Dinner Is Served...But How?

So, you decided to take the entertaining initiative this year: you went ahead and set a dinner party date. And now that your event is blocked out on your calendar, and on the calendars of all your guests, you're having a dinner-serving crisis—namely, do you want your meal to be a sit-down or buffet affair?

Float this question to a group of friends, or professional caterers, and you're likely to start a heated debate. Those in the sit-down corner will sing the praises of a more formal, elegant event; they'll say your guests will appreciate the plated service and the chance to converse at length with those seated next to them. The opposition will counter that buffets offer more culinary choices, afford guests the pleasure of mingling with more than a chosen few tablemates and costs considerably less.

We're not inclined to take sides, because what's right for the dinner party we intend to host this season isn't necessarily right for the one you have in mind. Our advice: give careful consideration to three factors—your seating capacity, your intended menu, and the atmosphere you're looking to create—and you'll arrive at an answer well-suited to your holiday feast.

Seating Capacity
Start by asking the most obvious question: Can your dining table accommodate your guest list? If not, do you have other tables around the house that you can move into the dining area to expand your seating capacity? If not, are you willing to rent tables? Obviously, if you can't comfortably seat all your guests, then you'll want to go with a buffet. Keep in mind, however, that even those serving themselves like to eat sitting down, preferably without balancing plates on their laps or drinks on the floor.

Menu
When it comes to dish variety, buffets have the decided advantage. Guests can choose from an assortment of main dishes, including meat, fish, fowl and vegetarian. Sit-downs generally accommodate just two main course choices, and that's when the host is feeling generous. As for costs, our informal survey shows that buffets—contrary to popular perception—are not significantly less expensive than sit-downs. Plated dinners may run a higher labor tab (for the wait-staff needed to serve and clear), but a buffet can often run a higher food bill because people tend to eat more when they're free to help themselves.

Atmosphere
If you're aiming to create a distinct atmosphere, and many of us intent on hosting a successful party are, then there's very little room for debate. A sit-down dinner should be paired with a formal event, a buffet with a casual one. What's not so clear is what to do when your party falls somewhere along the formal-casual continuum—that is, your guests won't be dressed to the nines in black-ties and gowns but neither will they be wearing jeans and pullovers. Consider, then, the design of your dining space. A more formal space is obviously an elegant stage for a sit-down dinner, a casual one more appropriate for a buffet.

Finally, if you're still torn between your choices, you can always borrow from both serving approaches. For example, you could seat your guests for the main course but let them graze from a dessert table after dinner. And remember: despite what opinionated event planners may say, there really is no right answer when it comes to the manner in which you serve your guests. It's simply a matter of what best suits your style.