challenging - How Many Can Sit at a Table?

Summer brings lively which brings guests which brings seating issues. It is never fun to sit packed together at a table with no room to eat. No matter how great the food, people will come away with a bad experience.

People often ask me how many can sit at a single table, bar or counter. Let me offer some quick tips to keep you out of trouble and your guests comfortable.

• Place settings are about 18" wide.
• Dining chairs ordinarily run between 16"-20" wide for side chairs. Bar stools can be narrower and armchairs (often outdoor chairs too) can be 22"-24" wide.
• A safe number of space (width on table) to think for each diner is 24". This takes into inventory arms and movement while eating. Larger men with big brawny arms might want 30" of space.

Oval Back Dining Chair

Here are some general rules for table sizes:

• 60" long rectangular or oval table will seat up to 6 people comfortably.
• 84" long rectangular or oval table will seat up to 8 comfortably.
• 36" round will seat 4 people.
• 60" round will seat 8 people.
• 54" quadrilateral will seat 8 people.

challenging - How Many Can Sit at a Table?

What about benches or picnic tables?

True, you can squeeze people together a limited easier because you don't need room for lively chairs but 24" per adult is still recommended. For small children you can get away with a bit less.

Asking people to sit without back support, works for short period meals only. If you are planning a multiple course patio dinner hoping your guests linger for hours lively copious amounts of food and wine, give them a chair.

Always take into inventory the above measurements for diner space, your chairs and your family.

This table is 72" long and 44" wide. Following the above for 24" for each someone would mean 3 x 24 = 72". There are websites selling tables who indicate this is fine. It should seat three people on each side and maybe one on each end. Doesn't work in the real world.

These chairs are 19" wide at the seat and 21" at the chair back. Can I squeeze three chairs along a side? Not and give whatever room to move. What works best for this table is two on each side and one on each end for six total.

Remember, your guest should be comfortable. One needs room to eat, drink and pass food. More room is all the time good than less.

challenging - How Many Can Sit at a Table?

Top 3 Luxury Hotels in Puerto Viejo

La Cameleon Boutique Resort

This colorful resort is geared toward upscale travelers and honeymooners. The luxurious boutique hotel offers simple rooms that feature modern furnishings and decor. The rooms are bathed in a white color scheme with a tall, quilted headboard imposed over the lavish king-size bed. The pillows with turquoise accents stand out in this pristine room. The bathrooms are equally spotless, with white ceramic countertops and oval shaped mirrors complimented by a metallic finish. The white walls are brightened by intriguing and colorful modern art pieces. The dining room and lounge are also modern and have lovely touches, like a spiral wall art that changes in hue. The hotel restaurant, Antonio's Restaurant, serves tasty Italian dinners and afterward guests can enjoy a night of Latin reggae music and specialty cocktails at Stanford's and Root's Lounge and Disco. Guests have exclusive use of the surrounding beach, a calming blue pool, and massage deck. Puerto Viejo is one of Costa Rica's premier beach vacation destinations, and you should enjoy your stay at the very best beach resort in town.

Oval Back Dining Chair

Cariblue

Top 3 Luxury Hotels in Puerto Viejo

This Caribbean resort hotel is a stone's throw from the pristine white sand of Playa Cocles beach and just a mile from the old harbor town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The award-winning staff provides first-rate aid and the hotel is noted for being eco-friendly. The premise spreads across five acres in the gorgeous Costa Rican tropics. The 22 private, cozy, bungalows are charming with straw-like rooftops, while the interiors feature turquoise hued wall patterns that are reminiscent of the around crystalline waters. Bamboo-style beds are covered in comfortable linens, while the walls are decorated with indigenous-inspired art depicting tropical wildlife. All of the bungalows feature a underground balcony overlooking exotic gardens. The resort features and impressive gourmand cafeteria called "Sole Luna," as well as a bar. Spend a lazy day by the pool, kid's pool, solarium Laguna, Jacuzzi, and swim up bar.

Shawanda Lodge

The Shawanda Lodge is placed on Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast, near the charming beach town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The lodge's back-to-basics mentality is perfect for travelers finding for a relaxing beach retreat. You won't find Tvs or air-conditioning in the 12 underground wooden bungalows but you will have a one-of-a-kind experience. Rooms encompass a "neo-primitive" theme with an artistic mixture of bamboo and palm, noble woods, and unique ceramic designs. Each cottage has a terrace with spacious sitting area that holds a wooden sofa chair and hammock so that guests may doze off to the sounds of the tropics. Look no added for tasty tropical and French-influenced meals, the cafeteria at Shawandha Lodge is exquisite.

Top 3 Luxury Hotels in Puerto Viejo