Restaurant patio tables

49 tables for the terrace, every one listed for patio use, with tops in aluminum, synthetic teak, steel, resin and wood. Settle the surface under the legs before the surface on top: brick, cobblestone and deck boards each ask for a different answer to a table that rocks.

Start from the ground up

A table that wobbles on brick wobbles all season, and guests notice by the second round of drinks. Look at what is under the legs before you look at anything else: brick, cobblestone, deck boards, poured concrete. Then plan how each leg will be leveled. A table is only as steady as the least even corner of the patio.

Tops, bases and shapes

Aluminum is the commonest top material here, found on 18 tables, with synthetic teak on 15, steel on 9 and resin on 8. Wood tops number 3 and stainless steel 2. Below them, aluminum bases carry 16 tables, steel 14, cast iron 9 and resin 6. All 49 tables list patio use, and 38 also list indoor use.

Square tops lead the shapes at 46, then rectangular at 30 and round at 19. A quick guide for party size: a 30 inch square seats two with room for plates, and a 36 inch square or a 42 inch round seats four. A 48 inch round fits five or six. Allow two feet of table edge per guest and a service aisle of about 36 inches.

One shelf per material

Narrower pages sort the same tables by material:

• Plastic teak tables for synthetic teak tops
• Steel and aluminum patio tables for metal tops
• Resin patio tables for resin tops
• Patio tables with umbrella hole, when shade goes through the middle

An aluminum patio table with a faux teak top is $279. Prices start around $77. Six listings are sets, which means a table bundled with other pieces, so open one and count what comes in it.

Care, then storage

Every one of these is listed for patio use, and still each needs the same short routine: a hose down, a place for the water to leave, and a cover or a closet when the season ends. Pair the tables with patio chairs and save the layout to Patio plans, then copy it forward next spring. Free table top material samples ship by UPS Ground, so ask for one at samples and look at it in your own afternoon light. Count on 14 to 21 business days for standard tables, plus freight time.