Food Presentation Techniques: Enhance Your Dish's Look

Good food presentation is essential for any restaurant looking to entertain food enthusiasts. Plating food with care, thought and creativity can give food a unique feel that will put your restaurant a step above the competition.

By utilising food plating techniques, such as portion size, contrast, symmetry and colour, you can easily increase your food's visual appeal. This, in turn, can lead to your customers seeing more value in your meals, meaning you can raise your menu prices too. For this very reason, food presentation is an important component of ensuring a restaurant is successful.

But where do you start?

Fear no more! With our guide, we will take you through each step to ensure you deliver an unique dining experience while using the right restaurant technology for efficient food management. With our simple food presentation tips, you will be creating truly memorable experiences for your customers in no time. (And remember to share this blog with your staff so they can help design your food presentation techniques too!)

What is food presentation?

Food presentation is an important aspect of a dining experience. A meal can be rated five stars or zero based on how it looks. 

Restaurants that pay attention to food presentation techniques can create a truly memorable experience for customers. Adding visual appeal to the finished plate, such as cream and spices drizzled on top, or colourful sauces artfully arranged in a pattern, can contribute to the entire dining atmosphere and make guests feel special. 

There are no fixed rules for food presentation, but there are several tactics you can use to improve how you plate up and present your dishes. We have broken it down into four areas:

• Plating techniques
• Food arrangement techniques
• Visual plating techniques
• Garnishing techniques

However, the key to successful food presentation is creativity. Use our tips below to get started, but remember to experiment until you find your unique balance between flavour and visual appeal. Your goal should be a dish that looks as good as it tastes! 

Four tactics to present a well plated dish:

• Plating techniques

Plating techniques are essential in any restaurant. They help to create an overall aesthetic that can enhance the diners' food experience. There are several key factors to take into consideration when it comes to plating, such as:

Plate size and plate shape

This is the first food presentation tip to consider. It is important to consider plate size when designing your plate presentation strategy, as it can change the ambience and overall experience of the meal. For example:

1. Presenting food on a large plate can accentuate its appearance - such as using a wide lip to frame for your food. But a too big plate will make your portions look small.
2. Smaller plates can be used to create an inviting and elegant atmosphere. This works very well with appetiser or starter plates, where you can display petite items. However, a smaller plate may not be appropriate if you provide large portion sizes. 
3. Round plates or bowls are regularly used in most mainstream restaurants. However, some businesses may want to branch out into square dishes (with sharp, clean lines), oval dishes (soft, rounded lines), or more unusual shapes or designs. Certain foods will suit different plates, but if you decide to use one shape, it is helpful to keep the experience consistent across all your dishes. For instance, round plates for main meals mean round or oval bowls/plates for puddings. If you suddenly used a square plate, it might feel very disconnected.

Plating strategies that are well thought out will make sure your guests enjoy each dining experience.  Plate size and shape can also impact how quickly or slowly a customer savours their food.

For example, a popular food presentation tip is to use large plates for individual entrees, instead of larger platters. This is because large platters tend to encourage overconsumption. Consider different sizes and shapes to find the perfect plate for your food. Your guests will thank you!

Plate colour and plate type

One of the most popular food plating techniques used in restaurants and culinary design is the use of colour! Colour can be used to draw attention to different parts of the plate or meal. And different colours trigger certain feelings, help emphasise texture, and properly balance an overall presentation. This is why it is important to consider plate colour when hosting an event or setting up a restaurant.

In restaurants, light and dark plates are often used together. Dark plates (such as black, dark blue or purple) are best used in contrast with lighter-coloured dishes because they bring out the features of the meal.

On the other hand, white plates should be used for darker foods like red meats. Due to their bright and neutral tone, white plates bring out a vibrant look to any dish.

Restaurants will need to carefully choose a combination of colours and shapes when assembling their plates. They must all work together to enhance an appearance when plated together in front of customers.

Tip: if you want to go very bold and futuristic, think about using different materials for your plates or containers, such as metal or glass.

Type of restaurant

Setting the best food presentation for your restaurant is one of the essential aspects of running a successful business. This can be tricky depending on the type of food you’re serving, whether you’re a fast food business or a fine dining restaurant. Also, the restaurant's ordering and food preparation play an important role in food presentation.

