The Best Places to Buy Nice Plates Online (That Aren’t IK*A)

Certified great hosts know that going to a disappointing dinner party, an unorganized barbecue, or a chaotic pizza night can be a real drag. Whether you’re dining with others or cooking yourself a nice meal, it’s simply a bummer if you get to the eating part and the vibe isn’t on point. After all, eating a dignified adult meal is ultimately about not just chilling out, but flexing and setting a mood, and in my many cases, that means abandoning all the mismatched, passed down discount-store garbage from apartments past, freeing yourself from the wok you stole from your ex (unless it’s, like, really good), ditching the novelty plates you semi-ironically bought at Goodwill, and upgrading from the joyless, utilitarian tableware you bought at IK*A 10 years ago that is far past its prime.

Look, your friendly VICE shopping team is many things, but snobs we are not—it’s hard to deny that IK*A rules for a lot of things [gestures toward massive IVAR shelf stacked to high heaven with books and films], including kitchen goods if you’re willing to spend more than $3 a plate. But there’s so much more out there. We’re here to remind you that eating great food is awesome, but it’s way more awesome when it, well, looks good, and dinnerware is a big part of that. Seriously—people always say you should get a chef’s knife that makes you feel like a baller, but having a nice set (or more) of plates will also change the way you feel about yourself. Plus, it affects how your dining companions see you. Sad, but true. We’ve all been to restaurants or cafes and thought, Dang, this plate/cup is cool. This makes me enjoy the experience more. Don’t lie—you have thought that exact thing. Well, what if that happened every time you ate at home?! Honestly, with just a few adjustments, it can. 

I’m sort of a dinnerware and tableware freak (plus, you know, it’s my job), and I love choosing the right plate or bowl for what I’m serving—it just makes the whole dining experience more fun, cool, and adult. This is some nerd shit for sure, but Year & Day just dropped an outdoor line, and I’m literally already planning meals around making my friends eat on the patio just to show it off. You don’t have to go that hard, but I can promise you that the homies will appreciate it when they come over and you serve them food on something that isn’t a chipped white $2 jawn or made of paper. On that note, here’s where to get cool, aesthetically pleasing dinnerware (and a spotlight on some of our fave plates and bowls).

Amazon

Yes, there is actually a lot of beautiful ceramic dinnerware on none other than Amazon—including from popular, high-quality brands like Mora Ceramics. Our editorial director Hilary Pollack, who is picky about kitchen goods, gives these chic Mora plates her highest recommendation—“love them”—adding, “[they] have that covetable shape (flat with a perpendicular rim) that opera-sings ‘garnished with microgreens’ and elevates every meal you enjoy on them, even if it’s just a microwaved quesadilla.” And yes, they are microwave- and dishwasher-safe—at $54.99 for a set of 6, they’re also a steal.

Crate & Barrel

[Beatles voice] Listen. Do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell? Crate & Barrel’s Logan stacking dinner plate is the main plate I use at home. I searched for a long time to find a nice dinner plate that was flat and white, and that had a hard lip around the edge, and this one fit the bill perfectly. Love it.

East Fork

Founded by a group of potters and manufactured in Asheville, North Carolina using clays shipped in from the American Southeast, East Fork’s pottery is among the best in the game—it’s sleek, smooth, durable, and comes in the most brilliant color options, from earthy Morel to smoky “Char,” part of a seasonal collab with Momofuku (we love “Char” on their espresso mugs as well). I especially love the side plates—they’re perfect for a little slice of bread or some salad when you don’t need to take up too much space.

Food52

There’s no shortage of amazing home goods, kitchenware, condiments, and other food-centric items to drool over at Food52, and its dinnerware offerings are nothing short of sensational, from recycled clay bowls to Mosser colored glass plates. Scandinavian legacy brand’s Dansk’s Cafe Blanc porcelain dinnerware is a the kind of cafe-core we absolutely love to see. The Christianshavn blue porcelain dinnerware I’ve had my eye on for a while is kind of making me rethink my entire life right now; the 16-piece set is super reasonable for how stunning it is.

Good Friend

The 10-inch Hasami Porcelain plates over at Good Friend, an online artisanal gift and home goods shop packed with beautiful stuff from design-forward brands like Areaware and Dusen Dusen, are made in Japan, and are truly calling out for some dip, a great piece of salmon, or maybe a curry. Very beautiful, simple tableware right here.

HAY

HAY, girl. These plates from the minimalist Danish design house absolutely nail the “simple but elegant” aesthetic that can elevate even the most basic of meals. Makes sense, since artist Laila Gohar designed this special collection for HAY to honor the Spanish tradition of sobremesa, or winding down with friends and family after a delicious bite. These come in colorful options like “white/green and sand rim” and “white/blue and orange rim”—whichever you go with, they’ll be begging to star in your next dinner party. Alison Roman cookbook not included.

Le Creuset

Last year, I talked to a bunch of chefs and determined once and for all whether Le Creuset’s cookware is actually Worth It™. I’m happy to say its tableware is, too. These timeless-feeling dinner plates will elevate anything you serve (yes, probably even chicken fingers as well).

Made In

Made In’s Tabletop Set is kind of diner-core thanks to its brightly colored rims, and we love it. Crafted in Stoke-on-Trent, England, “home to the world’s best china since the 1600s,” it’s also stain-resistant, scratch-proof, and both microwave- and dishwasher-safe in addition to being timelessly beautiful.

Material

Material may be best known for its high-end knives and cookware, but it also makes gorgeous dinnerware. Its Korean clay plates and bowls are modern and minimalist. Whether you believe the spice must flow or not, the Dune set is especially pretty.

West Elm

Perennial smart mall-walker fave West Elm’s Kanto stoneware lets you mix and match colors and plates/bowls, or you can just go ahead with a 16-piece dinnerware set. The Arctic blue plates will immediately transport you to an upscale restaurant and make anything you serve look so dank (even if it’s just mac and cheese). The Kaloh stoneware dinner plate is similar, but slightly smoother-looking, and comes in an array of nice colors.

Year and Day

Year and Day proves that you don’t always need a fancy name for your product, which is why its Big Plates™ are the Cali-flavored vibe right now (the brand cites the Golden State as a major influence on its design). And the outdoor Big Plates in Canyon? I’m, like, hallucinating burgers and potato salad ATM.

BRB, going to finally buy a couple Dansk Christianshavn blue porcelain sets and relocate to a cabin in the woods for the rest of my life.

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The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals?Sign up for our newsletter.