Editing Buffet (section)

{{Short description|Meal system where diners serve themselves}}
{{About|the system of serving meals|the furniture of the same name|Sideboard|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
[[File:Swedish buffet-Smörgåsbord-01.jpg|thumb|Swedish ''[[smörgåsbord]]'' buffet]]
{{meals}}

A '''buffet''' is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners serve themselves.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.thefreedictionary.com/buffet|title=Buffet|publisher=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|access-date=19 May 2012}}</ref> A form of ''[[service à la française]]'', buffets are offered at various places including [[hotel]]s, [[restaurant]]s, and many social events. Buffet restaurants normally offer all-you-can-eat food for a set price, but some measure prices by weight or by number of dishes. Buffets usually have some or mostly hot dishes, so the term '''cold buffet''' (see [[Smörgåsbord]]) has been developed to describe formats lacking hot food. Hot or cold buffets usually involve dishware and utensils, but a '''finger buffet''' is an array of foods that are designed to be small and easily consumed only by hand, such as cupcakes, slices of pizza, and foods on cocktail sticks.

The essential feature of the various buffet formats is that the diners can directly view the food and immediately select which dishes they wish to consume, and usually also can decide how much food they take. Buffets are effective for serving large numbers of people at once, and are often seen in institutional settings, business conventions, or large parties.