This diode's datasheet seems to contradict itself; what is it really saying?
I'm afraid the datasheet is correct.
It's all about typical and maximum ( or sometimes minimum) parameters.
The table you point out is the maximum Vf for some given condition, i.e. it tells us that any specim of such a diode is guaranteed not to exceed that value.
This is to allow for manufacturing tolerances.
The graph below instead depicts the behaviour of one typical diode in varying conditions.