A share plate of cultural trends

“We’d recommend 3 of the entrees, 3 small plates, then 1 or 2 of the large, depending on how hungry you are.”

If you’ve been to a half-decent restaurant lately, you would have heard a version of this (right before the all-consuming panic of having to choose sets in). Share plates are everywhere, responding to a clear demand for what Good Food defined as how “[a] generation likes to eat: flexible, endlessly remixable and most of all, good with a drink”.

Food has always been a useful barometer of culture and economics, both defining and reflecting emerging trends. Share plates are a prime example of this, as is last year’s cost of living theme, with closures and pivots aplenty.

So what’s on the cards, and what does it mean? 

For that, it’s helpful to look overseas. London (told you it was a theme) has always been ahead of its antipodean peers on this front - Guinness, orange wine, share plates, and maybe even brunch (don’t come for us) were all big in the UK capital before cracking the Australian market. And now, it’s dive bars that are gaining a foothold.

Crucially, it’s affordability, affability, and a lack of pretension that’s underpinning these new openings. Their owners speak of them being “a great place to spend some time” and “a place where the whole room welcomes you.” This bumps up hard against the strict two hour sitting windows and influencer-laden dining rooms of some of Australia’s hottest venues.

It’s also both a swing back from the demand for special experiences that drove much of post-Covid hospitality, and a clear demonstration that the desire for offline community among younger consumers is becoming stronger and more urgent.

Plus, it means we can all avoid that awkward moment at the end of every dish where we pretend we don’t want the last bite. Just eat the ravioli.

P.S. Share plates obviously have their place, especially at the likes of Cafe Paci, Baba’s Place, Cho Cho San, Ante, Firepop and probably also some in Melbourne.