It’s almost time to set the table for your guests! Christmas is approaching fast, with the potential influx of house guests and visitors, whether they’re relatives or friends. The number of people gathering around the table is going to get bigger and merrier, and while that’s excellent, it does mean you’ll have to get ready to pull out more cutlery and dinnerware, ensuring there’s a plate of great food for everyone who visits.
We asked Sami B. Elayan, chief executive officer of Finer Diner – a Dubai-based online platform that utilises the kitchens of five-star restaurants to create fine dining experiences at customers’ homes – for some advice on how to go about hosting a great dinner party.
It all starts with tableware. Elayan said: “Tableware or dinnerware is essential for a dinner party. It elevates the experience and makes your guests feel like they are special to you. It’s like going to a fine dining restaurant – if they were to serve you from disposable plates, it would take away from the experience…”
Dinnerware is worth investing in, “not just for the feel and the experience, but in the long run, you save money and the environment,” said Elayan.
Tableware, stocked and ready to use
So, how many table settings should you always have at hand? According to Elayan, it would be best if you always had enough dinnerware for your family and at least four extra guests.
Here are some tableware essentials he thinks everyone should have at the ready for any meal you serve up to your guests:
- Dinner set: Soup bowls, salad bowls, bread and butter plates and dinner plates
- Dinner cutlery: Soup spoon, spoons, forks, butter knives, dinner knives and steak knives
- Dessert: Small plates, small bowls, dessert spoons, dessert forks and dessert knives
- For serving: Different shaped large plates, salad bowls, different sized bowls for saucy foods, and a large chopping board (this is not used for cooking but strictly for serving large pieces of meat)
- Serving utensils: Large spoons, ladles, large forks, and carving knives
We’ve curated a list of great options for you, based on Elayan’s advice, user reviews and trending designs and materials. Pick up your favourites from Amazon and get ready to host! Don’t forget to become a Prime member to have your items delivered to you as soon as possible.
1. Best Flatware Set: Simply Chef Rose Gold Takumi Japanese Cutlery Set (16 Pieces)
With a timeless Japanese design in a matte finish, Simply Chef’s rose-gold flatware set checks all the boxes of function and fashion. The rose-gold and copper tones you see in this cutlery set, have been popular for a while, and don’t show any signs of going away. Slimline cutlery, with more elongated designs, and finer points, are also replacing chunkier options – something this flatware set achieves. Buy it as is, or pick up two sets, if you have a larger household.
Bonus: Apply a coupon for five per cent off on this product.
2. Best Dinner Set: Corelle Stoneware Dinnerware Set (12 Pieces)
Even on formal occasions, trends have been moving towards rustic, relaxed table settings, this year. Instead of fine porcelain, choose stoneware and hardier earthenware dinner sets, with crackle finishes and rougher textures to bring artisanal craftsmanship straight to your table. In an elegant Nordic blue, Corelle’s handcrafted stoneware plates have higher rims, with deeper bowls, so that you can use them not just for formal occasions, but for everyday meals, too. The dinnerware set is microwave-, oven-, freezer- and dishwasher-safe.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh67 for 12 months with select banks.
3. Best Trending Dinner Set: Euro Ceramica Zanzibar Collection (16 Pieces)
In 2022, colourful dinner sets have been trending, with splashes of primary colours – sunny yellows, fire-engine reds and classic blues – making an appearance in abstract or floral patterns. It’s why we’ve selected this beautiful Zanzibar Collection, with a southern Spanish design by Euro Ceramica. Made with high-fired ceramic that’s safe to use in the dishwasher and microwave, this 16-piece dinner set serves four, and is vibrant, with an in-glaze, hand-applied design that brings a pop of colour to your dinner table. Check out other pieces, like serving bowls and canisters, to complete your Euro Ceramic Zanzibar tableware collection.
4. Best Napiery: Deep Dream Tablecloth, Light Coffee
Embracing the ‘cottagecore’ movement that flaunts a nostalgic return to country life, this coffee-coloured tablecloth provides the perfect canvas for your dinnerware. Since it’s made with linen, it brings a cosy, relaxed vibe to the dinner table, and its earthy hues allow you to add your own accents – whether they’re muted or bold – to complete the look. This versatile tablecloth is shrink-, wrinkle- and dust-proof and can be machine-washed.
5. Best Table Linen: DaDa Bedding Elegant Tapestry Table Runner, Mughal Floral
Pair plain tablecloths or wood/glass dining tables with snazzier runners, where you can go big and bold, embracing the same multi-coloured trend that has been sweeping dinnerware in 2022. This woven, linen table runner has a beautiful, intricate flower pattern, and is lightweight and durable for big family dinners. Reviewers like that they can easily pop it into the washing machine (using the delicate cycle) for easy clean-up.
6. Best Glassware: SimpleWord Vintage Glassware (Set of 4)
In keeping with the less formal look of dinnerware and table linen, this year’s glassware trends are far more fun and whimsical than they have ever been. If you’re hesitant about replacing all your clear drinking glasses with multicoloured ones, though, we’d suggest using saving these just for juices and beverages, instead. This vintage set by SimpleWord is textured and chunky, in keeping with a focus on craftsmanship.
7. Best Servingware: Bone China Shallow Two-Tier Rectangle Serving Set with Gold Stand
Tiered trays are a great way to make use of vertical space, especially when you’re short on space at your dining or buffet table. Made with high-quality porcelain that’s easy to clean, this rectangle plate set has three detachable trays that are perfect for appetisers and desserts. Elevate the look of your table with this little addition that’s available in an elegant white and gold.
8. Best for Serving Meat: The Earthy House Wooden Serving Platter
According to Elayan, presenting meat dishes on a wooden chopping board is a fine dining must-have. The Earthy House’s serving platter, made from acacia wood, is handcrafted and a beautiful canvas for any kind of food – not just meat. Serve up cheese, appetisers, fruits, pizza and anything your heart desires on it, and enjoy a wholesome meal together.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
