I would say yes! People like to gather around the kitchen, while still keeping an eye on the game/movie/music or whatever is going on in the living room. It's a great place to site for breakfast or to drink a glass of wine while someone else is cooking. We just have a mini bar (with no overhang) and some simple backless stools, and we still use this area frequently, especially when we have guests.

I've known a few people who have one and it does tend to get used. One person doesn't have barstools, but at family gatherings everyone still stands at the bar to much and talk. The others who have one did have stools and the bar has been used like the above, or to sit at for breakfast or to chat with the person in the kitchen and as extra dining space when the table isn't large enough. So I'd say it's worth it if you see yourself using it in any of those scenarios.

munch*

I had the exact same thought when I first moved into my then new apartment, but I went and put the bar stools up anyway.

At my first dinner party event, I was impressed that most of the people rather gather around the little bar area then sitting on the couch, and because it's an open area where I can look out from the kitchen, I got to still have a conversation w/ my friends. =) So, I'd say it's pretty useful!

Absolutely!

It's great for everyday, not just parties. Great for breakfast or a snack, and great for organizing kids in the kitchen, especially when they are making cookies or helping with other cooking. It's perfect for homework and messy art projects too.

I would generally say yes, for the same reasons aschultz22 said. However, there can be overkill--I've seen situations where people have bar like that, and then a casual dining table, and then the living/family room, all in one continuous open space. In those cases, it seems like either the bar or the table often go unused--I say pick one or the other.

It's great! I had one in my old apartment, and miss in my current apartment. It was so easy to maintain a conversation while cooking, and made a great place to set out snacks.

I'm the opposite. I have one and I hate it. Nobody sits there because the living room is right there so that's where everyone goes. I don't sit at mine for breakfast either. When I bought the place I thought it was pretty cool, but it's wasted space that's a great spot for holding papers and stuff that I'll eventually get to.

My husband and I typically eat at the bar and when we have friends over for dinner, it's funny to see that people tend to stand at the bar and eat. Informal dinner parties, I like it :)

Definitely! Guests/kids can be "in" the kitchen, but not underfoot. The stools are immediate extra seating during a party (especially sports watching, etc). The bar area makes a great serving station.

I also agree with hyzen, though... My parents have the open bar, which faces the breakfast area, is catty-corner to the living area and is very close to the formal dining room, all in one mostly open space. I've only seen the formal dining used twice in 12 years they've lived there and even the breakfast table is only used when there are too many of us. It's mostly covered with junk!

We love our "breakfast bar" even if we never breakfast on it. That's where our guests sit to drink wine and nibble on appetizers while I am cooking them dinner. But we tend not to use them for our own meals because it's boring to dine facing the kitchen (and the dirty dishes).

However it is a clutter magnet so I am a shrew about forbidding accretions of mail, reading matter, shopping bags &c.

I didn't think we would use ours, but we actually have breakfast at our breakfast bar all the time. And like the others said, it's a popular spot at parties. I would also add that after a long day on your feet, sitting at the counter to chop vegetables for dinner is a relief.

Our new place has a bar, but it is higher than normal. Any suggestions on bar stools that are a bit taller?

We use our bar more than our couch and dining room combined! It's a great informal spot to hang out, talk, read, pay bills, cook, snack, craft, and such. :)

We have one that's higher than normal in an open plan kitchen/living/dining room - couldn't find proper stools, although the tallest ones from IKEA are ok for holding guests who want to talk to me while I"m cooking.

The other benefit of the higher than normal bar is that you can't see the mess in the kitchen from the dining room or the living room!

Yes all the time! People always want to hang out in the kitchen - it's a good place to put snacks and stuff and have people near the kitchen they love but technically in the room you are trying to entertain in ;)

I have a +20 family and we get together at my parents' house for the holidays. My parents have a large open area that includes a dining room table, bar/island, kitchen and two living rooms that flank either side of the kitchen. Every area of the open area is used for the holidays. When I go to visit, I sit at the bar and my mom stands in the kitchen and we'll talk. I would highly recommend a bar/island if you host or have a large family.

