What Size Outdoor Dining Table Do You Need?

Choosing a garden table is mostly a question of centimetres: how many people sit at it every day, how many on a Sunday, and how much terrace is left once the chairs pull out.

A simple rule

Allow about 60 cm of table edge per person, and about 75-90 cm between the table and a wall or railing so chairs can pull out. Where people need to walk behind seated guests, make that 100-120 cm. For width, 80 cm is the minimum for plates and a few serving dishes; 90-100 cm leaves room down the middle for shared food, which is how most Cypriot family meals are served.

Sizes from our range

• 80 × 80 cm square (Nardi Piave 80): about 4 people, one per side.
• 70 × 120 cm (Nardi Cube 120): about 4 people, two per long side.
• 80 × 140 cm (Nardi Cube 140): 4, or up to 6 with someone at each end.
• 100 × 160 cm (Nardi Maestrale 160, extensible): about 6.
• 100 × 211 cm (Nardi Tevere 211, extensible): 6-8.
• 280 × 100 cm (Roma teak): a long family table for 8-10.

Outdoor dining table size for 6 people

Six people sit three per long side, so with 60 cm each you need about 180 cm of length; 160 cm works if the chairs have no armrests. A width of 90-100 cm keeps the people opposite at a comfortable distance. In our range that points to the Maestrale 160 at 100 × 160 cm, or the Cube 140 with one person at each end.

Now add the space around it. A 100 × 160 cm table with 75-90 cm on every side needs a clear area of about 250-280 cm by 310-340 cm. If one long side is against a wall and nobody sits there, you seat four instead of six, so check which sides are really usable.

Extensible or fixed?

An extensible table stays compact day to day and grows for guests. The extended length is listed in the product characteristics: for example the Maestrale 160 opens to 220 cm and the Tevere 211 to 275 cm. Open, the Tevere seats 8-10. Keep in mind the weight: the Maestrale weighs 31.3 kg and the Tevere 53 kg, so place them where they will stay. Nardi advises lubricating the extension tube from time to time.

Square, rectangular or round?

• Square tables suit balconies and small patios and seat four evenly. Two can join into a longer table.
• Rectangular tables fit long, narrow terraces and seat more people per metre of terrace.
• Round tables make conversation easy but need more floor area for the number of seats.

Chairs change the numbers

Chairs with armrests are wider and cannot slide fully under the table, so allow 60-65 cm per seat instead of 55-60 cm. Check that the chair seat height suits the table: our Nardi tables are 75-76.5 cm high, which matches standard dining chairs with a seat of about 45-47 cm. Browse dining chairs or ready-made dining sets.

Materials in the Cyprus sun

The Nardi tables in this list have aluminium legs with adjustable feet, which level the table on uneven paving. The tops differ: DurelTOP resin on the Cube and Maestrale, regenerated polypropylene with fiberglass on the Tevere, HPL on the Piave and solid teak on the Roma. Resin and HPL wipe clean and need no oil; teak turns silver-grey unless oiled.

Measure before you order

Measure the space, subtract the room you need around the table, and compare with the table dimensions on each product page. Mark the outline of the table and chairs on the floor with tape and walk around it before you decide. Plan the umbrella too: a table under shade needs a base that does not get in the way of chair legs. More sizes are in outdoor dining tables and the dining collection.