Best coffee table books for a stylish home

Here at olive our favourite things are food (of course!), drink and travel so we've picked the books we would most like to have in our own homes. Coffee table books also make great gifts for friends moving into a new home or sprucing up their space.

For more interiors inspiration, check out our guides to the 20 best marble kitchen accessories for a stylish space and the best autumn home decor ideas.

If you're on the hunt for other gift ideas, see our picks of the best housewarming gifts, best gifts for coffee lovers, best foodie books for summer and best sustainable gifts for foodies.

Jump to:

• Best coffee table books at a glance
• Best coffee table books to buy in 2024
• What are coffee table books?
• What kind of books to keep on a coffee table

Best coffee table books at a glance

• The Flavour Thesaurus, £20
• SIFT: The Elements of Great Baking, £25
• Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, £36
• These Delicious Things: Memories and Recipes in Support of Magic Breakfast, £25
• Brutto: A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook, £32
• BAO, £29.95
• Jerusalem, £35
• River Cafe 30, £26
• Lonely Planet's Guide to Train Travel in Europe, £15.89
• The Modern Cook's Year, £28
• City Country Coast: Our House Your Home, £25.25
• The World Atlas of Coffee, £26
• The Dinner Party: A Chef's Guide to Home Entertaining, £22.07
• On the Himalayan Trail: Recipes and Stories from Kashmir to Ladakh, £17.07
• Black Food: Stories, Art, and More than 75 Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, £30
• The World at Your Table; Inspiring Tabletop Designs, £31.37
• Visual Feast: Contemporary Food Styling and Photography, £27.03
• The Noma Guide to Fermentation, £32
• Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World, £35
• London: Portrait of a City, £44.97
• The Gourmand's Egg: A Collection of Stories and Recipes, £40
• Food & Drink Infographics: A Visual Guide to Culinary Pleasures, £60
• Petersham Nurseries, £65
• The Connaught Bar: Recipes and Iconic Creations, £22.55

Best coffee table books to buy in 2024

The Flavour Thesaurus

• Available from Amazon (£16.65), Waterstones (£20)

Best coffee table book for creative cooking

Whether you want to understand better why classic flavour combinations work together, or are looking for inspiration for how to cook a particular ingredient, this book has all the answers. With a beautiful, eye-catching cover, flavours are grouped into themes including Meaty, Cheesy, Woodland and Floral Fruity. Within each of these sections you'll find 99 popular ingredients with suggested pairings. You'll find everything from the classic combinations — think cucumber and dill — to the more unusual (watermelon and oyster anyone?).

Buy The Flavour Thesaurus for £20 at Waterstones

SIFT: The Elements of Great Baking

• Available from Amazon (£21.98), Waterstones (£25)

Best coffee table book for baking

Whether you're an experienced baker, a first timer or are looking for the ultimate gift for the baker in your life, look no further than this new book for pastry chef Nicola Lamb. The book is organised in a unique but user-friendly way, categorising bakes for how long they'll take from an afternoon to a whole weekend. There are over 100 recipes to choose from including salted vanilla and pistachio layer cake, mocha passionfruit opera cake and roasted strawberry Victoria sponge.

Buy SIFT: The Elements of Great Baking for £21.98 at Amazon

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking

• Available from Amazon (£26.05), Waterstones (£36)

Best coffee table book for TV foodies

A doorstop of a book, Salt Fat Acid Heat is sure to make a statement on your coffee table. In the book, an accompaniment to the hit Netflix series of the same name, chef Samin Nosrat makes the argument that there are four key principals that are used to improve cooking: salt, fat, acid and heat. In this collection of 100 recipes you'll learn how to master each element to make your own food sing, from a simple, balanced vinaigrette to perfectly caramelised roasted vegetables and warming stews.

Buy Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat for £36 at Waterstones

These Delicious Things: Memories and Recipes in Support of Magic Breakfast

• Available from Amazon (£18.80), Waterstones (£25)

Best coffee table book for childhood food favourites

A combination of cookbook and story book, this volume isn't just a good read but is also for a good cause. It features words from over 100 of the UK's top chefs and food writers, published in support of Magic Breakfast to support children living in food poverty. Find childhood memories and recipes from Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Yotam Ottolenghi, Stanley Tucci and many more.

