course meal
Multi-dish dinner
A course meal is a meal served in separate, sequential portions rather than all at once.
Each course—appetizer, soup, salad, main, dessert—arrives independently.
The term usually appears with a number: a three-course meal, a seven-course tasting menu.
More courses generally signal more formal or elaborate dining.
- dinnerPrimary evening meal
- dinner partyHosted meal with guests
- fine diningElegant restaurant experience
- prix fixeSet menu, set cost
- tasting menuCurated sequence of small courses
appetizer · amuse bouche · entrée · dessert · serving · dish · plate · tasting · chef · chef's table · restaurant · table · table setting · fork · knife · napkin · wine · wine pairing
meal service structure
course mealbuffet
Self-service meal display
buffet style · self-service · all-you-can-eat · smorgasbord · cafeteria-style
dining formality
course mealfast food
Speedy prepared meals
grab-and-go · quick bite · snack · takeout · street food