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A Livingetc report describes a growing use of patterned, colorful and tactile tableware at London restaurants, including venues run by José Pizarro and Big Mamma. The chefs say plate choices should serve the dish and the atmosphere; the report does not provide data measuring how widespread the shift is.
London restaurants are putting patterned and colorful plates alongside food as part of the dining experience, according to a Livingetc report featuring chefs José Pizarro and Filippo La Gattuta. Their choices challenge the long-standing preference for plain white porcelain, but both chefs say the plate should complement the dish rather than compete with it.
Pizarro, a Spanish chef and restaurateur, told Livingetc that his choice depends on the individual recipe. White may suit a dish whose ingredients provide enough color, he said, while ceramic, terracotta, color or texture can change how another dish feels. His guiding question is where the food will look most delicious.
At Big Mamma’s London restaurants, including Circolo Popolare, Carlotta, Gloria Shoreditch and Barbarella, food is served on vivid crockery handmade and painted by artisans in southern Italy, according to the report. Executive chef Filippo La Gattuta said the tableware reflects the warmth of Italian family meals. He described the plates as a way to create a broader experience for diners, not just as serving surfaces.
The report also points to Carbone London, where floral ceramic plates complement the restaurant’s retro-inspired, richly decorated interior. These examples illustrate different uses for patterned tableware: matching the restaurant’s atmosphere, recalling cultural traditions or responding to a dish. The report does not quantify how many London restaurants have adopted the approach.
Plates Shape More Than Presentation
The shift matters because restaurants are treating tableware as part of how guests experience a meal, rather than as a neutral backdrop alone. A patterned plate can reinforce a room’s visual identity or suggest a connection to a particular food tradition, as the restaurants featured by Livingetc illustrate.
There is a trade-off: decoration can draw attention away from the food. The chefs quoted in the report describe choosing plates dish by dish, rather than following a rule that colorful crockery is always better. For diners, that means the visual impact of a meal may come from the relationship between the food, its plate and the setting—not from any one element in isolation.
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White Porcelain’s Lasting Role
Plain white porcelain has long been favored in fine dining because it offers a restrained background for food’s colors and textures. Livingetc also notes its practical appeal, including durability and resistance to staining. That tradition remains in place; the report describes a change in some London restaurants, not the end of white plates.
The chefs connect their tableware choices to personal and cultural memories. Pizarro recalled family meals in Spain where white plates, terracotta dishes and patterned bowls sat together on a crowded table. He said terracotta, or barro, has been used in Spain for generations and appeals to him for its practical, earthy character. La Gattuta similarly pointed to traditional Italian majolica ceramics as an influence on Big Mamma’s tableware.
“It always starts with the food.”
— José Pizarro, chef and restaurateur, speaking to Livingetc
How Broad Is the Shift?
The Livingetc report offers examples and interviews, but no survey, restaurant count or other measure showing how common patterned plates have become across London. It is not clear whether the trend extends widely beyond the featured venues or how restaurants assess whether decorative plates affect diners’ attention to the food.
The source also does not give a publication date, so the timing of the reported change cannot be established from the material provided. Its examples should be read as a snapshot of selected restaurants, not evidence that the whole industry has moved away from plain porcelain.
More Venues to Watch
The report says Big Mamma planned to open Edmondo the following month, but it gives no publication date with which to verify that timeline or confirm the opening. It also does not announce a wider industry initiative or provide plans from the restaurants for future tableware changes.
For now, the development is best understood through the choices individual restaurants make: whether a plate supports a particular recipe, recalls a culinary tradition or complements the room. The available reporting does not establish whether those choices will become more common across London.
Key Questions
Why are some London restaurants using patterned plates?
The chefs quoted by Livingetc say patterned or colorful plates can complement a dish, reflect cultural traditions or contribute to a restaurant’s atmosphere. They do not say decoration should take priority over the food.
Do the chefs featured in the report reject white plates?
No. José Pizarro said white plates can work well when a dish’s ingredients provide the visual impact. He chooses tableware according to the individual recipe.
Which restaurants are named in the report?
The report discusses restaurants from Big Mamma UK, including Circolo Popolare, Carlotta, Gloria Shoreditch and Barbarella, as well as Carbone London.
Is patterned tableware becoming common across London?
The report provides examples from selected restaurants but no citywide data. It does not establish how widespread the practice is.
Source: livingetc.com
