The Best Shape For A Dining Room Table If You Love To Host Large Dinner Parties

If you're serious about planning a dinner party, the most important consideration besides the decor and lineup of dishes is your dining room table. We've all been there, cramped around what would've been a beautiful evening of hors d'oeuvres, punchy natural wines, and catching up with friends ... but the seating is just too tight. The shape of your dining table matters if you're hosting a large gathering and want to accommodate your guests comfortably. So Chowhound reached out to Jessie-Sierra Ross, who runs the home entertaining and cooking blog Straight to the Hips, Baby, and is the author of "Seasons Around the Table; Effortless Entertaining with Floral Tablescapes & Seasonal Recipes," for advice. And as it turns out, the best shape is a rectangular table.

There are, of course, going to be inherent limitations to choosing a table, notably "the shape and size of your dining room or hosting space," says Jessie-Sierra. However, she adds that, "At minimum, you should be able to seat 6-8 people comfortably," which does seem a reasonable place to start. Jessie-Sierra suggests a rectangular table "with one or two insertable leaves that grow the tabletop when you need it." Leaves are a stylish and space-saving way to double seating in seconds, and help adjust your table to better suit your hosting needs.

While there's no inherently correct option across the board, generally Jessie-Sierra recommends a table that is "large enough to accommodate your guests with plenty of elbow room." Though it is key to ensure that there is still enough room to move around. There's nothing worse than feeling stuck in your seat. "I think the design and type of table is up to the eye of the beholder," admits Jessie-Sierra, but there are still many considerations to make. "Quality should be a priority, particularly if you're going to be using this piece of furniture often."

If you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of options on the market, Jessie-Sierra Ross' advises, "Look for sturdy designs and classic shapes." For those who envisioned a circular dining table, this is less recommended as it is incompatible with various seat types and has overall less surface area than a rectangular one. Instead, an oval-shaped table creates a nice compromise as it nicely combines rectangular recommendations with rounded edges. 

When it comes to specific style, it'll come down to personal preference as much as expert suggestion. So long as the table is sturdy, you can make different styles work for you. Jessie-Sierra explains that, "Trestle tables with extra beams that connect the legs together are sturdier by design." But for those who want a sleeker appearance, she suggests checking out the furniture in person so that you can "give it a push at the store to make sure it doesn't 'wiggle' precariously." And if you can't try it out at the store, make sure it's got a solid return policy if it arrives and doesn't suit your vision. 

Finally, if you never seem to have enough table space regardless of the design and need to make more room in a pinch, Jessie-Sierra has a suggestion: "What I prefer to do is to open more room at the table by creating a buffet space (either in the kitchen or a large surface in another room) for people to serve themselves." With fewer platters taking up surface area, you'll likely be able to fit more settings at the table. For larger dinner parties, you may consider expanding into other rooms or creating a centralized serving area, too, though beware that this can disrupt conversations.