At Chair Crazy, every day we help eatery owners make the right decisions when it comes to buying furniture for their businesses. And every day we’re asked the same question – which is currently the best restaurant chair on the market?
We fully understand the dilemma of getting rid of the old and buying the new. Getting rid of existing chairs and tables is like saying goodbye to an old friend. This is the stuff that’s been there for the owner when the rest of the world, including the bank manager hasn’t. When the eatery is empty, the chairs and tables are still there. Patiently awaiting the next paying customer. Welcoming him or her in, silently offering a comfortable place to sit and somewhere to put the wallet, phone and keys before the mandatory cup of coffee arrives. This furniture has created a look and a feel that is proprietary to the franchise. It’s solid, dependable and faithful in a world which no longer is. And, it’s about to be dumped for something fresh and new that might come with a host of unplanned for problems and be out of vogue next year. So, we get it.
Buying the new is equally daunting. Buying 25 new tables and 100 new chairs is an expensive business. It undoubtedly will be the single biggest purchase in this tax year. Maybe the single biggest purchase ever. It has the ability to signal new beginnings, or the next phase in the life cycle of the business. But a chair is not just a place to sit. And a table is far beyond a level surface to put your meal on. Restaurant furniture helps create an ambience and says so much about the experience that the restaurant owner is attempting to achieve. Sure, it’s a business decision. But it’s also a statement of intent, and a look and a feel. And it needs to last for forever. Or at least the next five years. And your existing customers must see and feel the change. and tacitly approve the decision.
But in today’s modern, choice-filled world there simply is no one answer to the perennial question of the best chair. There are choices and there are consequences. All we can do is take you through the chairs that would make it onto our top ten list, tell you why they’re there and then leave it up to you. Unless it’s a franchise, your eatery is your creation. And in order for it to be its best it needs to remain this way. So in no particular order, here they are:
- The Petal Restaurant/Dining Chair
| This is one of our favourites. Wood is definitely making a comeback in the upmarket eatery world, and the Petal Chair is one of the best examples of this particular substrate. It is a sturdy, strong, long-lasting chair, which can be sat in comfortably for the longest lunch. It has a broad bentwood seat and back which help achieve this honour. It comes in two colourways – natural oak for a light and airy feel and stained walnut for a more solid, woody and muted ambience. The chair is stackable when extra restaurant real estate is needed for other purposes. And it is weighted perfectly – not too light and not heavy. It is very Scandinavian in design and the bent plywood seat and back are very pleasing to the eye. The Petal chair is both expensive and good value. We have never had a comeback, and once in situ it is imminently durable. It is light on space when occupied, and the design allows for it to be tucked under the table. Arranged around a table, the Petal chair creates a compelling visual effect that is hard to beat. It is for indoor use only. |  |
- The Lyric Restaurant/Dining Chair
 | The Lyric Dining Chair is another absolute winner and is suitable for any type of contemporary eatery or hospitality outlet. It is a two-piece chair, and both the base and the seat are constructed from hardwearing and durable polypropylene. The Lyric comes with a padded seat which makes a significant difference to its overall comfort. However, this limits its outdoor use to a certain extent. What make the Lyric chair so elegant is the high back and the slatted seat surrounds – it is classic, elegant and stands out in a crowd. The Lyric Dining Chair currently comes in four different colours which are all very contemporary in appeal – green, dark blue, grey and black. It is highly affordable and is one of the staple lines at Chair Crazy, so is generally readily available.
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- The Siesta Sky Pro Armchair
| The Siesta Sky Pro Armchair is undoubtedly the reigning champion of the outdoor eatery world. If you have an outdoor area that you need to populate with tables and chairs the Sky Pro ticks all the boxes. The chair is contemporary in design, very attractive to look at and remarkably comfortable with excellent back support. It is stackable and highly UV resistant. It is sturdy and rock solid even under the biggest South African rugby player. And it can be left out in all weather, which makes it very suitable for hospitality South African-style. The injection molding on the Sky Pro is exceptional detailed and the polypropylene frame speaks quality when the chair is sat in. It looks good when placed neatly around a table and creates a welcoming ambience when used in numbers. The Sky Pro Armchair comes in an array of stunning colours – black, taupe, dark grey, white, olive green and marsala.
