The Glass Co Blog
Gastropub plates and how to set up a table
The gastropub trend
Gastropub restaurants are the new trend emerged in the late 1990s in the UK as a trendy high-end spin-off on the classic British pub concept.
This type of casual dining restaurants combine the tradition of pub-style beer and food service with a modern twist – a thoughtfully curated selection of rare or artisanal beers from micro-breweries paired with re-invented, gourmet-infused comfort food.
What type of food one will find at a gastropub?
Gastropubs focus on the unique and unusual interpretation of food classics, aiming for a more high-end flair and elaborate menu offer. Such venues often offer brunch, lunch and dinner services with simple yet diverse and frequently updated menus featuring tapas-style bar snacks, sharing platters and entrees.
Some of the most commonly offered food items include gourmet burgers and club sandwiches, lamb chops, steaks, wild game or seafood and innovative takes on stews, mac and cheese and other comfort food, paired with artisanal beers.
Gourmet burgers are common gastropub menu item – burger served on a glass dinner plate with food cone holder for fries by Glass Studio
Because of a more casual, urban dining style, gastropub food presentation is less demanding than fine dining. The focus is on appetizing and succulent food arrangements. Gastropub plates are chosen depending on the menu item, food is often served on simple dinner plates or sharing platters that offer unpretentious yet visually appealing presentation that highlights the colors and texture of the food.
How to set a table with gastropub dinnerware
When it comes to table setting, gastropubs often prefer simple, even minimalist approach. Unlike casual dining restaurants where tabletops are set with dinner plates, cutlery, wine glasses and linen (tablecloth or placemats), a typical gastropub table setting often includes only a dinner plate with cutlery or a napkin placed in the center of the cover with a side plate on the left and a set of basic cutlery. (Some gastropubs opt for even more minimalist tabletops, discarding dinnerware altogether and keeping the tables plain.)
This simple table setup with the use of laid back gastropub dishes is suitable for any type of service (brunch, lunch or dinner) and gives a casual feel to the table, with more space for guests to socialize over a drink.
Modern glass dinnerware set by MyGlassPlate ideal for gastropub restaurant
While gastropub dinnerware plays rather minimal role in pre-dining table setting, its importance is much more pronounced during the service where originality and harmony of food presentation comes in focus.
Our line of casual glass tableware
Our line of MyGlassPlate glass tableware for casual dining is a perfect solution for gastropubs, with simple and modern plate designs that offer space for creativity in food plating. MyGlassPlate glass dinnerware is practical, functional and durable, yet modern and visually appealing.
The line features a variety of dinnerware items in a clear glass or natural color palette that fits well with typical gastropub interiors with earthy tones of dark wood, brick and stone, and gives tabletop an urban edge matching the character of this type of dining venues.
Check out some of our casual designs here.