Whether it’s a steak tartare stirred tableside or a dessert torched just before landing on the plate, a bit of theater has had its place in restaurants for decades. After all, great cooking is a craft, yes, but it’s also an art form. The line between preparing and performing has therefore always been blurry. The question is: does it still matter to the modern diner?
The idea of dining as performance isn’t new. Classic French service rituals – crêpes suzette lit at the table, Châteaubriand carved in the room – have long been part of fine dining’s choreography. But somewhere along the way, between tasting menus and TikToks, the spectacle got louder, flashier, and often very cringey. And yet, allegedly, people still pay €900 for a steak just to see Salt Bae do his thing.
TikTok, however, isn’t the real world. Today’s non-clout-chasing diners – especially experience-savvy Millennials and Gen Z – aren’t opposed to the occasional theatrics, but they are allergic to the inauthentic. They’re not here for gimmicks. They will, however, take a chef who shares the story behind the dish, a server who knows the origin of the ingredients, or a perfect soufflé rising in real time. Sincerity is key.
Openness and transparency
Open kitchens can be part of this quieter performance. There’s something oddly calming about watching chefs work – provided the workplace culture is modern rather than toxic. The sounds of the kitchen become part of the atmosphere. The boundaries blur: the chef becomes part of the dining room, the guest part of the process. It’s transparent, it’s real, and yes, it’s a little bit theatrical.
Some restaurants take it even further. Chef’s tables and omakase counters create an almost ceremonial intimacy between cook and guest. The chef’s hands become the show. There’s no flambé, no fireworks – just absolute focus and craft on full display. It’s theater, but quiet.
There’s also room for a return to ritual – those old-school gestures that once felt stuffy now feel nostalgic. A cheese trolley rolled with quiet pride. A fish de-boned with care and precision. A maître d’ who remembers your name and how you take your martini. It’s not about showing off; it’s about showing care. No Salt Baes.
Diners still crave a bit of drama – they just want it grounded in craft and respect for what’s being served, not Instagrammability. They’re looking for a moment, not a meme. So no, the curtain hasn’t closed on theater in restaurants. It just needs a new script, written for a more discerning audience.
Marius Zürcher
About the author:
The co-owner & founder of Millennial & Gen Z marketing and employer branding agency 1520 in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, Marius Zürcher was a participant at FCSI’s ‘Millennials’ focused roundtable at INTERGASTRA and a speaker at FCSI workshops about industry trends.