For instance, if food is pre-ordered or sent to customers at a certain temperature, this could impact how food should be plated before it is served. Depending on the restaurant atmosphere and food genre, attractive food plating can make a big difference in how customers view dining experiences. Nevertheless, keep your ordering service neat and efficient to keep customers satisfied and avoid serving cold food.

It can be difficult, but you need to balance visual appeal with practicality - flat dishes with no lip are only suitable for foods that don’t contain sauces or liquids. Or your customers will quickly complain about the mess!

Overall, your plating techniques should be crafted carefully to make sure that your restaurant stands out and appeals to customers.

• Food arrangement techniques

It's important to think creatively while arranging food items, as food plating techniques are an art form as much as they are a science. With the right food arrangement techniques, you can emphasise a focal point to your food – and it's also easier to serve and eat. Taking time to learn arrangement techniques can add an extra layer of pleasure to any dining experience. 

Here are the key factors to consider when making a creative plating:

Get your food served in groups:

How do you serve food nicely on your plate? Well, during plating, it is important to pay attention to how your food items are organised. 

Separate different ingredients across your plate and consider the size, texture, colour and shape of each item, as well as the food item group. By doing so, flavour bites will be created, where the eye-catching presentation of your meal will add to its flavorful taste.

You can then choose to organise your food items in a variety of ways. From using the rule of thirds, to create a dish with even spacing, to creating symmetry, or emphasising one central element. Here are a few examples:

1. By using the rule of thirds, you can organise your food plating evenly, and clearly present each food type included in your meal. This can be useful to provide a classic plating style, where you group the carbohydrates, green vegetables, and the main food helps to create a visually appealing dish.
2. By arranging your plate around one central element, you can create a combination of flavours and textures with each bite. You could arrange your proteins on top of your starch or carbohydrates, with vegetables and other elements around the center. 

Carefully putting all your food elements side-by-side adds beauty to every bite and allows you to take in all of the essential colours, textures and flavours of the dish. And if you’re stuck: simply having a healthy mix of carbs and soft vegetables provides a balanced meal that looks impressive on any plate.

Don't overpopulate your plate

The plating process is a culinary art form, and it's important to remember that balance and proportionality are equally important for the overall presentation. When plating, it is easy to get carried away with adding an array of ingredients and garnishes. But take our word of warning - don’t overcrowd your plate!

Too much on the plate can create a chaotic look which takes away from the aesthetics of the dish. Additionally, when plating too much food, there may not be enough room to showcase each ingredient properly, and your dishes likely won't present as nicely. 

On top of that, overpopulating your plate can affect taste. Too many seasonings or food items can make your plate seem more like a salad bowl than a vibrant work of edible art!

• Visual plating techniques

An important way to make food more attractive and appealing is through visual plating techniques. These can add to the flavour of a dish, (unlike food arrangement techniques, which are about how your main food items all work together), and make it look more dynamic and professional.

With these food presentation tips, you can make the most out of your food, creating a focal point or points of emphasis that draw attention and make different food items stand out. Start by:

Serving odd quantities

Serving basic dishes in odd quantities can be an excellent tool for creative food plating. Whether it’s one item on its own, three in a row, or five in a group or stack, by pushing the boundaries of our culinary habits and breaking out of the typical groups of even numbers, chefs are given the freedom to explore design choices on a plate.

Odd numbers also have a bit of mystery and make it difficult to predict what ingredients you’ll find scattered around the plate, bridging the gap between art and palate. Adding this simple twist to your dishes will create visually stunning plating that people won't soon forget.

Colour diversity

The food presentation of a dish can drastically improve the taste of food for the customer. One-colour meals can taste great, but can give a bit of a bland visual impression. Whereas it doesn't matter if you are a food critic or an ordinary food enthusiast, when different colours are used to create an artistic food display, it definitely makes a big impact.

A white plate is a classic starting point, but adding a diversity of colours on top makes it much more appetizing and inviting. Everything from a risotto dish to fish and chips can be enhanced with a few extra colours. From vibrant reds and greens, to sunshiney yellows, this rainbow spectrum of food can catch anyone's eye. Even picky eaters may be more interested in a dish if it has a good range of colour. So don’t forget the importance of colour diversity in food presentations!

