Restaurant banquettes and booth seating: a guide
Banquettes and restaurant sofas are among the most efficient pieces of furniture a dining room can have. They make use of the walls, fit more covers than chairs along the same length and give guests a sense of comfort and privacy. That is why you find them in bistros, lounges, hotel restaurants and cafés alike.
A badly designed banquette is hard to fix, though: too deep, too low or awkward to clean, it will be with you for years. This guide covers the dimensions, types, construction and materials that make the difference.
Why banquettes work
A banquette along a wall, with tables in front and chairs opposite, is one of the most space-efficient layouts in a dining room. One side of each table needs no aisle behind the chairs, so you gain floor space, and two-person tables can easily be pushed together for larger groups.
Banquettes also work as part of the interior architecture. They divide zones, hide pipes or radiators, absorb sound thanks to the upholstery and add colour and texture to the room. Booths with high backs create private corners that guests often ask for when booking.
Dimensions: height, depth, back
A banquette seat is typically about 45 to 47 cm high, the same as a dining chair, so it suits a table of about 75 cm. Seat depth is usually around 50 to 55 cm. A seat that is too deep makes guests lean back, away from their plate, while one that is too shallow is tiring.
Back height depends on the feel you want. A low back keeps the room open; a high back, often more than 1 m from the floor, gives privacy and acoustic separation. For capacity, a common rule is about 60 cm of banquette length per person. The table edge should overlap the front of the seat slightly so guests are not left sitting too far from the table.
- Seat height: about 45 to 47 cm
- Seat depth: about 50 to 55 cm
- Length per person: about 60 cm
- Table: about 75 cm high, edge slightly over the seat front
Types: built-in, modular, booths
Made-to-measure banquettes are built to the exact length of the wall and give the cleanest result, but they are hard to move if the layout changes. Modular banquettes are made of sections that join together, adapt to different lengths and are easier to carry through doors and up stairs.
Booths, with facing benches and a table between them, offer privacy but less flexibility, since a four-person booth is often taken by two. Double-sided banquettes, back to back in the middle of the room, divide the space and serve two rows of tables. Freestanding sofas and backless benches round out the layout in lounges and bars.
Construction and comfort
A banquette's comfort comes down to its suspension and its foam. Springs or elastic webbing under the foam give resilience, and high-density foam keeps its shape for years. Ask your supplier which materials they use and how they perform after heavy use.
Small details make a big difference day to day. A gap between seat and back lets crumbs fall through and makes cleaning easier. A recessed plinth protects the upholstery from shoes, and legs that leave a gap above the floor allow cleaning underneath. Removable seat cushions can be replaced without changing the whole banquette.
Fabrics, cleaning and safety
Restaurant banquettes deal with sauce, wine and oil every day. Contract-grade faux leathers wipe clean easily, while stain-resistant fabrics feel warmer. As common market practice, contract seating fabrics are specified at 30,000 Martindale rubs or more.
Ask your supplier about the ignitability of the upholstery and request test reports, for example to the EN 1021 series. If covers can be removed and refitted, a change of look or a repair after damage becomes much simpler.
Measuring and ordering
Before you order, measure the space on site, not just from drawings. Walls are rarely perfectly straight, and corners, windows, radiators and sockets all affect the final shape. Check too that banquette sections will fit through the doors and stairways.
Almeco manufactures sofas and banquettes for restaurants, hotels and lounges at its own factory in Oraiokastro, Thessaloniki. Choose a fabric from our finishes library, see samples in our showrooms in Thessaloniki, Athens and Crete, and request a quote with prices and lead times.