A Gift Guide for the Excellent Dinner Host

It wouldn’t be the most wonderful time of the year without gathering with friends and family to share a meal, meaningful conversation, and a few laughs. For a holiday dinner party host, cookware and setting the table can set the tone for the evening, from the appetizer to coffee and dessert.

NUVO has rounded up a few items hosts can use in the kitchen to serve their guests or place for an impressive dinner table setting. Let the festivities begin.

1. Le Creuset Dutch Oven

The dutch oven has become a kitchen staple. As a versatile utensil, Le Creuset’s rounded-shape dutch oven made from enamelled cast iron has been “the world’s quality benchmark for almost a century” and a popular pick for slow-cooking methods or braising. Available in 14 colours, the dutch oven can also be used to make bread, stews, roast chicken, or curries.

2. Cheese Knife Set and Glass Haze Plate by Obakki

Obakki sets out to elevate dining spaces with its unusual and handcrafted offerings. The cheese knife set, made from upcycled cow horn by artisans in Guerrero, Mexico, features a small spade knife, plane knife, flat chisel, and stout serving fork.

Hand-blown in Japan and using a natural mineral pigment, the specialty glass haze plates are produced in small batches. The plate’s colourway inspiration came from slow-moving fog in Osaka, Japan.

3. Oversized Linen Tablecloth from Crate & Barrel

This linen tablecloth offered by Crate & Barrel is large enough to accommodate large sized seating arrangements and compliment any dinner place setting — with a variety of earthy tones to choose from. Pre-washed for softness, the table cloth features two-inch hems to keep the shape looking neat and tidy.

4. West Elm’s Holiday Skier Plate Set

A seasonally inspired design, West Elm’s durable stoneware plate set combines the pleasing details from a memorable day on the slopes, including skiers, tall trees, cozy ski cabins, and even a chairlift. The holiday skier sets are available as a set of four or eight plates.

5. Fourth Street Puddle Candlesticks

When ambiance and warm lighting set the tone at a dinner table, Fourth Street offers a set of nine candlesticks handcrafted from polished brass, ideal for the minimalist home and host. The set has an array of heights with sturdy bases for the candles and can also complement a mantel or a piece of furniture.

6. Houses & Parties Marbled Ceramic Bowl and Platter

Dedicated to devotees of the “elegant and unusual,” designer Rebecca Gardner founded Houses & Parties in New York. The event and interior design service has eclectic products catering to outside-of-box-thinking dinner-themed parties. To add a touch of colour and vibrancy to the tablescape, try the colourful marbled ceramic bowl and serving platters.

7. Haviland Le Bresil Coffee Cup & Saucer

Serve luxurious tea or coffee following the final course—or perhaps a palate cleanser between courses—in a porcelain cup with a hand-painted pattern. With the capacity for three ounces of coffee, these cups from Haviland ensure every sip is from a high-quality design.