Creating height on the plate

Traditional plating styles often use a clock face as a guide. The main focal point is served between 4 - 8 o’clock on the plate, the starch is placed between 9 -10 o’clock, and the vegetables are placed between 2 - 3 o’clock. You may want to use this traditional plating style in your restaurant or business. However, lots of chefs now are experimenting with building height on the plate to create a more visually appealing and striking dish.

Some modern chefs take inspiration from landscapes, creating linear arrangements of food that is kept low, and often served on long plates.

However other chefs build height in their dishes, creating towers or artistically angling food items to get extra height in their dish. By layering elements on top of each other, it can add a playful element to dishes, where customers can uncover the dish layer by layer.

Whether you’re building height, or keeping it low, this approach allows chefs to separate subtle flavour profiles. By allocating flavours within individual heights, it can enhance their contribution to the entire dish. It also allows other elements—including colours, textures and flavours—to be expressed more clearly. Creating height on the plate might look complicated, but it can certainly yield a more creatively presented dish that enhances the dining experience for guests.

• Garnish your final piece

Using sauce plating techniques can help turn an average plate into a work of art. By creating sauce designs, you will be able to effectively garnish your plate and add a decorative flair that brings out the desired flavours.

Sauce can be a great tying element to your dishes, whether you’re using a free-form technique to create an abstract “painting” on the plate, or using it to bathe an element. Not only is swirled sauce plating visually pleasing, but it also allows you to create interesting flavour combinations by combining multiple sauces. 

To get started, consider practising with simple plates and experimenting with different swirly patterns until the desired sauce is achieved. 

When it comes to other garnishes - think about using contrasting colours to great big impact. Adding a sprig of colourful green herb on top of a plain starch, or chopped red chili on top of a curry, can instantly bring your dish to life and make the meal feel fresh. Vibrant or contrasting garnishes, that do not overpower a dish, can be a great way to ‘finish’ your dish - that includes your dessert dishes too!

With the right swirled sauce plating technique or added garnish, anyone can make any ordinary dish look expertly presented and delicious!

Epos restaurant technology

Your restaurant management technology will have a direct impact on how you serve your beautifully presented dishes to your audience.  To ensure your customers get the best experience, we’ve listed a few ways a good restaurant management system can help you and your chefs with your food presentation.

Smart inventory management

Maintaining inventory is key to ensuring efficient food presentation in a restaurant. For chefs, inventory management includes knowing when it's time to replenish ingredients for flavour bites and sauces, or stock up on soft ingredients like butter. These inventory insights will elevate each dish’s flavour profile, making sure customers can savour a delicious and memorable taste every time. Making inventory smart is the key to increasing customer satisfaction, while avoiding food waste.

Take your restaurant's quality to the next level by using Epos System which integrates all sorts of inventory management tools and automatically sends stock levels alerts to ensure you are never out of your key ingredients!

Make payments simple

Food presentation plays a significant role in determining your ordering service style at a restaurant. We're more likely to make repeat visits if the food looks aesthetically pleasing, even if it doesn't necessarily affect the taste. Restaurants that display food dishes, such as tapas restaurants that set out various small plate items on the table, can create an enjoyable dining experience for their customers due to the fact food presentation often stimulates people’s appetites.

In addition, food plating doesn't just impact whether you'll take your time and properly enjoy a dish; it also affects how quickly food is served. And as well all know - food served quickly  leads to satisfied customers. It is important to integrate ordering and payment processing services that will provide an overall excellent dining experience. 

Find out more about our restaurant POS Systems to discover all the benefits they can bring to your food business.

Final thoughts

Food presentation plays an essential role in a successful restaurant, as it creates the first impression of what food tastes like. Using food presentation techniques such as food styling, garnishes and plating can help capture diner’s attention and trigger all senses that can lead to delicious and enjoyable food experience.

Restaurant technology has been developed to help chefs produce high-quality food presentations by increasing speed and efficiency. It is a great way for restaurants to drive sales, create loyal customers and keep the quality unchanged from plate to plate.

By using creative food presentation techniques along with modern restaurant technologies, a restaurant can make its food stand out from the competition and elevate its diners’ experience of food to another level. We hope this guide has been useful in designing or updating your food presentation - don’t forget to tag us in your next food photo!