A server in a restaurant

Areni Analysis: How Fine Dining is Changing and What it Means for Fine Wine

The modern fine dining establishment, with its staff hierarchy and attention to detail, is the brainchild of George Auguste Escoffier.

Born in France the middle of the 19th century, Escoffier was a chef, restaurateur and writer who codified many of the recipes that are considered classics today. He also changed the face of dining—before him, kitchens were loud and disorganised, run by workers who were often drunk. Escoffier, who’d spent nearly seven years in the army, brought military discipline to the kitchens of the London, Paris and Monte Carlo establishments where he worked. The result was an elevation of the dining experience, and a new status for restaurants.

Today, this “kitchen brigade” system remains a way to achieve coveted Michelin stars. But it’s also been condemned as the source of abuse and extreme pressure.

Many top restaurants were already re-thinking this system before the pandemic, but the pressure of the last two or so years has accelerated the change. Fine dining is now on the cusp of a revolution, that will upend everything from the way staff are trained to the food itself.

Since its birth in 2017, ARENI has explored definitions of fine wine, and what they mean for both trade and consumers. This year, we asked contributors and interviewees to explore fine dining.

It became clear that definitions of “fine”, in both wine and cuisine, are changing.

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Our in depth report Fine Wine and the Restaurants is out on the 28th of April 2022. Sign up to our newsletter to know more.

Picture by Louis Hensel