The 12 best serving bowls - elevate the way you eat and entertain with ease

The 12 best serving bowls all have a real sense of easy charm to them, making entertaining or serving family meals a - very stylish - breeze

serving bowls
(Image credit: cb2, Anthropologie, H&M)

A beautiful serving bowl is a hardworking piece in our dinnerware armoury. Depending on the material it's made from, a serving bowl can be used to present anything from hot roast potatoes, rice and pasta dishes to salads, snacks and desserts. 

Whether you like to serve guests formally at the table or leave a big bowl for them to help themselves, serving bowls make eating with a crowd easy.

Some of the best dinnerware sets will include a serving bowl, but if yours doesn't we've found plenty to choose from. These serving bowls from the best home decor stores are beautiful enough to double up as fruit bowls, when you're not dining or entertaining too. 

Best elegant serving bowls

Best footed serving bowls

Best rustic serving bowls

Best simple serving bowls

What materials are best for serving bowls?

A selection of serving bowls on your dining table will make entertaining much easier and more relaxed, as guests can help themselves to as much, or as little, food as they like. As well as the color and style of your serving bowls, the materials matter too.

'China, porcelain and stoneware are ideal materials for serving bowls, as they are fired at high temperature and are durable,' says Louise Rosie, Head of Design at Wedgwood. 'Out of the ceramic materials, bone china is considered to be the strongest because of the crushed bone that is added.'

'The most common and the best materials for serving bowls are the ceramics, as well as wood,' adds  Daniella Bingham, tabletop buyer at Anthropologie.

Jacky Parker is a London-based freelance journalist and content creator, specialising in interiors, travel and food. From buying guides and real home case studies to shopping and news pages, she produces a wide range of features for national magazines and SEO content for websites


A long-time contributor to Livingetc, as a member of the team, she regularly reports on the latest trends, speaking to experts and discovering the latest tips. Jacky has also written  for other publications such as Homes and Gardens, Ideal Home, Red, Grand Designs, Sunday Times Style and AD, Country Homes and Interiors and ELLE Decoration.