your tablescape from season to season too.

 

 

 

Download our Free Restaurant Growth Guide.

Take your business from good to great with our free growth guide!

 

What our customers say...

Trustpilot

11 ideas to decorate the tables of your restaurant 🌸 Monouso

Nowadays, decorating the tables of your restaurant not only brings you the chance you to give personality to your business but also to provide your clients and visitors with a pleasant space with a neat design.

Having a harmonious space and an impeccable decoration will make your clients live special moments, framed in the experience and the details present at the moment of their visit.

Reinvent the concept of decorating the tables of your restaurant by highlighting simple, innovative and attractive designs that provide that special touch that your customers expect.

In order to create an ideal space to achieve a charming decoration, we leave you some recommendations:

¿Qué encontrarás en este artículo?

  • 1 First: keep the harmony
  • 2 Second: lighting as a decorative element
  • 3 Three: table cloths in your decoration
  • 4 Four: placemats to decorate your restaurant tables
  • 5 Five: complete tablecloths
  • 6 Six: flowers and plants
  • 7 Seven: the cutlery also decorates
  • 8 Eight: Kangaroo napkins, an innovative element
  • 9 Nine: each element must provide
  • 10 Ten: offer details no one expects
  • 11 Eleven: candles for decoration
  • 12 What governs the decoration in a restaurant?
    • 12. 1 Coherence
    • 12.2 Do not affect the service
    • 12.3 Table sizes
    • 12.4 Crockery, glasses and cutlery
    • 12.5 Table linen
  • 13 Products to decorate tables and your entire restaurant

First: keep the harmony

It is very important to maintain the aesthetics and decoration of your business, as well as to take care of the harmony in the use of tablecloths, napkins and centerpieces.

Remember that every detail in the decoration of your restaurant table is a complement that will achieve the perfect combination of style and distinction.

To highlight the personality and character of your business, it is ideal to choose materials that convey elegance such as wood, glass or marble

If you want your restaurant to be more informal, you can choose a decoration that harmonizes with materials such as plastic or stainless steel.

Second: lighting as a decorative element

Lighting is another interesting aspect that should be incorporated into your restaurant’s décor.

Complementing the atmosphere with appropriate lighting will highlight the romantic character of the place by using warm light tones that include few lamps in the ceiling, as well as other warm lighting on the tables.

Another safe option when decorating your restaurant table are candles, available in all sizes and colours, which will add subtlety to the decoration.

If you want to stand out with an innovative detail you can include a lantern as a centerpiece to achieve a different lighting.

Three: table cloths in your decoration

The table napkins are used to place the cutlery without spoiling the decoration of your restaurant’s table.

Breaking the uniformity of the decoration giving it a special and different touch achieving the perfect aesthetics.

It is important to emphasize that each of the pieces used for the design of your restaurant’s tables must be adapted to the design of your establishment.

Four: placemats to decorate your restaurant tables

An option that will allow you to give a little more prominence to the decoration of your restaurant table is the use of placemats.

They are less extensive in terms of size than table cloths, guaranteeing the care of the tables by avoiding stains, bottle marks and glasses.

The placemats are ideal for all types of restaurants, they have the perfect size to place the plates, cutlery, napkins and glasses leaving the table visible.

Five: complete tablecloths

If the model of your restaurant tables is not attractive or they are worn out, complete tablecloths offer an excellent alternative for decoration.

You can choose the material that best suits the design of your restaurant achieving an impeccable decoration.

The use of complete tablecloths will also allow you to regularly change the decoration of your restaurant’s table and thus surprise your guests at the moment of enjoying their favourite dish.

Six: flowers and plants

Flowers are a natural element that adds a touch of colour to your restaurant table decoration without the need to paint a space or cover a wall.

The ideal is to use natural flowers as centerpieces, becoming a natural air freshener.

However, the use of natural flowers represents a continuous investment, so another viable option is the use of artificial flowers that will highlight the table of your restaurant for longer.

Seven: the cutlery also decorates

Offering excellent service is not only about serving a delicious menu and providing impeccable service, the cutlery also represents an important detail to achieve customer satisfaction.

