13 Pretty Serving Platters for All Your Dinner Parties

This serving platter is surprisingly versatile—and not just because it comes in eight different color options. For starters, it includes a set of three, which means you’ll always have the right size you need no matter what’s on the menu. It’s also dishwasher- and microwave-safe to help make your hosting duties even easier.

As much as we love how beautiful a ceramic serving platter looks amid a well-done tablescape, wood can be just as impressive. Wood platters can add a nice rustic feel, especially for a fall or Thanksgiving dinner, or a necessary textural contrast if there’s lots of glass and porcelain on the table. It’s also more durable—never a bad thing at a backyard dinner party.

Simplicity is its own form of beauty, which a classic white platter proves in spades. We also love that this one has loop handles on the end—they make large serving platters much easier to carry.

If you’re planning an outdoor event (or hosting one with kids and pets who don’t mix well with breakables), go with a durable, shatter-proof material like melamine. You can find a lot of stunning designs in the material at an affordable price. Take this one from Anthropologie—with its delicate floral design and scalloped trim, your guests might even mistake it for a family heirloom.

You can get the look of vintage or antique serving platters without having to scour your grandma’s attic or comb through a thrift store. Pottery Barn’s Heirloom Stoneware Serving Platter, available in all white or with a navy trim, has a look so timeless, you’ll be passing it on to the next generation, too.

The bright, colorful handblown glass of this platter is a feast for the eyes, but the real selling point is its versatility. One way, it’s a chip-and-dip platter. Turn it over, and now you have a stunning cake stand.

The right material for your party platter can depend on the dish you’re serving. If it’s cold—like, say, a cheese plate or dessert—marble will be better suited to keeping the temp cooler longer. It doesn’t hurt that the scalloped edges and crisp white tone will make the food look even more styled, too.

Like marble, ceramic serving platters are a natural insulator. They’ll keep your cold dishes chilled for longer, while hot dishes stay warmer. This large platter from Williams Sonoma, available in green or yellow, is especially durable: It’s microwave-, oven-, broiler-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe, so it’ll adapt to just about any menu plan you cook up.

Antique serving platters are really best on display as a piece of art. You’ll be far less stressed if you use a dish that’s been designed for modern-day use like Spode’s “oven-to-table” platter, which is microwave- and dishwasher-safe, but still offers that vintage look.

We love the size of this serving platter from Le Creuset. It’s small enough to tuck inside a cabinet easily, and just right for a party of four. And it comes in seven different colors to match your dining table style.

These serving platters are so beautiful, you could just as easily hang them on the well as you could use them for serving food. The handmade stoneware is bright and bold—a work of art, just like your meal.

Any tea party connoisseur or Bridgerton fan would find this pretty blue rose platter a welcome addition to their serveware collection. It’s made of melamine, too, so you can rest easy knowing it’ll hold up to whatever life throws at it when used for outdoor dinners or summertime parties.