Arrangement on the Plate

Until recent years, plated main courses followed a standard pattern: meat or fish item at the front of the plate (closest to the diner), vegetable and starch items at the rear.

This arrangement is still commonly used because it is one of the simplest and most convenient. Nevertheless, many chefs are eager to display their creativity with imaginative plating presentations.

In high-end restaurants in both Europe and North America, for most of the twentieth century, food was not plated in the kitchen. Instead, items were arranged on platters and presented to the diner by the serving staff. After performing various finishing tasks, such as carving small roasts, the dining room staff then plated the main items, side dishes, and sauces and set them before the customers. All this changed in the 1970s, when chefs began plating in the kitchen. Since then, plating styles have been changing constantly.