If brown is the new black, then bistro table and chairs are the new furniture. Well, they would be, except that they have been around for almost two centuries now. Ask most people what a bistro table and chair set actually is and, chances are, they will shrug their shoulders and say they don’t know. But, really, we’ve all seen them, especially those of us who live in cities or countries that exhibit continental sophistication. Yes, you have that right. The bistro table and chairs set is that easy-looking trio of small, inauspicious dining furniture that crowds the sidewalks, providing perching, posing, or lounging space to any city’s latt or mocha-drinking population.
Bistro in a Hurry
Bistro tables and chairs take their name from the famous and characteristically Parisian style of dining known as bistro. Bistros are cafes that sprang up everywhere around Paris towards the end of the 19th century. They served small but very tasty meals, often to soldiers who are in a hurry. This explains the name “bistro,” which comes from the Russian or Slovak derivative “Bystr,” literally meaning “hurry.” Bistro tables...