family-style dining
Pass the dishes
Family-style dining is a way of serving meals where food comes to the table in shared dishes rather than individual portions.
Diners pass platters and bowls around, serving themselves.
The style evokes home cooking and encourages communal eating: The restaurant offers family-style dining, so we ordered a few dishes for the table to share.
- communalShared by a community
- passing dishesCirculating food at meals
- gatheringCollection of people meeting
- potluckCommunal meal, shared contributions
- plattersLarge serving dishes
shared plates · seconds · homestyle · home cooking · comfort food · buffet · serving spoons · help yourself · reach across · noisy · laughter · casserole · roast · mashed potatoes · bread basket · refills · convivial · hospitable
family-style diningà la carte
Separately priced dishes
prix fixe · tasting menu · omakase · pre-portioned · single-serving
family-style diningsilver service
Formal tableside food presentation
fine dining · haute cuisine · formal service · tableside service · tasting menu
family-style diningsolo dining
Unaccompanied restaurant meal
eating alone · grab-and-go · counter service · desk lunch · private dining
family, families, familial, familiar, familiarity, familiarize, unfamiliar, style, styles