While most patio furniture conjures visions of sad, greige big-box sets, the bistro set might be the one ‘look-in-one’ that still carries a whiff of something better – a warm, cobblestone-lined European street where good-looking people sip Sancerre for hours, with nowhere to go and everything to enjoy.
And the latest bistro-furniture trend lives up to the fantasy. Breezy, beachside outdoor dining brands like Serena & Lily recall Riviera scenes with marble-topped tulip tables and intricately woven Manau (arguably the most elegant strain of rattan), while no-fuss Danish design names like HAY – famously unwilling to waste a square inch – render weatherproof, powder-coated steel sets in shades of olive, anthracite, and iron red, bringing that Euro summer romance a little closer to home.
