Absolutely beautiful dining set! The wood is very, very nice - doesn't look like a veneer at all and it has a subtle sealant or finish on it that has been keeping it stain free. The only downside, and this is why I had to give 4 instead of 5 stars, is that the assembly instructions were incorrect. There are two pieces of the chairs that are swapped in the instructions, and when we screwed the first one in, according to the instructions, the screw went right through and cracked the wood of the chair leg. Very disappointing! It's not too visible, so we're going to deal with it. So for anyone who gets this set, take note that pieces F and E are opposite from what the instructions say.