Small-Plate Dining – Love It or Loathe It?
“Our concept is small-plate dining.” Have there ever been more dreaded words spoken by a server? It’s a theme that’s taken the culinary world by storm. Gone is the familiar progression from starter, to main course, to dessert (or cheese course, if you’re me!) that’s been the accepted mode of public dining almost since its inception; instead, the restaurant industry – and, apparently, the general public – has fallen head over heels for a dining experience consisting of a mildly chaotic delivery of diminutive bites, presented as and when the kitchen produces them, with little regard for the diner’s preference.
Fans of small-plate dining will cry. Well, yes, if you order 7-12 dishes off any menu, you’ll naturally get to try more things than if you stick to a 2- or 3-course format, but remember that small plates don’t necessarily equate to small prices. “It always gets so spenny!” cookery director Meike bemoans. “It irritates me in sharing-plate restaurants when servers ‘suggest’ what seems like a really high number of plates to satisfy, then you end up ordering less and still have too much.” And when a sharing menu features dishes ranging in price from £6.50 to a staggering £26 (as is common in popular restaurants such as Polpo and Brindisa), with no indication of portion size, you can end up spending a lot of money for not necessarily much food, something guaranteed to frustrate, no matter how delicious said food might be.
Especially if you’re dining with a big group or with people who have different dietary preferences. “Generally, there are only a few veggie options,” points out cookery assistant Georgie, “so it’s annoying sharing plates with meat-eaters as everyone wants to try the veggie bits but you still end up splitting the bill.” And since meat dishes are usually more expensive than their plant-based equivalents, that bill can feel particularly unfair for some, much like when non-drinkers are expected to split the cost of a boozy party.
Setting aside the predicament of what and how to choose what to eat (a matter that’s not unique to sharing-plate restaurants, especially if you’re dining with me –I strongly believe all food ordered in the company of a cookery editor is food held in common), there are other social pressures at play. “I tend to get preoccupied with whether people think I’ve taken more than my share of something, rather than the taste of the dish,” admits senior cookery writer Grace. And if you’re spending a meal worrying about whether people think you’ve been too greedy, or unacceptably messy (mea culpa!), is the social anxiety really worth it?
Sharing food with other people is an undeniably social and convivial experience. With lots of dishes on the table, there’s no shortage of things to talk about, and you can pass plates around and share everything – including germs. “Unless you’re dining with your significant other (and even then, I draw the line at sharing cutlery), I find the whole thing quite unsanitary,” says senior cookery writer Alice. “The thought of consuming food that’s been scraped off a plate with someone’s soiled fork is as bad as double-dipping.” She has a cunning solution – dine solo. “Getting to try a little bit of everything, in theory, sounds like a dream. The only way to do it is order a couple of plates and ‘share’ with yourself.”
Lest you think we’re a bunch of grinches, let’s acknowledge the good – you can discover more when engaged in small-plate dining, sampling more of a cuisine in one go, satisfying bored taste buds with more variety. And there are other benefits, as Meike points out: “You don’t get food envy as can try more things, and it’s more convivial.”
Avoiding food envy is a powerful argument in its favour, especially when dining with super-curious foodies. “I like that you get to try lots of different things, and they’re almost always more aesthetically pleasing than larger plates, with a higher concentration of colours and extra flourishes,” agrees Grace, “but, psychologically, for me, it’s a bit of a battle.” She’s not wrong. And if that makes us drama queens? So be it.
Love the idea of small plates but don’t fancy the restaurant drama? Check out our collection of delicious diminutive dishes to make and enjoy in the comfort of your own home.
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