Less is more…sometimes!

Last year, Mark Hix was on the The Go To Food Podcast proclaiming that nobody can write proper menus any more!

We only know this because it was mentioned in a piece by The Broadsheet last week, a relatively new city guide whose food writing we’ve been enjoying and which is well worth a look if you want a slightly different perspective on London

Out of curiosity we tracked down the interview, and it turns out that Hix was specifically taking aim at the “ingredient, comma, ingredient” style of menu writing that leaves diners guessing about how things are cooked and what the dish is actually trying to be…fair enough!

It’s certainly true that the trend for stripped-back menus can go too far. Sitting down for dinner with friends and having to decode a menu when you’d rather be catching up is, at best, distracting

Perhaps the subtext in these places is that you should just trust the chef and trust the kitchen. That’s fine in principle, but obviously it only works if it’s backed up with balance and flawless execution, which is by no means guaranteed. We’ve had some genuinely underwhelming meals on the back of menus written this way!

We can see where Hix is coming from and, given that our own menus are fairly concise, we’re certainly on the minimal end of the spectrum!

For us, the differentiating factor is the team…

The person greeting you at the table, talking you through the menu if needed, answering questions and guiding you through the experience. A good server can read the table. Judge how much detail to offer, understand whether you want to be guided or left to it, and know how to make the process feel enjoyable rather than transactional

In this context, the menu matters…but it doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s part of a broader interaction

Foolishly, I dipped into an online debate about this and suggested that a knowledgeable server could bridge the gap. That, apparently, was the worst possible suggestion! It turns out that Instagram comments are not the place for nuance and I was accused of championing the dreaded ‘Menu Explanation’ speech!

We’ve all had the experience of being asked “Have you eaten here before?” followed by a rehearsed explanation of the menu and the “concept of the restaurant”, and then the inevitable line that dishes will “come out as they’re ready”!

This has rightly become a bit of a cliché and has received a fair amount of stick from various critics over the years! It’s scripted, lazy and often a substitute for paying more attention to the needs of the kitchen than the preferences of the guest!

As ever, the answer sits somewhere in the middle, and it’s something we spend a lot of time thinking about…

So, what do we aim for at Wilson’s?

Our menus are short, but we don’t strip them back to the point of obscurity. The “ands” and the “withs” are still there, so we’re not quite in Hix-baiting territory!

We do provide a short introduction at the table. We’ll talk you through the menu, highlight a couple of dishes and use that moment to understand any preferences or dining requirements

We also make clear that the pace of the meal is set by you, the guest. Starters followed by mains, unless you’d like it differently. It’s your dinner after all!

As a small neighbourhood restaurant, we believe that taking the time to build that relationship with our guests matters. For us, it’s the essence of hospitality. The better we understand what you’re after, the better we can deliver it!

Most importantly, we trust our team!

If a shorter menu helps create the space for a genuine connection between the kitchen, the floor and the guest, then that’s something to be proud of rather than something to apologise for!