How To Order In A Restaurant | Food

Date Published:: 13/11/2007

Don't be intimidated by the fancy menu or posh wines. Read our guide to ordering and get the most out of your next restaurant experience. By Charlie Cottrell

Mixing fish and meat

Most menus carry a selection of dishes pitched to appeal to the variety of tastes and dietary requirements of their customers. But is it acceptable to mix and match food types between courses?

"There isn't a set rule about eating a fish dish as a starter and meat for a main, or vice versa" says Stuart Matthews, head chef at Crabtrees Café and Wine Bar in Hadleigh, Suffolk. "but the diner should try and think about the flavours they're choosing at each course and how they will affect each other. If you're planning to have a raspberry tart for dessert, there's no point having a highly spiced main course that's going to set fire to your taste buds. "

"It's helpful to look ahead on the menu and work backwards when choosing so that delicate dishes aren't overpowered by stronger flavours. Alternatively, if you're drinking a strong wine with your meal, it can help to wash out the flavours between courses and cleanse your palate for the next dish."

Side dishes

The role of side dishes varies from restaurant to restaurant. For meals that automatically come with potatoes and vegetables, a side order of chips might be an excess. But if your main is simply a serving of meat with a sauce you'll want to add some side dishes to cover all your major food groups and to ensure there's something to mop up the gravy.

Increasingly, restaurants are removing pre-selected accompaniments from dishes, letting the customer choose their own side dishes. But this isn't a way of forcing the bill up and you shouldn't feel obliged to order a separate serving of each side for every customer; "Nearly every time you put something down on the table for a customer, their friends want to try it," Stuart explains, "we're seeing people share in restaurants more than ever before so it made sense to reflect that in the menu. We keep the main dishes simple, as a base and let people choose what they want with it. They usually order a selection of sides to share, that way everyone gets to try a bit of everything they fancy and don't just push the side salad or veg to the edge of their plate."