Using quality cutlery appropriate to each type of food will ensure that your customers enjoy memorable service and neatly styled cutlery.

Eight: Kangaroo napkins, an innovative element

An innovative option to present the cutlery on your restaurant table is the kangaroo napkin, which becomes an elegant and distinctive form of decoration.

This complement is ideal for covering the cutlery without losing any of the other decorative elements present on the table.

With the use of Kangaroo napkins it is possible to minimize the time to leave the tables ready to receive your customers, in addition to providing protection and cleanliness in each of the pieces of cutlery, maintaining the order and protocol of the service.

Nine: each element must provide

As far as decoration is concerned, every detail is relevant. Choosing products that respond to the characteristics of the business counts if the satisfaction of a good service and the preference of your customers depend on it.

Using quality materials represents an added value for the service. Offering products such as napkins, tablecloths, centerpieces and lighting will establish the type of business you run and its benefits in the restaurant industry.

Ten: offer details no one expects

Having an ace up your sleeve represents a special detail for the decoration of your restaurant’s table.

Napkins can be that innovative element you’re needing.

Elements such as non-woven fabrics have great similarity to the fabric, impress to the touch and stand out for their quality. They leave no one indifferent and are much cheaper than cloth napkins.

You can also use materials similar to fabric, characterized by their weight and softness as the novel.

Airlaid made with an affordable, modern and versatile material is used in all types of restaurants.

Another economical and functional option available is newtex which protects the table from unexpected conditions.

Eleven: candles for decoration

Using candles to decorate the tables of your restaurant provides a delicate and romantic touch.

Providing a sophisticated atmosphere full of magic and color that illuminates with its subdued flame the sharing of a special occasion.

The candles can be used at any time of the year and as required you can add elements that enhance the decoration such as stones, ribbons and glass bases.

What governs the decoration in a restaurant?

There is a great variety of elements that, correctly combined, bring personality and character to our spaces, offering clients and visitors an ideal place to enjoy memorable moments.

Therefore, it is necessary to bear in mind a series of characteristics that will allow you to define the style of the restaurant and the value proposal that will impact your customers. Among them we have:

Coherence

It is based on the harmony and visual aesthetics of the restaurant, keeping a decoration in tune with the concept of the place.

In this sense, the coherence of your business concept will allow you to choose the elements that best suit the design of the decoration, captivating those present by showing harmonious and delicate spaces.

Do not affect the service

One of the main purposes of our service is that it is uninterrupted and adequate, favouring the experience of the clients.

Another point of interest is that the decorative elements present on your restaurant table do not cause any inconvenience at the moment of serving and that the diners can enjoy their dish without limitations of space at the table.

Table sizes

In this section it is essential to consider the space available, taking as a reference the size of the table, to include from there the elements that will form part of the decoration: such as tablecloths, cutlery, napkins, glasses, centrepieces or candles.

Crockery, glasses and cutlery

The design of the tableware, glasses and cutlery will depend on the style and aesthetics of the restaurant. The idea is that the decorative elements converge in harmony, highlighting their presence on any occasion.

Table linen

The use of this element is aesthetic and basic for the decoration of the table of your restaurant contributing a fresh and current image that could be personalized for special occasions.

Its versatility has allowed it to be present in all types of restaurants guaranteeing the satisfaction of good service by the diners.

Products to decorate tables and your entire restaurant

The tables in your restaurant, as well as all the spaces, need the best products to highlight their qualities and build a positive atmosphere that everyone wants to enjoy.

To achieve this, you will need top quality products with the functionality you need.

We invite you to visit our Monouso online store, where you will find products that will help you to highlight the personality of your restaurant.

Here you will find tableware, glasses, cutlery, cups, tablecloths, table runners, napkins, among other products.

Each product is available in an important variety of manufacturing materials, sizes, styles and colors.

We assure you that you will find a style for you and there will be a thread that connects all the products you select.

Author

rivero

Soy Alirio, redactor de contenido especializado en la hostelería y restauración. Desde que descubrí el mundo de la escritura en 2010, no he dejado de escribir posts, creciendo día a día.

See author's posts

Rules for the beautiful table setting in the restaurant

VK Instagram Facebook-F Twitter Pinterest