How to Set a Portuguese-Inspired Table with Costa Nova Madeira

Some of the best meals are the unhurried ones: a long weekend lunch that drifts into the afternoon, a table crowded with plates to share, a pitcher of iced water catching the light. In Singapore, where so much of life happens around the table, it is worth setting one that feels relaxed yet considered. Here is how we style a Portuguese-inspired table at House of AnLi, built around Costa Nova's Madeira collection and a few well-chosen companions.

Start with plates that have a story: Costa Nova Madeira

Every good table begins with the plate. The Costa Nova Madeira Dinner Plate 27cm is made in Portugal from fine glazed stoneware, finished with a reactive glaze that creates a crackled surface, much like the effect of dappled light. Because of that glaze, colour and pattern vary from piece to piece, so no two plates are identical. We think that is exactly the charm: a stack of Madeira looks collected rather than bought.

Madeira comes in blue, grey and lemon green. For a calm, coastal feel, stay with one colour across the table. For something livelier, alternate blue and lemon green place by place, or give each guest a different shade.

Layer a Madeira Salad Plate 21cm on top of each dinner plate for starters, salads or dessert. The two sizes sit neatly together and make even a simple meal feel like an occasion.

Let the food travel: serve on a long tray

Shared dishes are the heart of a relaxed lunch. The Madeira Large Rectangular Tray 40cm (40 x 24 cm) is generous enough for grilled vegetables, a whole side of fish or a spread of cheese and bread, and slim enough to pass down the table. Like the rest of the collection it is fine glazed stoneware made in Portugal.

A practical note for busy hosts: Costa Nova stoneware is oven, microwave and freezer safe, and most pieces can go in the dishwasher (hand-wash oversized items to avoid knocks). That means fewer transfers between kitchen and table, and an easier clean-up once your guests have gone.

A pitcher that doubles as a vase

In our climate, a jug of cold water on the table is essential. The Costa Nova Pearl Water Pitcher 2.9L holds almost three litres, so it will not need refilling every ten minutes. Its white stoneware body and beaded edge, inspired by 18th and 19th-century European ceramics, add a note of classic elegance beside the more rustic Madeira glaze.

When lunch is over, fill it with a loose armful of flowers or branches. It makes a beautiful vase, and it means the table still looks dressed when the plates have been cleared.

Glasses for indoors and out

If your lunch spills out onto a balcony, terrace or poolside, glass can be a worry. The Caspari Acrylic 8.5 oz. Wine Goblet has the look of crystal but is made from a BPA-free, shatter-resistant material that is suitable for indoor dining and dining al fresco. Choose clear crystal to let the Madeira colours lead, or pick up a colour from the plates with emerald, cobalt or turquoise.

A touch of Portuguese playfulness

Every table needs one piece that makes people smile. The Bordallo Pinheiro Lemon Bowl is made in Portugal from earthenware and playfully recalls the skin of the citrus fruit. At 473 ml it is just right for olives, a zesty dip or a handful of sweets with coffee, and it sits happily alongside lemon-green Madeira plates.

Our styling tips for a long, relaxed lunch

• Mix, do not match. Let the natural variation of the reactive glaze do the work, and mix Madeira with white Pearl pieces for contrast.
• Serve family-style. Put food on long trays down the centre of the table so guests help themselves and conversation flows.
• Keep the centre low. Short flowers in the pitcher or small bowls of fruit let everyone see each other across the table.
• Think about the light. Blue and grey feel cool and calm at midday; lemon green brightens a shaded terrace.
• Plan the clean-up. Oven-to-table stoneware and dishwasher-friendly pieces mean you spend more time at the table and less at the sink.

Find the pieces at House of AnLi

Browse the full range of plates, bowls and sets in our Dinnerware collection, and discover platters, trays and pitchers in Serveware. You can see and handle the Costa Nova collection in person at House of AnLi, #02-139/141, Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247933, open daily 9am to 9pm. Questions? Call us on +65 6235 3851 or email info@houseofanli.com. Delivery in Singapore is free on orders over $400 (excluding sale items).