The moment you find yourself Googling the best dinnerware sets, you know you’ve transitioned into a fully grown adult. That level of maturity comes with the expectation of having a few domestic things in order, like a fresh set of bath towels that haven’t been with you since your college days, bed sheets without holes and stains, or a mattress that’s not on the floor—who doesn’t love a bed frame?! Once you finally graduate to this stage in life, your kitchen should have a full set of matching plates and bowls that can be proudly displayed right next to your color-coordinated cookware sets.
We’re not talking about cobbling together a collection in different colors and sizes spanning appetizer to platters, amassed over many moves with many different roommates. Nor do we suggest laying out random pieces of bone china from a relative; these are fully grown-up dinnerware sets that’ll last you a lifetime. If you were under the impression that proper place settings are something you’d receive as a gift for your wedding, anniversary, or starter home, think again.
From matte, minimalist tableware and everyday dinnerware to hand-painted porcelain sets that double as home decor, check out our favorites below.
Our Top Picks for the Best Dinnerware Sets:
Another cookware brand gone tabletop, Made In is preparing for dining domination. Available with place settings for four, the plate-ware is made in England and Italy and designed to be restaurant-quality. Not only are they chip-resistant, but the brand offers a one-year no-chip guarantee if it doesn’t live up to your dinnertime demands. It’s an elevated take on simple white dinnerware with a twist and is surely nice enough for special occasions or everyday use.
Don’t forget to give your serving pieces an upgrade if you’re tackling the rest of your dining tablescape. This eight-piece set includes two serving platters, two serving bowls, and a set of four smaller bowls. It’s perfect for grown-up dinner parties, snack attacks in front of the TV, and feeling really put together as you dig into your third girl dinner of the week. These designs can stand the heat (and cold) as long as you avoid super-extreme temperature changes. And yes, they’re dishwasher safe.
If subtle pops of color are your thing, this set from Crate & Barrel should catch your eye. A delicate ribbon of color tops every bowl, anchored with a rich, creamy porcelain. Also available with a black strip, these bowls are dishwasher-, oven-, and microwave-safe and can be purchased alongside other dinnerware essentials that match the design.
Sometimes a simple hint of color can make all the difference on your dinner table. This nearly sage green set and its ribbed texture will accommodate all of your last-minute dinner guests with full dinnerware setups for four people (16 pieces total). Plus, they’re dishwasher safe and attractive enough to work as serving pieces.
Porta is our resource for dinnerware no one else has or maybe even knows about. The NYC-based store exhibits untouchable taste, and while we had to pick a single dish to portray in our lineup, we actually recommend all of them. These hand-painted Portuguese plates make every meal feel like a European feast. Plus, they’re microwave- and dishwasher-safe.
For more enviable dinnerware, SSENSE has a surprisingly large dinnerware collection with unique and artistic picks from small creators like Henry Holland. The checkerboard plates, paired with his marbled bowls, make for a dinner party tablescape no one can rival.
Staub has a cult following, and it’s not hard to understand why—the iconic cookware brand makes some durable (and shabby chic) stuff that you hope and pray someone buys off your wedding registry. So it makes sense that this cereal bowl set pulls the right nostalgic strings. You can go all in and buy matching plates, too, if matchy-matchy is your vibe.
These antique-inspired melamine salad plates have just enough detail to make white dishware interesting. A threaded trim and elegant berry motif make these suitable for a dressed-up dinner, as well as a special occasion set. If you’re not sold on the white, try this bright baby blue.
These Fiore dinner plates are made by a brother duo in Southern Italy. The terra-cotta and small floral motif couldn’t look more suited to outdoor dining in a lemon grove. Or inside, on a rustic wooden table, some linen cloth napkins and a beautiful set of pewter silverware. Looking at these, you’d think they were more artifact than dishwasher-safe, but you’ll be happy to learn these are artifacts that can, in fact, withstand the dishwasher.
On the topic of Italian dining, these plates, aptly named Riviera, bring a Mediterranean vibe to your tabletop. The bold blue stripe and scalloped edge are perfect for making a regular old meal into a European occasion. We’re also after their soup bowls and dessert plates.
There’s something wonderfully postmodern happening on this Corelle set. There are more than a few reasons to love this dinnerware brand—and you’ve likely spotted it in your parents’ (or grandparents’) kitchen at some point. First, it’s really hard to chip these pieces. Next, the patterns are durable; this isn’t one of those situations where you’ll get further and further from the original design every time you pull these out of the dishwasher.
Made in Asheville, North Carolina, East Fork’s earthenware set has a down-to-earth vibe in refined silhouettes. There’s something special about the colors the potters are able to achieve; they’re rich in a way that feels like they came directly from the center of the earth. We’re into this mossy green, a collaboration with Momofuku. The exposed rims are a nice texture not only to look at but also to grip when you’re transporting everything from the kitchen to the table.