If you're used to ordering a starter, a main, and maybe a dessert, a small-plates menu can feel like it's missing instructions. It isn't — it just works differently, and once you know the rhythm, it's a far better way to eat with company than a single main course each.
How Many Plates Should You Order?
As a rule of thumb, plan on 3–4 small plates per person for a full dinner, ordered to arrive across the table and shared rather than assigned to one diner each. Two people might order six or seven dishes between them; a table of four could comfortably work through ten or twelve over the course of the evening. It's easier — and more fun — to order in a couple of rounds rather than everything at once, adding more once you see how the first plates land.
What Order to Order In
There's no strict rule, but a sensible sequence makes the meal flow better: start lighter — seafood and vegetable dishes — before moving on to grilled meats, which tend to be heavier and more filling. Save one dish, sweet or otherwise, to close the meal the way a dessert would. Categories on a well-organised small-plates menu — sea, meat, vegetarian, and so on — are usually a good guide to this natural order.
Mixing Categories
The whole point of sharing-style dining is variety, so resist the urge to order five versions of the same thing. A good spread pulls from every category on the menu — something from the sea, something grilled, something vegetarian — so that everyone at the table gets to taste a bit of everything rather than defending their one plate. At Taraça, the menu is organised exactly this way, split across sea, meat, vegetarian and dessert, specifically so a table can order across the board without much thought.
Pairing With Cocktails
Small plates and cocktails pair naturally — unlike a single heavy main course, a table of shared dishes leaves room to order a drink with each course rather than committing to one glass of wine for the whole meal. A lighter, citrus-forward cocktail works well alongside the seafood plates; something with more weight suits the grilled dishes later on.
If you're putting this into practice in Kalkan, our menu page lays out the full small-plates selection at Taraça, from the rooftop terrace overlooking the harbour.