I second all of the affirmations above. also my husband has a bad back and sometimes will stand at our bar to eat rather than sit - it's a 42" AFF surface. My child used to do homework there while I cooked. I now do take-home work there from my laptop. The dogs are too short to reach it (unlike a standard 29"AFF table). Great place to set up a buffet or bar for parties. And our kitchen stove faces the bar so when we cook people gather at the bar to watch & socialize with us, sometimes we ask them to slice & dice for us too. We installed and end cap that's also a bookcase and houses all our cookbooks too.

I would never trade in my bar counter.

My parents and my grandparents both have a bar and barstools as described. It's not used much for everyday, but whenever they have guests over we often gather around the kitchen bar for chat, snacks, drinks and desserts.

I'd say it's a great idea if you have kids or lots of get-togethers.

My boyfriend and I have a little bar very similar to the one pictured. I find that when we host parties, people like to gather around the kitchen and although leaning at the bar is very common, the stools aren't often used. When it's just the two of us, we rarely use it. I do love how it opens the space though.

Yes they are definitely used, but I would store the barstools elsewhere when you have a party, as they just take up space and people seem to want to stand.

Yes! We use ours all the time. We always eat breakfast at the bar and dinner when it's just the two of us. For parties I like to put a platter of cheese and olives etc on the bar, so people always start off hanging out there, even if they end the evening on the sofa. We built our house and the only thing that I would change would be to not have the pantry directly behind the bar, as I'm always embarrassed when guests are sitting at the bar and can see right into my untidy pantry!

Yes! We just bought a house with that exact layout (a very open floor plan) this past Fall. We have had several gatherings and everyone will always gather in the kitchen but now they also gather in this bar area. They can sit and relax but still have conversation with those in the kitchen. Our barstools fit nicely under the countertop when not in use. Storage for wine glasses, beer mugs, etc. is a MUST for this area too!

In my house in New York the previous owners had opened the kitchen into the dining room by cutting away the wall and adding a counter top. It is lower than I have ever seen, the counter being the height of a dining table, and thus I just put two chairs in front of it. I never thought that I would use it, but it ended up being invaluable for parties or for occasions when I was using the dining table for crafts that I didn't want to move. I actually really miss it when I'm in my apartment in San Francisco.

We use the counter bar, when we are eating with our hands, and breakfast. Otherwise we eat at the dining table.

Yes. Definitely. At my parent's house it's THE place to sit.

Yes, yes, yes! I tend to lean towards the formal side of things, but it's so nice to be able to cook and my husband can sit at the bar and talk to me, or when we have friends over they congregate around it and munch on appetizers. I've had both bar and counter heights and I prefer the counter height - I recommend reviewing both heights before deciding.

I miss our old one so much! I am trying to figure out a way to work one into the redesign of our new kitchen. Its great for kids, people can, and want, to hang out while you prep and cook and its a great place to set up appetizers or buffet

Bars are not for me because I prefer very comfortable seating while I eat.

It depends on the scale and placement of the bar. Some places I've seen it looks like a last minute add on feature and doesn't work with the space. If it's done well, it can be a real boost to lifestyle.

I had one in my old apartment, and it got used often when I had guests. It was easy to go to the fridge and bring out snacks or pop open another bottle of wine. I would stand on the kitchen side, and they would sit on the living room side. We often end ended up eating right at the bar. However, I never used the bar when I was alone at home. Staring at the kitchen is too boring and awkward!

They're great...but only if the counter extends out far enough that your knee aren't banging into the cabinet when you sit down. Also the barstools need to be the correct height...for instance, in the photo attached to this topic the seats looks too high for the counter!

When I go to my mom's house for the weekend the first thing I do is drag out my laptop and set up camp at their bar. It's actually on the inside of the kitchen at their house so I can hang out there and talk to whoever is in the kitchen and also be a part of whatever is going on in the livingroom (while also surfing the Internet---a luxury because I can't get Internet at my house).

We use ours a lot, but honestly, one of our cats uses it the most! He likes to keep an eye on me while I'm cooking, so he sits on one of the stools and it works perfectly--he can watch me (and beg for treats when he sees something he wants) and I can cook without tripping over him.

