This 1890s Table Feature Solved a Problem We Still Have Today
July 20, 2025
Source: Harp Gallery
Have you sat down at a vintage pub table and noticed a tiny, often round platform attached to one of the legs? Maybe you thought it was a funky repair that had gone out of style, or just an odd piece of woodwork. As it turns out, this tiny circle of craftsmanship is much more intentional and ingenious than it may first appear.
That tiny shelf is actually a drink rest, part of an antique tavern game table design from the late 1800s and served a specific purpose.
A Feature Born of Cards and Ale
In the 1890s, pubs, saloons, and taverns weren’t just places to drink—they were places to socialize, enjoy leisure time, and play games. Patrons were seated together around heavy wooden tables playing poker, whist, cribbage, or dominoes. Except when it was time to play a hand of Gin, most game players had their hands full with cards. Where do you put your drink?
Enter these clever beneath-the-table shelves, which let players comfortably stow away their beer or whiskey, out of the main table surface zone so a mistimed gesture wouldn’t deliver a rogue drink directly on the bet, wager, or cards. Brilliant isn’t it?
Form Meets Function
While these round discs of wood were often mounted on iron brackets or thick carved legs. They were more than merely utilitarian; they were decorative. Most were made from the matching oak or walnut, and many were constructed to spin or swivel to offer easier access. Tavern game tables typically had multi-reservoir drink disc. Located about each table leg, so each player had a place to set their drink. An early understanding of ergonomics in table design. Keeping the table surface spread out but allowing for no one to go thirsty.
An Absent Design Feature
So today, these elements can be overlooked unless one has an understanding of it. Walking into a vintage environment bar, or an antique shop; many folks may see the small round shelf, wondering what is it for.
But, when you know the story, it is hard to get past how ingenious the whole thing is. It’s those little, and supposedly insignificant, details of the good old days – with elegance, and progress have addressed a problem.
Still Available via Antiques and Restorations
You can still find antique tavern game tables with drink reservoirs, if you look around. There are always restored tables from 1890s vintage furniture outlets, especially if you are looking in pub-saloon furniture shops.
In truth, some modern pubs have tried to copy the style of table, to maintain the brog atmosphere, especially if card night or board game night.
More Than A Table: A Slice of Social Life
In many ways these tables, in both design and shape, reflect and encapsulate their time. They remind us of a world that moved slowly, and in community. When people gathered in person, played cards by gaslight, and savored their drinks.
So, the next time you are in a space that has a curious little shelf under your table, take a moment to pause before you think about dismissing it. You are looking at history, a vestige from the golden age of tavern life.
And to be honest?
It is still a clever design. Cheers 🍻