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- The Isabella Restaurant/Dining Chair
 | If you are looking for an entry level polypropylene chair that is strong and sturdy, simple yet pleasing in design, comfortable, durable and workable both indoors and out then the Isabella is a good contender. The chair takes up very little space and works well with small tables, under which it can be pushed fully in. For small, tight spaces it works very well and yet it comfortably seats larger customers with ease. The Isabella range is UV resistant so can be used both indoors and outdoors and is stackable when not in use. The slatted seat and back is what makes the Isabella comfortable and attractive. The Isabella also comes in an armed version, an occasional chair and in bar stool format so you can mix high and low tables together – very versatile! And it comes in a range of contemporary colours that will complement any décor choice.
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- The Siesta Victor Restaurant/Dining Chair
| If you are looking to recreate the Parisian coffee shop look then the Siesta Victor is an excellent choice of chair for your eatery. Elegant and stylish in a manner that never dates, this version is made from durable polypropylene that will last as long as the style itself. Comfortable both indoors and out, the Victor excels at helping to create the pavement café ambience on warm, sunny days. It is also available as a high/bar stool that enables a variation of seating heights to create variety either indoors or outdoors. Surprisingly comfortable for such a simple design, the Victor will be around for a long time to come. And it is very good value for money to close off the argument in its favour. |  |
- The Siesta Snow Restaurant/Dining Chair
| The design of the Siesta Snow restaurant chair is deceptively simple and at the same time decidedly elegant. A strong robust chair made by our premier supplier Siesta, we can recommend this chair to any hospitality owner that has a large space to fill on a tight budget. It also comes in a wide variety of colours, which can be mixed and matched successfully with whatever other décor has been chosen. The Siesta Snow is very popular at fast food outlets and at sports and recreational clubs as it can fit into any outdoor or indoor setting without clashing without its surroundings from a style perspective. Highly versatile, and as strong as an ox it is a great functional choice with a quiet style all of its own. Also great on the budget continuum makes the Siesta Snow an excellent all-rounder.
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- The Siesta Paris and Helen Restaurant/Dining Chair
| The Siesta Paris and Helen chairs are amongst our best sellers here at Chair Crazy. Made by Siesta guarantees the highest levels of quality, and this makes for a chair that will last long after cheaper alternatives have collapsed and disappeared. The difference between the two chairs is simply that the Paris has arms and the Helen doesn’t. The Helen also comes in a barstool format and the Paris also comes as a lounge chair, which is slightly lower and more generous in dimension. More suited to a coffee table rather than a dining table. The range also has matching table options for outdoor use and comes it a range of very contemporary colours. Versatility is one of the key strengths, but comfort also plays a role – the slatted seats and back give both surfaces more play which improves “sitability”. Another great allrounder from Siesta. |  |
- The Camden Restaurant/Dining Chair
| If you are looking for a statement chair to fit into a Nordic minimalist or predominantly white/black interior then you have to consider the Camden Restaurant chair as one of the options. Very comfortable and exceptionally stylish the Camden will add its own personality to any interior where it is placed in numbers. The chair cocoons its occupants but it does need more space around it than do many of its competitors. The bent wooden legs are really elegant and the padded seat and back make it one of the most comfortable chairs in our range. It’s not for every environment, but perfect for some.
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- The Belfast Restaurant/Dining Chair
| The Belfast Restaurant/Dining Chair is a relative newcomer to our stable. It has metal powder-coated legs and an upholstered back and seat making it a very comfortable chair to sit in for extended periods of time. The Belfast is also elegant and stylish in a very understated manner, and it comes in two shades of grey, upholstered in fabric that is both hard-wearing and easy to clean. The chair is very reasonably priced and we normally carry quite a lot of stock as it tends to move quickly. The chair is also stackable so if you need to quickly clear a place for a temporary dancefloor this chair is your best friend! | 
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- The Amanzi Restaurant/Dining Chair
| The last chair on our list of the ten best restaurant chairs in the Chair Crazy range is the Amanzi, which is a perennial best seller. The chair has very attractive lines with a fluted appearance on its back and sides that makes it quite different to anything else we have in stock. The Amanzi comes in side-chair (without arms), armchair (shown) and bar stool configurations, and so it can be used for all seating arrangements and for different table heights. It is also available in a variety of different colours. The chair frame is hardened metal, and the chair has a padded seat for extra comfort. As a result, the Amanzi is for indoor use only, which is one of its only drawbacks. It’s very reasonably priced and packs a huge amount of value for its mid-range price tag!
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And that, as they say in the classics, is that! Our top ten restaurant chairs in no particular order. And this is just scratching the surface. At Chair Crazy we literally have hundreds of restaurant chairs to choose from, but some tend to be more popular than others. So please come see for yourself. Lastly, we will update this blog on a regular basis so you can rest assured that whatever you see here is contemporary and current. Just like Chair Crazy itself…
