Does anyone have a breakfast bar instead of a dining table?

[ihavetogoshoppingnow]

We’re having our kitchen re done in the summer it’s going to be 5x2.5 so we just thought we would have to do a U shape and have the dining table at the other end but the kitchen designer came up and with the idea of having the back wall full of full height units then an L shape on the opposite wall and a big breakfast bar coming out. It looks really nice and it’s bigger than our table is at the minute. I’m just not sure if we will regret not having a proper table or if it would put people off when we came to sell. Although there is room in the lounge for a dining table that’s where we have it at the minute.

An you sit around it ie opposite each other not just in a line? The former could be ok the latter definitely not.

Also being perched on high stools isn't that comfy for a long meal.

I have an island, or a peninsula to be more accurate, and no dining table. We got rid of ours when we had the kitchen redone. It's much more practical and it looks a lot better, typically I sit 6 round it but can get 9 easily. Definitely a good idea in my opinion and we eat round it often, which includes when we have guests over.

Also the point on high stools is an important one. Don't buy them. We have very heavy, highly padded chairs, with proper backs, that are height adjustable, I have them at the lowest height, as that's what we find comfy, but guests can increase the height. Of the folks we have regularly only one female friend always increases the height the rest don't and we've had many late drunken nights sitting on them.

I just have a large island which is finer eat,entertain and kids do homework round it
I have a foldaway table which is kept in the shed for the odd occasion (Christmas day)
I just used my garden chairs with sheepskin on to make it comfy

A family house without a space for dinner is a serious issue. I wouldn’t do it unless your lounge is large enough to fit a proper table and a couple of sofas etc comfortably.

If the space is tight in the kitchen, you could also consider banquette seating. The sort of thing that’s in the picture.

Or do sth like what Bluntness describes but it does sound like it would take a lot more space than you’ve got.

I hate sitting on stools, if you could do it with normal chairs maybe. And if there is enough space for legs. You need to be able to fit legs underneath properly too. I am fat and have been faced with gaps between breakfast bar and stool that mean I can’t properly sit at it. And I am not unusually fat.

Can you not just stick a table on the end of the L shape? Or are their units under the bar?

You can do it with plenty of leg space. More so than a table because islands are higher and the seating, unlike fixed chairs is adjustable.

One of my friends is about 6 stone over weight and she sits for hours happily. Basically we have adjustable height chairs. But yes, if you get the wrong seating it's very uncomfortable. The tiny backless stools are shit.

We use our actual dining room as a second living room, because we don't have formal dinner parties and if we did the room would be largely unused. As a second living room it's used daily. We don't need two dining areas.

The kitchen island is where our friends congregate and like to sit chatting (and drinking) even when I try to move them on to the living room. It's a social space.

I think it's important to use the rooms in your house for the way you actually live, not how you think you should.

Our island is large, but my friend has a very thin breakfast bar. Six round it max, and we also sit there predominantly. She has a large dining room table and we seldom eat there. We use the breakfast bar. However she has similar seating to me, and it's comfortable and stable.

It’s definitely in the seating. Decent backs and adjustable. And not those rubbish stools you have to tense every muscle to stay on! And foot rests, I hate dangly feet.

We will definitely get decent chairs with backs I hate stools.

There would be room for 3 on one side 1 on the end and then 1 or 2 on the other side.

We talked about just putting a dining table there but it looked silly I think the fact it’s linked in with the kitchen is what makes it work.

The lounge is the lounge and dining room knocked through so room for a proper ‘dining area’ not just a tiny table shoved in the corner of the lounge type thing so if/when we sold we could put a table back in and dress it like that

If the kitchen is 2.5m wide then the breakfast bar will be 1.2-1.5m wide and there will be cabinets to one side on the side? I think you'll only seat 2 comfortably or max 4 with no way of walking around the space.