Center-cut filets and chef Ji Kang’s butternut squash risotto usually draw the praise during a meal at Dakota’s Steakhouse in Dallas. Recently, the table lamps from Italian design company Zafferano have been the focus of attention.

Zafferano’s Pina Pro cordless table lamps quickly grew in popularity during the pandemic, when Manhattan restaurants began using the svelte lights to illuminate sidewalk tables.

In Dallas, Dakota’s owner Tim McEneny says he first spotted them at a design showcase last year and quickly purchased 68 of them, one for every table in the restaurant’s dining room and courtyard. The 14 tiny LEDs in each one cast a warm pool of dimmable honeyed light that makes everyone at the table glow like movie stars.

“They’ve been an instant hit, and the resto looks sexy as hell with them on at night,” says McEneny. “We turn off all the other lights in the dining room at night. They’re beautiful on the tables, much better than candles. And now, whether you’re 20 years old or 80, everyone can read the menu.”

They’d also look smart in your home, say, on a bedside table or a kitchen counter.

The sleek, rechargeable lamps come in two designs and multiple colors.

At $149 per lamp, the Pina Pro might seem indulgent. Available in five colors, they’re stylish, portable and rechargeable, offering more than 13 hours of illumination. The more traditional $169 Poldina Pro can glow up to nine hours on a single charge and comes in 11 colors and five metallic finishes.

Sophisticated enough for a fancy restaurant, they’re suitable for a backyard barbecue with friends or a warm night on the patio with a bottle of wine and a good book.

You won’t miss the flicker of candlelight one bit.

Resources: The lamps are available through several online retailers and directly from the company website, which also lists several Dallas-area retailers. zafferanoamerica.com