No piece of restaurant furniture is more controversial than the communal table. You either think it’s a fun way to meet new people and embrace the energy of a dining room—or consider it a nightmare of ...

The communal table is a wonderful idea, holding out the promise of making new friends while breaking bread. But like many an ­ambitious menu item, it’s often better in theory than in practice. The ...

Communal tables like the ones at The Populist, which I review this week, are “in,” and from a restaurant’s perspective it’s not hard to see why. A long table accommodates more people than a string of ...

Communal-style fixtures are increasingly getting a seat at the table in restaurant design. These “communal,” “community” or “gathering” tables generally can seat eight to 16 people and have grown more ...

Over the last three years, we’ve seen more coworking offices pop up across the globe. The number of coworking members surpass half a million. So why do individuals love coworking spaces so much?

When San Franciscan Terri McKenna and her single friends head to Pres a Vi in the Presidio, they usually sit at the communal table. There's almost always a cluster of men sitting there, too. And by ...

What do you have against elbows? I am an only child. I went to Disney World with my mom. I watch Olive Garden commercials and dream of big Italian families shouting friendly things across large tables ...

While the discussion under 10 Terrible Dining Trends was very interesting, and I think it will cause readers to be a little more careful about joking about dogs and Asian restaurants, it did get us a ...

Communal dining tables are having a moment. Here's how to navigate the social dynamics without awkwardness. Last night, my husband and I decided to go out to dinner and specifically try a ...

Last night, my husband and I decided to go out to dinner and specifically try a communal-table restaurant. (I’m required to eat good food for research purposes—my life is so hard!) Communal tables are ...