Go with what works for you and your lifestyle. It's foolish to live and die and design rules that don't work in your life.

If you are planning to use the table for prep space, pretend to do some prep on it. If it is a comfortable height for your needs, go for it.

Countertop height in kitchens is a standard based on what works okay for most people, it isn't a magic number. I know people who are very tall or very short who may not have the entire kitchen a custom height, but at least some kind of work area that is comfortable for them so they can actually use the kitchen functionally. It's something they have to keep in mind if they move, but since you are talking about a piece of furniture, not built-ins, no one is going to care.

Thank you for the feedback. Aesthetically, what is preferable ?

I'd say that they don't have to be the same height, but I would say keeping it around the same height is my personal preference. Unless you're doing bar-height seating, I'd keep it the same for a nice cohesive look.

I don't think 2 inches are going to make a difference as far as aesthetics are concerned. New place looks great!