There is something about a bar stool in the kitchen that lends a pleasingly casual air to a dining scenario. Pulled up to a kitchen island or counter, they suggest an air of the impromptu; nothing that is about to be gobbled or imbibed is destined to be a formal affair. A bar stool breakfast is a grab-and-go situation, plus they also make a perfect pew for guests to sit while nursing a glass of wine as the host busies themselves in the kitchen. They can, of course, be things of beauty too, as our round up of 21 of the best attests.

By Nancy Alsop
July 2023