'Small plates'

I will often have two ‘small plates’ that complement each other and a pudding. I don’t usually share them.
Sometimes the main course offering is just too much.

I like a big plate.

Ask. Waiters should be able to tell you whether a plateful is usually for sharing or eating by yourself.

At least caters seem to have ditched using slates unless you know different? Hated food presented on a slate plus the noise of using forks and knives with them.

Should read caterers

I find food portions have been getting smaller over the last 5 years or so. Nothing to do with plate size as the plates are usually enormous and come in all kinds of weird shapes and sizes.

I only have more than one course if we are out to celebrate something, but then stick to two, starter and main course, plus a plain black coffee while others eattheir desserts.

I don't like the new fad of having a butter board, smears of butter on a wooden board topped with fruit, herbs or spices. Looks a mess to me.

Agree re butter boards! Yuk

ah you mean like tapas?

I thought you meant small plates in order to keep quantity down.

Small plates are usually too small to be sharing I feel... unless you have lots as you might do with tapas.

I love the informality of ‘small plates’ dining.
We sometimes share a dish if it is something new that we both want to try, but generally just order for ourselves.

I didn't mean like tapas. It's just that so many menus today consist of 'small plates'. I ordered two once and it was far too much. I'm genuinely confused about it all. Modern life!

I recently attended a dinner for 10 people and the menu was small plates. It was very difficult to order from a very mixed group.

Some people ordered pies which were normal sized but tricky to try and share and other seafood was minuscule and only suitable for one.

However the desserts were massive.

I really didn’t enjoy it at all - I won’t be going back.

Just ask the server, and they will advise. For instance, if it is crab cakes, how many are there... I believe small plates are appetizers, the restaurants are just using a new name for them.

I wouldn't expect to share, and might be known to order two appetizers and dessert.

They aren't 'appetisers' over here nor are they tapas as previously mentioned. Fairislecable exactly put my concerns.

For anyone who wants to know.

www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/small-plate.html

Small plates can be far too small. Still, if I'm not very hungry (a rare event) I'll just have a starter and dessert - so I have no need for them.

Fairislecable

I recently attended a dinner for 10 people and the menu was small plates. It was very difficult to order from a very mixed group.

Some people ordered pies which were normal sized but tricky to try and share and other seafood was minuscule and only suitable for one.

However the desserts were massive.

I really didn’t enjoy it at all - I won’t be going back.

It's really not do-able for that number of people, as you found out, if the small plates are defined for 'sharing' - as even if they are normal plates everyone wants a taste of everything! Sharing is for up to 4 people I'd say.

For me small plates are a way of mixing and matching, rather than for sharing.

I think I'll give restaurants that have those a miss. The fashion will change and there are other places offering a more traditional service.

I’m pleased that several of our local pubs offer small versions of some of their meals. I often find the standard version too much.

Much prefer small plates. I am small myself and can rarely finish a main. Small caters for people like me. I used to have to ask for a child's portion and some places weren't happy to do that.

I've always detested the vile habit of 'sharing' my order with others!!! I order what I want. I don't want what others have ordered! We once had 90% of both our Thai meals scoffed by a very greedy ex-friens(!) Much to FH annoyance and disgust as greedy guts had ordered some white hot chillies dish that he loves so we couldn't even share his!!!! Another time I went to Chinese place with new work colleagues, when I returned from drying out my trousers after an incident with a pint, I discovered that the bosses wife and he drunk mate had demolished my fish leaving a crash site plate of leftovers!!! I was livid! They slurred" have some of our then!" Theirs was in bits half eaten and full of stuff I didn't like!! Revolting habit invented by greedy guts!!

I grew up in HK and was amazed when I went out with friends here for a Chinese meal.
They didn’t realise that it’s a sharing kind of meal. I was very disgruntled to discover I had to eat all ‘mine’ myself🤷🏼‍♀️

Having travelled widely in the middle east where large meals are often "shared" I have no problem with this. People in some cultures (eg Morocco) eat with their fingers although western visitors are usually offered a spoon!