Plated Dinner
Plated Dinner: A formal sit-down meal served plate-by-plate to each guest at their seat.
A plated dinner is the most formal service style: each course is plated in the kitchen and brought to each guest individually. It requires assigned seating because servers need to know in advance how many of each meal to bring to each table — the meal choice is collected with the RSVP and tracked on the seating chart, often via a colour-coded marker on each place card.
Related terms
- Buffet Style — Guests serve themselves from a long line of food stations.
- Food Stations — Multiple themed food stations placed around the room — guests graze.
- Banquet Style — A seated, served dinner with assigned tables — the traditional reception format.
- Place Card — A card at each table seat showing a single guest where to sit.