Buy These Delicious Things for £25 at Waterstones

Brutto: A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook

• Available from Amazon (£23.39), Waterstones (£32)

Best coffee table book for Florentine recipes

The second book by the late restaurateur and author, Russell Norman, Brutto shares its name with his Italian restaurant and is a celebration of Florentine food, where humble ingredients are transformed into extraordinary dishes. Norman shares a host of recipes from his time spent living in the city, as well as stories and insider advice on living like a Florentine. Find recipes including hazelnut meringue cookie and country-style bread with tomato salad.

Buy Brutto: A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook for £32 at Waterstones

BAO

• Available from Amazon (£22.46), Waterstones (£29.95)

Best minimalist food coffee table book

If you've opted for a sleek, pared-back living room but you still want some foodie inspiration for your coffee table, look no further than BAO. In this book Erchen Chang, Shing Tat Chung and Wai Ting Chung reveal 100 recipes from their Taiwanese street food restaurant group, including noodles, dumplings and the steamed buns that are its signature. These are paired with manifesto-style essays on the concept behind BAO and embracing solitude.

If you love BAO, read our guide to the best new restaurants in London this year.

Buy BAO for £29.95 at Waterstones

Jerusalem

• Available from Amazon (£25.25), Waterstones (£35)

Best coffee table book exploring the cuisine of a city

Jerusalem is the city where both Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi were born, and forms a great deal of the inspiration for the dishes served at their restaurants across London. Ottolenghi and Tamimi were born in the same year on different sides of the city — the former on the Jewish side and the latter on the Arab side. This books explores a city that is a magical melting pot of cultures and cuisines with influences from Muslim, Jewish, Arab, Christian and Armenian communities. Fine recipes paired with stunning photography.

Buy Jerusalem for £35 at Waterstones

River Café 30

• Available from Amazon (£30.05), Waterstones (£40)

Best coffee table book for Italian food

The River Café is one of London's most iconic restaurants. Nestled on the banks of the Thames in west London, it serves Italian fare and was started by chef duo Ruth Rodgers and Ruth Grey. This book is a celebration of the restaurant's 30th birthday and features more than 100 recipes as well as tips and anecdotes from Ruth Rodgers and archive material like bespoke menu artwork from friends of the restaurant.

Buy River Café 30 for £40 at Waterstones

Summer Kitchens

• Available from Amazon (£20.19), Waterstones (£26)

Best inspirational coffee table book

Offering a picture of life in Ukraine before the invasion, this book from Olia Hercules is inspired by the summer kitchens of her childhood. These small outbuildings were designed with their proximity to the fruit plot or veg patch in mind, so families can enjoy home-grown produce as it comes into season. Explore recipes for dishes like borsch with duck and smoked pears and poppy seed babka, as well as photography and writing on the people and landscapes of Ukraine. If you're looking for further inspiration, check out Olia Hercules's guide to Ukrainian food.

Buy Summer Kitchens for £26 at Waterstones

Lonely Planet's Guide to Train Travel in Europe

• Available from Amazon (£15.89)

Best train travel coffee table book

As we all look for more environmentally friendly ways to see the world, train travel is experiencing a revival and is a great way to visit places off the beaten track. This guide to train travel in Europe by the experts is filled with maps, routes and guidance to take you round the continent. Check out our Europe travel guides for more inspiration.

Buy Lonely Planet's Guide to Train Travel in Europe for £15.89 at Amazon

The Modern Cook's Year

• Available from Amazon (£19.95), Waterstones (£28)

Best coffee table book for seasonal cooking

With more than 250 vegetarian recipes, Anna Jones's The Modern Cook's Year is the ultimate seasonal guide to eating. Recipes are divided into six seasons and you can expect delicious creations like elderflower-dressed broad beans, rhubarb and rose geranium frozen yogurt and orzo with tomatoes and feta. Mixed in with the recipes are tips on everything from flowers to keep an eye out for in each month of the year to which music to listen to in each season.

Buy The Modern Cook's Year for £28 at Waterstones

City Country Coast: Our House Your Home

• Available from Amazon (£25.25)

Best coffee table book for lifestyle inspiration

The private members club Soho House has 38 locations across the world. Whether you've seen it in the famous Sex and the City episode where Samantha pretends to be a member of the NYC branch, or you noticed the subtle reference to the Dean Street Townhouse as the site of Harry and Meghan's first date from their Netflix documentary, Soho House has somewhat of a cult status. But now you can be in on the secret with this book, the third from the brand, revealing their most popular recipes, design inspirations, stories and tips. Read our review of Kettner's Townhouse, the hotel, restaurant and champagne bar by Soho House in London.

