01Height, and the number behind it
Bar height is not a preference. It is set by the guest's standing elbow, which is 1050 to 1100 mm for most adults, and by the working height on the staff side, which is 900 mm. A single-level bar cannot give both.
| Element | Height | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Guest side, standing | 1050–1100 mm | Elbow height |
| Guest side, seated | 1050–1100 mm | Above a 750 mm table |
| Staff side working top | 900 mm | Same as a kitchen bench |
| Working top under the bar top | 150–200 mm lower | The step that makes both work |
| Foot rail | 200–250 mm above floor | Below the front panel, not on it |
| Speed rail | 100 mm below the bar top | Reach without looking |
The step between the two levels is the whole design. It gives the guest a 1050 mm lean and the bartender a 900 mm work surface, and the vertical face between them is where the ice bin, the speed rail and the drain run live.
02The wet zone, and why it is 316L
Beer, wine, citrus juice, chlorinated sanitiser and constant moisture. That is a chloride environment with acid on top, and 304 in it will pit at the weld toes and in the drain area.
- 316L on the wet run — the working top, the drain boards and the ice bin surround. The front panel can be 304 if it is dry.
- No lapped joints — a lap in a bar top holds liquid by capillary action and starts to smell. Fully welded, dressed and passivated.
- Drip edge, not a bead — a formed drip groove under the front edge stops liquid running to the guest's knee. A silicone bead there is a maintenance item.
- Fall to drain — 2–3 mm per metre towards the drain board, or a local dished section. A flat bar top pools.
03Ice bins, speed rails and the things that get added later
Every one of these is an aperture in a surface that must not leak, so they belong on the drawing and not in a phone call after delivery.
The hand wash basin is not optional in most food-premises codes, and a bar built without one gets a temporary unit bolted on within a month. Put it on the drawing at the start.
04Finishing a counter that is also furniture
The bars that age well are the ones where the finish was chosen for maintenance rather than for the opening night.
A workable compromise: satin on every horizontal surface, mirror on the front panel and the back bar, and the same grain direction on both so the light reads continuously along the run.
We make that grain direction a drawing decision rather than a workshop one, because a bar top and back bar grained in different directions read as two different metals under the same lighting. Our default is a horizontal grain running the length of the bar, carried onto the back bar at the same height. If the run turns a corner, we set the corner as the grain break and mark it on the drawing, because that is the only place a direction change can be hidden.
05Ordering a bar counter
Send the plan with the two levels marked, the fittings and their positions from a datum, and what the bar is cleaned with. We will quote the working top and the bar top as separate lines so you can see which one is carrying the grade cost.
We build bar tops in 5–6 mm solid plate, 316L on the wet run, with fully welded and passivated joints and a formed drip edge. Lead time is 15 working days from a confirmed drawing, packing on-edge with formed edges protected, and each piece carries an inspection sheet recording dimensions, apertures and grade — including the fittings, which is what a warranty claim is checked against if something leaks in year two.
Commercial stainless steel countertops · Restaurant counters, front and back · 304 against 316L, with the numbers · Send a drawing for quotation