The best cocktail napkins for party season

With a choice of rich colours, Once Milano offers some of the best quality cocktail napkins we tested. Aside from this classic buff (as well as white and grey), there’s also the choice of a deep jade green, an earthy olive and a wonderful claret. Typically cocktail napkins come in sets of four, so this set felt generous in its additional piece. They’re also presented beautifully in a linen pouch for neat storage and the presentation felt ideal for gifting. As you might expect from an Italian linen brand, they’re thoughtfully designed in a weighty fabric and are 18x18cm for a generous size ideally suited to cicchetti or similar.

Having been both an interior designer and a fashion designer and making it to the grand old age of 102, Iris Apfel's likeness on these sweet cocktail napkins feels somehow fitting for an object used to enliven your home. Her signature flamboyance is captured in beautiful embroidery. More than anything, we found they proved as a great talking point. Guests loved the opportunity to discuss one of this decade’s most cherished women and an icon of design.

These neat little squares have crisply stitched edges for a pleasingly precise finish – preferable in practicality to linen alternatives which can get ruffled more easily. We liked that they were tidy and flat and didn’t require laborious ironing or prep. The choice of monogram is a nice touch, but you can only select a single letter per four napkins, meaning you’ll most likely want to opt for last name rather than first. For that reason, perhaps they’d make a nice wedding gift for anyone choosing to share a surname. The spectrum of colours used is mixed and matched throughout the designs for cohesion yet easy differentiation when they’re in use, and the pop of red feels contemporary and unexpected in a welcome way.

Gaudy in a good way, these bright cocktail napkins bring a little bit of seventies Spanish glamour to proceedings – making them an ideal lighthearted nod for al fresco gatherings. Unusually these are printed rather than embroidered. While that means a loss of additional texture, which can be nice, it also means a nice flat finish makes for minimal wobble when we set our glass down. Each of these have a different image, so they’re useful in discerning whose drink is whose in a group setting. Plus, the pleasingly weighty cotton and tidily stitched edges add a clean finish and had the feel of high quality.

A classic size and shape, and made from pure linen, these cocktail napkins from Jonathan Adler have all the hallmarks of timeless pieces with a playful design twist. The satin stitch embroidery is surprisingly detailed, bringing to life an eye in an “all seeing” style with a clean linear framing. In the wrong hands these could feel a little twee, but the monochromatic palette brings things back to keep them feeling decidedly grown up. These make a great all-year round set, yet are equally fun for seasonal holidays like Halloween or Cinco de Mayo when you want to inject a little bit of fun to your hosting without going overboard.

While standard cocktail napkins are 15x15cm, the designers at Rebecca Udall demonstrate a keen eye for detail with their slightly expanded version. These sit at 15 x 22cm, which allows for a cocktail to sit side-by-side with a canapé or small snack. It might seem like a trivial note, but in practical terms it makes a big difference to the ease of use for you or your guests and we loved that they encouraged a comfortable atmosphere of both drinking and dining. The light but slubby linen ensured drinks sat plum to flat surfaces during testing, but the texture is still apparent to be able to be appreciated. We thought the soft khaki artichoke colour was a versatile tone, but other options include sky blue, a crisp white and a buff taupe - all of which work well together if you like a mix and match look.

These beautifully hand embroidered cocktail napkins are the perfect finishing touch for your soirées if you appreciate the art of ancient techniques. Each one is painstakingly finished to a meticulous standard, which not only gives them a refined edge but also ensures durability. The classic double hemstitch is a design that will last the ages; and as such they make a lovely wedding gift or similar. The passion flower design is pretty but understated thanks to the white-on-white approach. They're described as true white, but in reality the thick linen is more of an off white or light beige, which ensures there’s less of a contrast if your other tableware is muted tones.

Rectangular in shape, these are a great buy if you do a lot of hosting that goes beyond just drinks, offering up space for guests to rest a canapé or two, too. Undeniably chic, the black and white contrast is a combination that will stand the test of time, while the unexpected jaggy edge adds interest and a spirited touch. These have been made by the same company since 1880 in Spain, and are crafted from pure linen for a traditional look and feel. Even from a distance you can tell they’re well made. With a nice weight to them, they are just the thing to bring a sophisticated edge to parties.

Every one of these cocktail napkins are unique in their design thanks to being made in a way that also reduces waste going to landfill: They’re the offcuts from French linen tablecloths. The fabric is of a beautiful quality, with the richness of European-grade thread. Geometry is always inviting, and the box lines on these felt like a fitting design to pop a glass down on, making a centrepiece of drinks while keeping surfaces protected in a practical but pretty way. Lean into the unexpected red theory in an easily digestible format with these mini artworks that double up as cocktail napkins.

There’s no denying that sardines (and all canned fish, for that matter) are having a moment. Infinitely more suave than their tinned counterparts, these cheerfully embroidered napkins nod to the trend in a nicely non-literal way. Painstakingly cut around the shape of each fish, there’s exquisite detailing on the edges that adds interest and dynamism. The jolly colour scheme is just enough to bring a touch of revelry without things becoming gimmicky. They are also well designed so that guests can distinguish their own glass easily, and they’re made from a good, absorbent linen to balance style and substance.