Buy City Country Coast for £25.25 at Amazon

The World Atlas of Coffee

• Available from Waterstones (£26)

Best coffee table book about coffee

Most of us enjoy a cup of coffee to get us ready for the day, but there's a lot more to learn about your morning brew than you might think. Whether you're a fan of a coffee pod machine, espresso machine, bean-to-cup coffee machine or prefer to go to a coffee shop for a barista-crafted cup of joe, there are so many factors impacting the flavour of the drink. In this guide, champion barista James Hoffman takes readers around the world, exploring how key characteristics and techniques impact each country's coffee.

Buy The World Atlas of Coffee for £26 at Waterstones

The Dinner Party: A Chef's Guide to Home Entertaining

• Available from Amazon (£22.07), Waterstones (£30)

Best coffee table book for entertaining

Australian chef Martin Benn, alongside his creative collaborator and wife Vicki Wild, have published the ultimate guide to planning a dinner party. The ideal host's companion, this book is filled with recipes for different courses, plus details on elements you can prepare ahead so you can spend time with your guests rather than being hidden away in the kitchen. There are also tips to create the perfect ambiance, from wine pairings to music playlists. Filled with beautiful photography, this book will have you dreaming of your next dinner party.

Buy The Dinner Party: A Chef's Guide to Home Entertaining for £22.07 at Amazon

On the Himalayan Trail: Recipes and Stories from Kashmir to Ladakh

• Available from Amazon (£17.07)

Best coffee table book for stories and recipes

On The Himalayan Trail is a celebration of Kashmiri and Ladakhi cuisine, studded with recipes and photography of the landscape and everyday life in the region. Chef and food writer Romy Gill takes readers on a journey through the medium of food. From shammi kebabs (minced lamb patties) to kanguch yakhni (morels cooked in spicy gravy) learn more about the little known cuisine of this region which is influenced by flavours and techniques from Mughal, Persian, Afghan and central Asian styles of cooking.

Buy On the Himalayan Trail; Recipes and Stories from Kashmir to Ladakh by Romy Gill for £17.07 at Amazon

Black Food: Stories, Art, and More than 75 Recipes from Across the African Diaspora

• Available from Amazon (£21.75), Waterstones (£30)

Best coffee table book exploring the African diaspora

With an eye-catching cover, this award-winning book is as much a joyful celebration of Black culture as it is a cookbook. Author and food activist Bryant Terry has cultivated a collection of recipes, essays and artwork from more than 100 contributors, with chapters exploring different elements of the Black experience including Homeland, Spirituality and Black Future. Recipes stretch from sentimental classics to fresh takes on well-loved favourites, from Jenné Claiborne's sweet potato pie to Suzanne Barr's jerk chicken ramen.

Buy Black Food for £30 at Waterstones

The World at Your Table: Inspiring Tabletop Designs

• Available from Amazon (£31.37)

Best coffee table book for dinner party inspiration

This book takes you on a journey in creating the perfect table design. From the tropical lushness of Palm Beach to the rustic charm of Provence, author Stephanie Stokes provides inspiration for how to pair design with recipes to turn every dinner party into a culinary and sensory experience. Learn about design principals and how you can apply them within your own home, and be inspired by beautiful photography.

Looking for recipe inspiration for your next dinner party? Read our guide for effortless entertaining.

Buy The World at Your Table: Inspiring Tabletop Designs for £31.37 at Amazon

Visual Feast: Contemporary Food Styling and Photography

• Available from Amazon (£27.03)

Best food styling coffee table book

When you leaf through older cookbooks it doesn't take much to notice how much food styling has changed. With the rise of Instagram and TikTok and more food programmes than we can count, how food looks has arguably become just as important as how it tastes. This collection of photographs showcases food as an art form in itself. It'll leave you inspired by the possibilities of food styling and probably in need of a snack!

Buy Visual Feast: Contemporary Food Styling and Photography for £27.03 at Amazon

The Noma Guide to Fermentation

• Available from Amazon (£24.75), Waterstones (£32)

Best restaurant coffee table book

Noma has been named the world's best restaurant an astonishing four times and fermentation is one of its cornerstones, making its way into the flavour profiles of many dishes. This book is a collaboration between Noma co-owner and chef Rene Redzepi and head of the restaurant's fermentation lab, David Zilber. Here they share the secret behind Noma's fermentation techniques so you can recreate them in your own home. With extensive photography, this makes a wonderful coffee table book.

