The small plates that stole dinner: how snacks conquered Britain's restaurants

"Elliot's in east London has many hip credentials: the blond-wood colour scheme, the off-sale natural wine bottles, LCD Soundsystem and David Byrne playing at just the right decibel. The menu also features the right buzzwords, such as small plates and wood grill. But first comes snacks. There are classics: focaccia, olives, anchovies on toast. But more creative options include potato flatbreads with creme fraiche and trout roe, mangalitsa saltimbocca with quince, and what became (and has stayed) the Hackney restaurant's signature dish since around 2012, Isle of Mull cheese puffs: plump, gooey croquettes filled with Scottish cheddar and comte, deep-fried until crisp and topped with yet more grated cheddar. Only two other dishes have never left the menu: fried potatoes with aioli and cheesecake."

"The puffs were a happy accident, says co-owner Samantha Lim. The head chef at the time was experimenting, and decided to chuck the cheesy balls into the deep-fryer. They bring so much joy, Lim says. They're gooey, a warm hug as soon as you open your mouth and take that first bite oozing with cheese."

"Elliot's isn't alone. Today, no self-respecting restaurant opens without a snack menu. Once the preserve of pubs (to keep drinkers drinking) and Michelin-starred restaurants (to show off with tweezery canapes), the modern chef is putting as much effort and creativity into a meal's opening morsels as the main course and going far beyond bread and olives. After all, a dinner can be love at first bite."

Elliot's in Hackney pairs a hip, blond-wood interior and off-sale natural wines with a snack-led approach, where Isle of Mull cheese puffs became the signature since about 2012. The cheese puffs are deep-fried croquettes filled with Scottish cheddar and comte, described as gooey and exuberant; they originated by accident when a chef fried experimental cheesy balls. Modern restaurants now routinely present curated snack menus, elevating opening morsels beyond bread and olives into inventive small plates and wood-grill items. Examples across the UK include charcuterie bowls, tuna loin gildas, anchovy eclairs, chicken and sesame toast, and gnoccho fritto.

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