The best dinnerware sets do more than serve food — they set the tone. Whether it’s the names behind the scene-iest restaurants or your suburban friend with a suspiciously curated tablescape, anyone who knows anything knows the plates matter. A lot.
Dinnerware is the outfit of the table: it says something about you. Are you minimalist and austere? Playful and bold? Like switching shoes, a new plate set instantly changes the mood.
If you’re looking for basic? Keep scrolling. Search “white dinnerware” and you’ll find hundreds of options. But this is Livingetc. Even the surfaces we eat on need an edge.
"There are options you can go for that will elevate your table settings without breaking the bank,” says Livingetc digital editor Hugh Metcalf. "Think artisanal designs that have a handmade quality to them, or plates that introduce interesting textures or glazes that can bring more of a 'quiet' quality to them than all-over prints and loud colors."
And while I love a beautiful tablescape, I’m not about to recommend anything you can’t actually live with. Looks matter — but so does durability. Microwaves may not be particularly chic, but they’re real life. So I did the legwork: I sourced only the best-reviewed, most design-forward dinnerware from top-tier kitchen brands (with a few culty newcomers worth your attention).
The food could be burnt. The cake from a grocery store. Cold. Doesn’t matter — when the dinnerware is this good, the table tells its own story.
Ahead, the artful, unexpected choices that prove good taste isn’t just about what’s on the plate — it is the plate.
Best Minimalist Dinnerware Set
It’s hard to decipher what in this photo — plates or bowls? Exactly the point. These ultra-minimal silhouettes are reduced to their most essential forms, glossed in a subtle sand glaze that feels almost sculptural. And no, your soup won’t spill. (Also: on clearance. Which never hurts.)
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four salad plates/bowls, and four bowls
Colors: Sand
Material: Stoneware
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Colorful Dinnerware Set
The daily dopamine set. It seems impossible to feel gloomy when you’re eating off of something this joyful. Designed by Milan-based fashion brand La DoubleJ, this set brings unapologetic energy (and a rainbow of hues) to the table — complete with all of the sartorial sensibilities one might expect. It’s dinner party–worthy but dishwasher-safe. You could use it daily (and probably should).
What it includes: Four dinner plates and four soup plates
Colors: Multicolor
Material: Porcelain
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Dishwasher safe; microwave safety not specified
Best Contrast Rim Dinnerware Set
Yes, it’s mostly white. But there’s a tension here — black accents, uneven gold rims, soft irregular shapes — that makes it feel more styled than your standard set. One reviewer called it “chunky and modern,” which absolutely nails it. The price point makes it an easy yes, but it doesn’t look like one.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four side plates, four pasta bowls, and four mugs
Colors: White/Black/Gold
Material: Stoneware
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Glass Dinnerware Set
Why don’t more people have glass dinnerware sets? Seriously — this material is futuristic, elegant, and surprisingly affordable. Pottery Barn’s Fortessa La Jolla bundle is made from an imported glass variety with beautiful milky swirls. All colorways are gorgeous, but this blue? Like staring into a tide pool. Ethereal, easy to style, and criminally underrated.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four salad plates, and four bowls
Colors: Blue (pictured above), Gray, and White
Material: Glass
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Build-Your-Own Dinnerware Set
When Gwyneth Paltrow designs something, you expect it to be considered, globally inspired, and unimpeachably chic. This dinnerware collab with CB2 and Goop delivers: sculptural octagonal shapes, hand-finished in Portugal, and inspired by vintage Provencal ceramics. Yes, it’s white — but the double-fired glaze gives it a glossy, almost hazy undertone offers something different. Build your own set — plates, bowls, mugs, even serveware — à la carte.
What it includes: Build your own dinnerware set for as many or as few people as you need — bowls start at $16.95, mugs start at $16.96, and plates start at $17.95
Colors: White
Material: Ceramic
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Earthy Dinnerware Set
This set isn’t earthy in the green-and-brown sense — but in its raw, unfussy finish, it absolutely is. The tones feel lifted from a muted paint palette: soft, warm, and speckled like something made in a very tasteful ceramics studio. If salt-of-the-earth had a design degree. With over 2,000 reviews and a 4.7 rating, it’s an everyday favorite that still feels like a choice.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four side plates, four cereal bowls, and four rice bowls
Colors: Mulitcolor
Material: Stoneware
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Splatter Print DInnerware Set
Splatterware is having a moment, and this set makes a convincing case for going all in. Made by a family-run, ethically produced brand, it’s maximal in the right way — dense splashes that read like marble, ink, or chaotic brushstrokes. Not for minimalists, but not trying to be. Plus, it’s enamel-coated steel (shatterproof!), which makes it just as good for indoor tables as it is for taking outside.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four side plates, four bowls, and four mugs
Colors: Burgundy (pictured above), Blue, Black, Grey, Navy, Red, and Turquoise
Material: Enamelware
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Dishwasher safe, not intenteded for microwafe use
Best Dinnerware Set for One
Exquisite. Ethereal. Heaven sent. This setting is technically for one, but you might want to buy multiples.... Made from opaline glass in dreamy shades of pearl, violet, and pale blue, it’s dishwasher-safe (yes, really) and absolsutely stunning. “Strong enough for everyday, but glamorous enough for a socialite soirée,” the description reads. A perfect 5-star rating backs that up — and one reviewer notes they never get bored of them. For the record, neither would I.
