Tiny eateries such as Michelin-starred Gwen in Wales, which holds just eight customers, are spreading across UK
It started with the portion sizes, as all-you-can-eat buffets were reduced to bite-size small plates. Then the menus started to decrease, with pages of dishes shrinking to an A5 sheet of paper.
Now restaurants are undergoing another round of downsizing. Micro-restaurants, which usually seat fewer than 20 people, are gradually spreading across the UK.
The focal point is the communal table. At Gwen, a 3-metre-wide, Michelin-star restaurant in Machynlleth, Wales, a table for eight holds all the bookings for the night and strangers often leave as friends.
“We’ve had people come as two couples and book four seats as they come out with people they just met. We’ve had people who ended up booking holidays together,” says Jake Nutt, the restaurant’s owner.
