Smears, herb oils or micro-herbs: which plating trend do you want to see retired?

A few years back, it felt like every plate had a dramatic swoosh of beetroot or pea purée across the ceramic. Now it seems like every other dish gets finished with a split herb oil and a carefully positioned collection of micro-herbs.

I get that presentation matters, but sometimes I just want the food to look genuinely appetising rather than like someone's been decorating a plate for an architecture degree.

Which presentation style do you think actually works, and which one has completely had its day?

Posted Sep 2, 2026, 12:42 PM UTC

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