I think it depends. In my parents house it doesn't get used because there arent stools, there are chairs backed up fairly close behind it, and it is always covered with stuff- it does get used as a buffet for get togethers tho. At my in-laws it gets used all the time for talking while cooking, or even helping while cooking. We have one in our apartment but are always keeping laundry baskets on the stools (away from our dog) so we don't use it for eating except when we have company.

We use ours constantly. When we have guests, everyone tends to congregate around the kitchen. When it's just us, one of us sits at the bar while the other cooks, and sometimes we eat there too.

I do agree that bars are overkill in some homes: no one needs a bar that backs onto a casual dining table, AND a formal dining area.

i still live with my mom and i always sit at the bar to chat while she cooks or when i'm waiting for my assignment. hahha

YES! These are the most popular seats in the house.

Our kitchen/living room bar currently serves as our only dining area and is therefore used everyday. We really like ours, along with our gas-lift adjustable bar stools (especially great when you have smaller kids), but we have found that it has not entirely replaced the coziness and convenience of an actual dining table and chairs. If you have ample room, I would highly recommend having a bar for the nice aesthetic they provide as a space/room divider and for informal snacking, entertaining, guest seating and gathering, etc., but also having a dining table or other table-height place to have family dinners, play board games, do homework, etc. Also, if you do decide to go with a bar area, pendant lights above are definitely the way to go. Good luck!

Without having read any of the other comments let me give you a resounding YES! I was just thinking about this as I watched one child eating breakfast, another doing some last minute homework, and a third working on his laptop before school this morning while I drank some ice water while folding some clothes all while we sat at the bar.

It's the most used area of our house short of our beds and the couch in the family room. It makes entertaining easier. I often remove the bar stools and use that area as place to serve food when we're having a big party. But the rest of the time we eat there more than we do at our table.

I grew up in a house with a butcher block bar separating the kitchen from the family room, and it was great! It was the primary gathering space in the house, and provided for a very easy flow of conversation between the kitchen and family room, including whoever was at the bar - eating breakfast, sipping wine at a party, doing homework, etc.

Additionally, because it was a butcher block surface, it was incredibly useful for kitchen prep. (This also meant it didn't collect mail, etc. as much, because it needed to be cleared before food was prepared.)

I say yes! Super useful.

I have one, though its more of a breakfast bar (and is next to the dining room). Its currently used for temporarily holding stuff (like spices until I get my shelves hung) since I don't yet have bar stools, but its my plan to be my dining area since the dining room is my office. I do use it to hold my tablet to read recipes on while cooking and its an awesome spot to put stuff to cool or get off of countertops in some form (like while cleaning or just holding bowls of fruit/etc).

Our "bar" gets a ton of use...but rarely for sitting and eating.

On the living room side, we've filled the space beneath with DVD containers. (We don't keep the DVD packaging; too space intensive.)

On the kitchen side is a kitschy German nutcracker stool that my boyfriend grew up with.

Mostly, though, the bar serves as the island that my kitchen doesn't have. It's where I knead dough, lay out large meals, or set things out when I'm deciding where they should go.

It's also the surface that catches all of those kitchen appliances that live in cabinets when not in use. Cook, clean, then put away.

We have one in our current place, and had one in our last place. Never used.

...except to hold junk! A large counter is better than one that is split into two levels so half of it can be the bar.

Does anyone have a breakfast bar on the kitchen side? We want to have a regular dining table, which needs to go on the living room side, but I thought it might be nice to have a couple of stools on the kitchen side for the kids to sit at and have a snack or something. Does that make any sense or is it weird?

@BenSchuler I'm leaving three pub height stools behind in a move to the West Coast. Depending on where you are, you can grab 'em (I'm in the DC area)

ETA: Sorry I meant BENHULSCHER. Mild dyslexia

Absolutely a must! I just moved in recently to my new condo and I am always perched on the bar stools. We couldn't find space in the living room to incorporate an office so I tend to work on my laptop at the bar and watch tv from there. Also, since it's just me and my husband, we tend to eat our meals at the bar instead of sitting down at our dining table. When I have friends over, they tend to sit there and we're chat while I make dinner.
I love, love, love my bar space and would definitely recommend it to any couples buying a place.