I have a big problem with small plates
4 March 2025, 09:25
Small plates are the latest annoying craze in the hospitality sector - I’m fed up with high prices for tiny portions.
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“Have you dined with us before?” asks the waiter as they take my order. That sentence makes me sigh. It means I’m about to be given a lecture on the restaurant’s philosophy and the feng shui of the room.
I’d rather just be handed a normal menu and pick my favourite food.
In Spain, they call it tapas. It’s exciting and romantic, an adventure for the taste buds. Think chorizo sausage and patatas bravas - it doesn’t get better than that.
Here, they call it small plates. It’s a miniature portion of food, expected to be shared, but still charged at the price of a full meal.
Walk into any restaurant now and you’ll be served a tiny plate of pasta and meatballs or a sliver of sausage roll, all in the name of “communal dining.”
Almost every venue has jumped on the bandwagon, seeing it as an easy way to maximise profits.
It’s impossible to gauge how much to order, so you either leave hungry or wading through a sea of potatoes.
Eating out is supposed to be relaxing, but this trend creates food FOMO - the constant anxiety that you’ve missed out on the best dish at the table.
If you do find something you love, enjoy that one bite quickly - everyone else wants a taste too.
What if someone has already salted the dish before you try it? Sharing is a hassle, leaving you awkwardly dividing two croquettes into three.
And then comes the final piece dilemma. Who gets it? Cue the passive-aggressive politeness.
Let’s keep small plates where they belong - on holiday in Madrid and Mexico, not in dingy venues in Macclesfield and Maidenhead.
I’m not a fan - I’d rather have my own proper meal than play pick-and-mix with my dinner.
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