Buy The Noma Guide to Fermentation for £32 at Waterstones

Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World

• Available from Amazon (£25.45), Waterstones (£35)

Best cocktail coffee table book

With a stylish, classic navy blue cover, Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World would make a welcome addition to any coffee table. The book contains more than 600 cocktail recipes from across the world, covering a historical period of 500 years. You'll learn how to set up the ultimate bar in your own home with practical advice on tools, glassware, garnishes and more. Recipes, from classic cocktails to modern twists, are interspersed with essays on the history of what we drink and how different cultures approach these beverages.

Buy Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World for £35 at Waterstones

London: Portrait of a City

• Available from Amazon (£44.97)

Best London coffee table book

London is a hub of art, culture, and (most importantly) food. Pubs with beer-stained carpets, the glitzy private member's clubs of Mayfair, chippies with parcels wrapped in vinegar-soaked paper, the dim sum restaurants in Chinatown serving up steaming baskets of dumplings — London is home to it all. This book uses photography to showcase the evolving metropolis, from the Victorian period to the swinging 60s, to paint a true portrait of our capital city. Read our guide to the best restaurants in London.

Buy London: Portrait of a City for £44.97 at Amazon

The Gourmand's Egg: A Collection of Stories and Recipes

• Available from Amazon (£30.35), Waterstones (£40)

Best coffee table book for food ingredients

On the surface an egg doesn't seem like much – the storecupboard staple for a quick meal. But The Gourmand's Egg does a deep dive into the humble ingredient and proves that it's so much more. Through a collection of essays, recipes and photography, this explores the history of humanity's relationship with the egg, from the Romans to modern day. As chef, food writer and critic Ruth Reichl says: "In cooking – as in almost everything else, it all starts with an egg."

Buy The Gourmand's Egg: A Collection of Stories and Recipes for £40 at Waterstones

Food & Drink Infographics: A Visual Guide to Culinary Pleasures

• Available from Waterstones (£60)

Best visually pleasing food coffee table book

While food is certainly a way of expressing ourselves creatively, there's no denying that it's also a science. This books has infographics on everything you need to know to improve your cooking skills, from measurement conversion charts to food groups, recipes, flavour pairings, cooking tools and much more. From mastering sashimi to cooking the perfect steak, this book is a feast for the eyes and will provide new inspiration every time you pick it up from the coffee table.

Buy Food & Drink Infographics: A Visual Guide to Culinary Pleasures for £60 at Waterstones

Petersham Nurseries

• Available from Waterstones (£65)

Best garden coffee table book

Located in leafy Richmond, Petersham Nurseries has become a destination for nature-loving foodies, with a plant shop, lifestyle shop, deli and restaurant. This books tells the story of the Bogliones, the family behind Petersham Nurseries, as they developed the small plant nursery next to their home over the course of 20 years. It's filled with images of the gardens over the changing seasons as well as recipes and home styling tips.

Buy Petersham Nurseries for £65 at Waterstones

The Connaught Bar: Recipes and Iconic Creations

• Available from Amazon (£22.55), WHSmith (£29.95)

Best bar coffee table book

This is a serious cocktail recipe book and it’s unapologetic about it. Many of the drinks require some effort and preparation but if you want to experience all the tastes of a leading cocktail bar at home, this is a wonderful book – it would also make a terrific gift for the cocktail aficionado in your life. We love the Yellow Submarine – a heavily herby aperitif made with gin, fino sherry, Galliano and celery bitters.

Buy The Connaught Bar for £22.55 at Amazon (£22.55)

What are coffee table books?

For this list we've defined coffee table books as large, hardback books with an impressive cover which use visuals and well as words in its storytelling. They're largely for display so the look is important, but they also need to have interesting content so you want to pick it up and leaf through it again and again. Unless you want change up your living room on a regular basis, longevity is key with a style and subject matter you'll want to return to.

There's no one-size-fits-all definition when it comes to coffee table books — any book that you think deserves a spot on the coffee table is a coffee table book.

What kind of books to keep on a coffee table

Coffee table books can reflect your home décor and interests. There are many large, hardback books on arts and photography as the format allows for high-quality images. Since we have a love of food and travel we've focussed on books around those subjects in this list.

We've included some here but if you want more inspiration read our guides to the best vegetarian cookbooks, best Italian cookbooks and best travel-inspired cookbooks.

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