Dining out is turning minimalist as the demand for small plates of food is on the increase. Half-size dishes at half the price are the latest trend as diners become more concerned about price and their waistlines.

The Spanish tapas style of eating is being adopted by other cuisines as the appetite for light bites takes over from the traditional main course of meat and two veg. New restaurant openings in London and around the country reflect the fashion for small plates and mix-and-match tastes. Bigger portions have already been linked to obesity in the United States, where plates tend to be overloaded.

With Britain facing its own obesity crisis, portion sizes are a concern for health chiefs and food manufacturers. Research in Britain has been limited but a study for the Food Standards Agency on fattening snacks, foods and ready meals showed that items had grown heavier in the past two decades. A slice of bread, for example, now weighs 40g compared with 30g in 1990.

The watchdog has persuaded several food chains and coffee shops to display calories on their menus but the independent restaurant trade, where menus are less formulaic, has not followed. Rosemary Hignett, head of nutrition at the agency, said: “Offering smaller portion sizes is one way of increasing the number of healthier options on the menus.”

Industry experts are convinced that smaller dishes will become more common with menus in pubs and restaurants offering an option for half-size, half-price meals.

Bocca di Lupo, an Italian restaurant in Soho, is typical of the new venues where diners can sample smaller offerings. Jacob Kenedy, chef patron of the eaterie that opened eight months ago, said that he had been inspired by a meal he ate at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco five years ago.

“My memory was a menu with about 15 smaller dishes. Then I thought of the traditional Italian main course, which can be just meat and I thought let’s get away from the meat and two veg staple. So I decided to offer everything in smaller portions. Older people in particular enjoy lighter meals while others order a mass of dishes to share. Others order to suit their diet or appetite.”

Among the most popular orders on his menu are a salad of shaved radish, celeriac and pecorino that costs £4.50 for a half plate and £9 for a full portion, and spaghettini with lobsters, mussels and ginger priced at £11 or £22.

In Manchester, the Michael Caines Restaurant and Champagne Bar at ABode has a grazing menu, where diners order two dishes priced from £6 to £12.

In Bristol and Bath, the Bistro La Barrique has introduced a petits plats menu offering dishes from £4.95. Diners can have just one plate or various combinations for two to share.

Mother India’s Café in Edinburgh and Glasgow offers a selection of little dishes from £3.25 to £5.20, while in Nottingham, the library bar and kitchen offers a light bits menu and shared platters for £4.95 a head at lunch and £7.95 in the evening.

Peter Harden, co-founder of Harden’s Restaurant Guide, said: “I am convinced this pick and mix is the way forward for restaurants all over the country. It’s a fun way of eating. People are fed up with traditional three courses and at this time of credit crunch people like the idea of flexibility on price and they can choose exactly how much they want to eat.

“It is also fairly stylish. People can be adventurous by trying more tastes while others will be concerned about their waistline. People also really like the sociable aspect of sharing lots of little dishes.”

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