Linen Cocktail Napkins

Linen cocktail napkins in 100% washed flax linen at 180 gsm, cut 6 × 6 in. with mitered hemmed corners — the small square that goes under a glass and sets the tone of an evening. Our linen cocktail napkins hold a cold glass without going limp or pilling.

The detail people notice without registering why

The small square that goes under a glass and somehow sets the tone for the whole evening. Linen cocktail napkins are the detail people notice without registering why — the drink lands on cloth instead of paper, and the room feels a level more considered.

100% washed flax at 180 gsm

Woven from 100% washed flax linen at 180 gsm with a mitered hem. Linen’s particular value here is grip and absorbency at a small size: it holds the condensation off a cold glass without going limp or pilling, and its slight slub means a single fold looks intentional rather than flat.

Where linen cocktail napkins belong

Stack them beside the ice bucket, or hand one out with each drink. They belong at the kind of gathering where people stand — a drinks hour before dinner, a summer evening on a terrace, a bar cart in the corner of a sitting room. Because they are small, a set goes a long way visually: you can run a deep colour here that would be overwhelming as a full dinner napkin.

Cut for a glass base, not a lap

Cocktail napkins are held rather than draped, so they are cut far smaller than a dinner square — 6 × 6 in. is standard, wrapping a glass base with a couple of folds.

Linen cocktail napkin specifications

How to care for your linen cocktail napkins

• Machine wash cold on gentle
• Tumble low or line-dry — linen dries fast at cocktail-napkin size
• Iron warm for the crisp bar-cart look, or leave relaxed — both are correct
• Skip fabric softener — dulls the slub

Frequently asked questions

How much smaller than a dinner napkin are cocktail napkins?

Considerably — sized to wrap a glass base (6 × 6 in.), not to cover a lap. A dinner square is 20 × 20 in.

How many cocktail napkins do I need for a party?

More than guest count. People standing with drinks use two or three each across an evening. Order 3× head count as a rule.

Do linen cocktail napkins need ironing?

A press gives a crisper look, but linen worn slightly relaxed is a legitimate choice and always has been.

Best colours for cocktail napkins?

Deeper — a cocktail napkin small enough to run a saturated tone that would overwhelm a full dinner setting.

Complete the drinks-hour set

Browse all cocktail napkins, see embroidered cocktail napkins for something more decorative, or the full cloth napkins range.