Explore the stories behind twelve iconic dining rooms around the world—from Claude Monet’s to Jackie Kennedy’s—and travel through time in pursuit of the ultimate design.
Dive into history’s most captivating dining rooms with bestselling author and architectural writer John Ota. In The Dining Room, John brings you on a fascinating journey across the globe, investigating the architecture, interior design, and entire dining experience of twelve remarkable spaces.
Jumping off in 1790 with George Washington’s historic cabinet dinner and culminating in a contemporary farm-to-table feast in a Canadian forest, The Dining Room is a one-of-a-kind experience, with:

Firsthand accounts of iconic spaces: Tour Claude Monet’s garden-view Giverny dining room, the real Downtown Abbey, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s inspiring childhood home.

A spectrum of cultures and time periods: Travel from a historic Japanese samurai house to Frida Kahlo’s vibrant Casa Azul in Mexico City to Anne of Green Gables legend Lucy Maud Montgomery’s countryside manse.

Brilliant (and useful!) design tips: Get inspired by Frank Sinatra’s mid-century modern Palm Springs patio, the contemporary open concept of a modern-day architect’s home, Edith Wharton’s subtle gilded age anomaly, and Jackie Kennedy’s trendsetting take on the White House’s State Dining Room.

Each chapter features one unique dining room and bursts with expert architectural and interior descriptions and insight into the food served within—you can even recreate one era-accurate recipe for each location. Through his journey, John discovers the surprising impact of dining rooms on our lives and the cherished moments we share within them. Heartwarming and informative, The Dining Room is more than just a fun read—it’s an enlightening and joyous celebration of history, culture, and the art of dining.