What it includes: One lavender dinner plate, one blue salad plate, one pearl bowl, one light grey saucer, and one pearl mug.
Colors: Multicolor
Material: Translucent Milk Opaline Glass
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Classic Dinnerware Set
If you’re going to do white (excuse me, cream), make sure it’s not totally boring. This set is nothing of the sort with its bulbous pearl-like rims, scalloped edges, and almost cartoonish quality. It’s described as “unbreakable,” and reviewers seem to agree. Not microwave-safe, but with looks this good and durability this high, I’m not complaining.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four side plates, and four bowl
Colors: Cream
Material: Melamine
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Stoneware Dinnerware Set
It looks handmade, globally sourced, gallery-worthy — and it’s from Walmart. The stoneware is softly speckled, the silhouettes are deep and sculptural, and the full eight-piece set comes in well under the expected price point. But nothing here is expected — not the design, not the retailer, not the price. One reviewer said it exceeded all expectations. I’d argue it subverts them entirely.
What it includes: Eight dinner plates, eight salad plates, and eight bowls
Colors: Green (pictured above), Blue, and Black
Material: Stoneware
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Bone China Dinnerware Set
Fine bone china usually comes with a fine bone china price — so this Wayfair set is a bit of a hidden gem. Warm, sunlit, and elegant, it may not be your everyday go-to (though imagine), but for champagne brunches or slightly-too-long dinner parties, it’s spot on. And if someone has an “oompa” moment mid-toast? At this price point, you’ll survive. Reviewers say it brightens every table — and I believe them.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four side plates, four saucers, and four cups
Colors: Yellow
Material: Bone China
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Art-Forward Dinnerware Set
Completedworks has long been a fashion-set favorite for all things table-adjacent, and this 17-piece recycled glass set feels like the final boss. It’s got their signature Dali-adjacent, melted elegance — each piece (from taper holder to jug) is distinct, yet the whole thing lands with intention. Irregular in the best way. This is dinnerware with a point of view — and likely, a guestlist to match.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, two side plates, four tumblers, four wine glasses, a jug, a bowl, and a tapered candle holder
Colors: Clear (Green)
Material: Glass
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Handwash only
Best Reactive Glaze DInnerware Set
If you’re going to lean into ceramics, do it properly. This hand-glazed set from Portugal features subtle, artful variations that make each piece feel one-of-a-kind. It brings depth to a solo Tuesday dinner, but easily holds its own at a full table. Bonus: it’s oven-safe up to 450°F — so whether it’s roasted veg or midnight cereal, it’s more than up for it. Reviewers say it looks even better in person.
What it includes: Four dinner plates, four side plates, and four bowls
Colors: Coastline (pictured above) Cay, Costa, Concha, Cielo, Kiwi, and Opal
Material: Stoneware
Dishwasher/Microwave safe: Yes
Best Dinnerware Sets FAQ
Choosing the right dinnerware set is easier said than done. Livingetc digital editor Hugh Metcalf weighs in on the most frequently asked questions — and what to keep in mind before you buy.
How Do I Choose the Best Dinnerware Set?
Follow your heart. Are you a hyper-minimalist? A bold color enthusiast? Art-forward? Hugh Metcalf, Livingetc’s digital editor, leans toward the former:
"This is where I'd generally keep it simpler with the design, looking towards softer, more neutral colors, and avoiding patterns (or choosing plates with patterned rims, only). You eat with your eyes first, and a plate of food that looks chaotic set against something too garishly bright or patterned isn't going to get your appetite going.”
That said, don’t play it too safe: "In my experience, no matter how much you spend on a dinnerware set, if you choose a plain white set, it's going to end up feeling a little more basic," Hugh warns.
Also consider how your plates will look when not in use. If you’ve got open shelving, visual impact matters: "I love a plate with an irregular shape that doesn't necessarily stack so neatly — it makes stacks of plates feel less functional and more like a piece of decor or art.” (I couldn’t agree more. You’ll find plenty of offbeat silhouettes in this edit.)
Does a Dinnerware Set Have to Match?
Not necessarily — but some cohesion helps. "I'm still a proponent of a matching dinner set, so still invest in plates, side plates, and pasta bowls that match at least. This makes layering them up on the table more cohesive, and we can avoid things like charger plates,” says Hugh.
Dessert bowls? Go rogue. “Dessert bowls aren't so much of a must for matching, given it's always served separately, and this can actually be somewhere to experiment with design a little bit more.”
As for mugs: "I'd never worry about mugs matching dinner sets, too — it's too limiting in the design, and mugs are your opportunity to buy into ceramics that act as great decor, too.”
The bottom line: mix where it makes sense, match where it matters — and always consider how it will look and live in your space.
What is the Most Durable Type of Dinnerware Set?
China is often considered the gold standard when it comes to durability — but it’s not the only option." China, porcelain, and stoneware are all durable materials as they are vitrified at very high temperature," explains Louise Rosie, Head of Design at Wedgwood.
When choosing, think about how you’ll actually use the set: is it for everyday meals or special occasions only? And durability doesn’t just come down to material — proper care matters too. If it’s not dishwasher- or microwave-safe, don’t risk it. No shortcuts!
Your table’s set. Now brush up on the rules for entertaining — details that make a dinner party more memorable.
