When we think of steak, we usually imagine a heavy, you might say old-school, leather menu, preferably with gold hardware and other metal accessories like screws and tinsel. The explanation that immediately springs to mind is that since we're talking about meat, especially beef, it's supposed to remind us of that kind of Wild West vibe... and above all, heavy food, so heavy menu!

Was that the point? Both yes and no. If most of us think of the climate described above, then the chain-of-association treatment has succeeded. In addition to the climate and the relationship of 'heavy food' to a heavy menu, there is also a psychological aspect. The menu folder is one of those accessories that we come across in a restaurant in the first place and it is the business card of the establishment, so it should give a general idea of how we should feel in it, what to expect, what the atmosphere or idea is. Colour, shape, decoration, type of installation play an important role when it comes to first impressions. As it turns out, even the weight of the menu can make a difference. Food ordered from a menu that is heavier will seem to us to be of more value and therefore worth the price.

The same weight aspect applies to cutlery - heavy steel will signal a heavyweight meal, while a plastic or aluminium dish will signal a fast-casual one, designed only to kill the sense of hunger, which is not the point after all. The chefs go to great lengths to ensure that the dish visually 'knocks you off your feet', so both the service and the consumption itself should not disappoint. Holding heavier cutlery in our hands can make us feel like guests of higher rank and will accentuate the value of the dish. Compared to, for example, a salad, a steak fried rare or medium-rare, it will be better, but above all more comfortable to eat with "concrete cutlery".

The heavier the better? Not necessarily. It's important to remember that the main actor on our table is the dish and we shouldn't overly distract from it.

These and light menus for dishes such as vegetarian can be found here.

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