The best plates for a beautifully set table
There’s a rumour that beautiful plates and dinner sets make your food taste better. OK, I might have made that up but a striking set of crockery really does make everything from a plate of eggs and soldiers to a birthday dinner look infinitely more appetising, and if you could make everything you served look more special with no extra effort, why wouldn’t you?
You can go one of two ways when it comes to dressing your dining table and choosing plate sets – throw caution and coordination to the wind and confidently clash your dinner plates with your side plates and bowls for an eclectic scheme, or plump for a sharp and timeless look with a full matching set. Just don’t panic if you find four wonderful plates in an antiques shop but there’s not a matching dessert bowl in sight, buy them anyway and play around with complementary pieces that allow you to experiment with what you’ve got and create various clever combinations.
You don’t need to spend a fortune but do invest more in beautifully made sets that you’ll keep forever and save on fun, brightly coloured plates and bowls. In a world of Instagram and online shopping, it’s easy to find excellent hand-painted or splatterware ceramics now, with several independent brands stocking affordable plates from traditional Spanish and Portuguese makers.
Keep scrolling for job-done complete dinner sets or plates and bowls that can be purchased separately within a wider range to create a combination you love and the quantity you need.
The best plate sets to buy, at a glance
- Best plate set overall: The White Company Symons Bone China Dinner Plate
- Best colourful plate set: John Lewis Two Tone Stoneware Dinner Plates
- Best decorative plate set: Wicklewood Sunbeam Dinner Plates
What's the best material for a dinnerware set?
Before you choose your plates purely based on their looks, do consider the material that suits your needs best. There are three popular offerings that you'll see on your search: bone china, stoneware and porcelain.
The first of these, bone china, is the thinnest, most expensive and most delicate type. This is perfect for occasional use, formal dining or special events as it looks incredibly elegant but isn't very durable. Stoneware is particularly trendy at the moment, it is stylish, chunky and modern feeling. Stoneware is often the most affordable option, but does still require some attention as it can mark quite easily. In the middle of these two options is porcelain. This is the most common of the three and possesses most of the qualities you'd want in a plate. It is affordable, durable, dishwasher and microwave safe, so it is a great all rounder.
22 best plate sets to buy, at a glance
Once you've chosen your plates, all you need to do is pair them with some lovely cutlery and glasses. However, if you're going all out, we do have handy guides to napkins, tablecloths, candles and candlesticks that are well worth a read.
