Bordallo Pinheiro
Portugal
EU
Bordallo Pinheiro is a Portuguese ceramics brand from Caldas da Rainha. The caricaturist and artist Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro founded the faience factory in 1884, and the company still makes its pieces there....
European Tableware Brands
Costa Nova
Portugal
EU
Costa Nova is a Portuguese stoneware brand from Vagos, near Aveiro. It belongs to the COSTA NOVA Industria group, which grew out of Grestel, founded in 1998 by the materials engineers Miguel...
Duralex
France
EU
Duralex is a French maker of tempered glass tableware. Its glasses and plates are produced in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin near Orléans, where the iconic Picardie tumbler has been made since 1945. The company...
Gmundner Keramik
Austria
EU
Gmundner Keramik is an Austrian ceramics manufactory in Gmunden on Lake Traun in the Salzkammergut. Its history is dated to 1492, the year of the first written mention. The trading company is...
Herend
Hungary
EU
The Herend Porcelain Manufactory is a Hungarian maker of hand-painted porcelain in the town of Herend near Lake Balaton. Vince Stingl founded the predecessor workshop in 1826. Since 1992 the company has...
Hollóházi
Hungary
EU
Hollóházi is a Hungarian porcelain manufactory based in Hollóháza, a village in the north of the country. Its roots go back to 1777, when a glassworks was built on the Károlyi family...
Iittala
Finland
EU
Iittala is a Finnish design brand for glass, tableware and home objects. The Iittala glass factory was founded in 1881 in the village of Iittala. Today the brand belongs to Fiskars Group,...
Karaca
Turkey
Karaca is a Turkish home goods company from Istanbul. Hüseyin Karaca founded it in 1973 as Karaca Züccaciye, a small glass workshop in the Süleymaniye district with 30 workers. Today it sells...
KPM Berlin
Germany
EU
KPM, the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin, is a German porcelain manufactory based in Berlin. The company, KPM Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin GmbH, has belonged since 2006 to the banker Jörg Woltmann, who runs it...
Mepal
Netherlands
EU
Mepal is a Dutch lifestyle brand for storing, serving and taking along food and drinks. The company is headquartered in Lochem in the Netherlands and started in the 1950s with plastic products...
Rosenthal
Germany
EU
Rosenthal is a German porcelain brand from Selb in Bavaria. Philipp Rosenthal founded the original business in 1879 and moved it to Selb. Since August 2009 Rosenthal has been part of the...
Royal Goedewaagen
Netherlands
EU
Royal Goedewaagen is a Dutch ceramics manufacturer based in Nieuw-Buinen in the province of Drenthe. The company traces its history back to 1610 and describes itself as one of the oldest earthenware...
Villeroy & Boch
Germany
EU
Villeroy & Boch is a renowned European brand that specializes in high-quality ceramics and lifestyle products. Established in 1748, it has built a legacy of craftsmanship and innovation in tableware, bathroom products,...
Vista Alegre
Portugal
EU
Vista Alegre is a Portuguese manufacturer of porcelain, crystal and glass near Ílhavo. A royal licence of King João VI authorised José Ferreira Pinto Basto to build the factory on 1 July...
WMF
Germany
EU
WMF is a renowned German brand that specializes in high-quality kitchenware and dining products. Established in 1853, WMF has built a reputation for manufacturing premium cookware, cutlery, and tableware, blended with elegant...
Zakłady Ceramiczne Bolesławiec
Poland
EU
Zakłady Ceramiczne Bolesławiec is a Polish manufacturer of hand decorated stoneware from Bolesławiec in Lower Silesia. The company dates its history to 1946 and calls itself the oldest producer of Bolesławiec ceramics....
Zwilling
Germany
EU
Zwilling is a renowned European brand specializing in high-quality kitchenware and cookware. Established in Germany, Zwilling has a rich history of craftsmanship and innovation that dates back to 1731. The brand is...
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Submit SuggestionEuropean tableware covers everything from hand-painted porcelain that is passed down in families to tempered glass tumblers that survive a school canteen. Several of the brands here are more than 150 years old, and most still produce in Europe. This page lists the brands that make plates, cups, glasses and serving ware and sorts them by what they are best at.
Porcelain and fine tableware
Hungary, Germany and Portugal have the longest porcelain traditions in the list. Herend paints its porcelain by hand and is owned largely by its employees.[1] Rosenthal, founded in 1879, has belonged to the Italian Arcturus Group since 2009,[2] and Villeroy & Boch is a German name with strong design collections. Vista Alegre is the Portuguese Royal Factory founded in 1824.[3]
Design, glass and everyday ware
Iittala stands for Finnish glass and modern Nordic design and belongs to Fiskars Group in Finland.[4] Duralex makes tempered glass in France, and Mepal offers practical Dutch plastic bowls, lunch boxes and bottles. It is owned by the investor 3i Group.[5] Karaca from Turkey sells porcelain sets together with cookware and cutlery.[6] WMF and Zwilling combine tableware with cutlery and cookware. WMF has belonged to the French Groupe SEB since 2016,[7] and Zwilling to the German Werhahn group since 1970.[8]
Smaller names on the list are Royal Goedewaagen from the Netherlands,[9] Gmundner Keramik from Austria, which the von Moy family has owned since 1997,[10] Hollóházi from Hungary[11], KPM Berlin, the Berlin porcelain manufacturer, and Costa Nova from Portugal, a stoneware brand whose group goes back to Grestel, founded in 1998 in Vagos.[12] Bordallo Pinheiro from Caldas da Rainha in Portugal has made ceramics since 1884[13] and belongs to the Vista Alegre Atlantis group.[14]
Comparison
| Brand | Country | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Herend | Hungary | Hand-painted porcelain |
| Rosenthal | Germany | Design porcelain |
| Villeroy & Boch | Germany | Porcelain and glass collections |
| Vista Alegre | Portugal | Porcelain and crystal |
| Iittala | Finland | Glass and Nordic design |
| Duralex | France | Tempered glass |
| Mepal | Netherlands | Everyday bowls and drinkware |
| Karaca | Turkey | Dinner sets and cookware |
| Royal Goedewaagen | Netherlands | Ceramic tableware |
| Gmundner Keramik | Austria | Ceramic tableware |
| Hollóházi | Hungary | Porcelain |
| KPM Berlin | Germany | Porcelain |
| Costa Nova | Portugal | Stoneware tableware |
| Bordallo Pinheiro | Portugal | Ceramics |
What to keep in mind
Hand-painted and design porcelain is expensive and often not dishwasher-proof for decorated pieces, so check the care instructions. For everyday use, tempered glass and sturdy stoneware are more forgiving. Europe has few producers of very cheap tableware, because that market is dominated by Asian imports, so low prices usually mean smaller brands or supermarket labels that are not listed here.
Sources
- [1] Herend Porcelain Manufactory: History. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [2] Rosenthal: Rosenthal in 8 chapters. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
- [3] Vista Alegre: The story of Vista Alegre. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [4] Fiskars Corporation: Annual Report 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [5] 3i Group: Mepal. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [6] Karaca: Our History. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [7] Groupe SEB: WMF. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [8] ZWILLING: Firmengeschichte. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [9] Royal Goedewaagen: History. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [10] Gmundner Keramik: Firmengeschichte. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [11] Hollóházi Porcelánmanufaktúra: Történet. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [12] COSTA NOVA: About us. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- [13] Bordallo Pinheiro: Bordallo Pinheiro. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
- [14] Vista Alegre Atlantis: VAA - Vista Alegre Atlantis, SGPS, S.A. Head Office - Euronext Markets. Retrieved October 27, 2026.