Types of dishes and materials you can use in your restaurant

Looking for quality dishes made of a durable material that is easy to maintain on a daily basis? Depending on your establishment and the dishes you serve, you may need different materials or types of dinnerware. Here are some tips for choosing the right dinnerware.

What type of dish to choose according to the different meals you offer

✔︎ Presentation plates: with an approximate diameter of 30 cm, they are used to present main dishes or when a large capacity is needed. They can also be used as table decoration, to contrast and enhance smaller dishes.

✔︎ Deep plates: they are generally placed on a serving dish. They can be made of porcelain, stoneware or ceramic. The important thing is to choose a heat-resistant material. Nowadays there are many different shapes: round, square, octagonal, etc.

✔︎ Dessert plates: smaller than a standard plate, they have a diameter of approximately 20 cm. They are used to present cakes and pastries, but also serve as starters.

✔︎ Pasta plates: they are deep plates that usually measure 26 cm in diameter. Perfect for serving pasta, but also for risottos, meats in sauce, etc.

✔︎ Pizza plates: at 33 cm in diameter, they were designed for the size of pizzas. Flat plates, sometimes with a small rim to prevent the pizza from slipping, are usually white and made of a durable, easy-to-clean material.

✔︎ Bread plates: these are the smallest plates, along with the saucer. They are placed next to the fork on the table and can also be used to spread butter on bread. In some restaurants, they also serve as cheese plates.

Different materials for restaurant dishes

✔︎ Porcelain: this is the most common material when choosing plates for a restaurant. There is a wide variety of designs and it offers several advantages. Whether fine, white or patterned, it adapts to any environment.

✔︎ Stoneware: particularly appreciated by restorers, stoneware is a durable material that resists wear and scratches. Although heavier than porcelain, it adds a natural touch to the table. It is available in a wide variety of shades for added originality.

✔︎ Earthenware: this is the most economical ceramic. However, when using it, you may notice that the glaze begins to peel off the dishes. It is a relatively fragile material.

✔︎ Tempered glass: can be used intensively. Resistant, a tempered glass plate is ideal, for example, for a grill or a restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. Among its advantages, it keeps dishes at the right temperature during service.

✔︎ Enameled steel: this material is light, durable and unalterable. Pleasant to use, it brings a vintage touch to restaurant tables. Its advantages include maintaining the temperature of the dishes thanks to its thermal conductivity and its long life.

✔︎ Melamine: this material has the great advantage of being unbreakable. Lightweight and durable, it is often used for dinners on terraces or buffets. It is also the perfect material for barbecues or children’s birthday parties.

✔︎ Wood: a natural material, increasingly used in restaurant tables, especially in haute cuisine. It enhances colorful creations with vegetable elements as protagonists.

Note: the main difference between ceramic (such as earthenware) and porcelain lies in its resistance. A ceramic dish tends to chip more easily than a porcelain one, which lasts a long time despite intensive use. There is even a type of porcelain known as “hotel” that is particularly resistant.

How to properly care for your porcelain dishes?

Shocks are the main enemy of porcelain. Handle your dishes with care when setting the table and serving. When cleaning, avoid excessively high temperatures, even in the dishwasher. Ideally, wash porcelain dishes in lukewarm water. Adding a little bleach can help remove yellow stains before rinsing and rewashing with soap. Always dry them with a soft cloth.

At pilsa.com, you can find a wide selection of dishes for restaurants. Compare shapes, materials and even the different ranges.

Which glass to use for which type of wine?

Choosing a good bottle of wine is just the beginning. To enjoy it in all its splendor, there is one detail that is often overlooked and makes a big difference: the glass.

Yes, the shape of the glass directly influences the sensory experience of the wine. It is not just aesthetics: it is science, elegance and functionality. Here we explain which types of glasses are the most suitable for each wine and why they matter more than you think.

Red wine glass: room to breathe

Red wines, especially the more structured and full-bodied ones (such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Rioja reserva), need to be oxygenated to release all their aroma and soften the tannins.

Ideal shape: large cup, wide mouth and generous calyx.

Why: it allows better oxygenation and concentrates complex aromas.

Example: “Bordeaux” type glass for powerful red wines; “Burgundy” glass (even wider) for delicate wines such as Pinot Noir.

White wine glass: freshness above all

White wines are best enjoyed chilled, and their aromatic profile is usually more subtle, so they need a glass that helps to preserve the temperature and direct the aromas precisely.

Ideal shape: narrower and more elongated than the red glass.

Why: it maintains the temperature and focuses the aromas towards the nose.

Pro tip: aged whites (such as a barrel-aged Chardonnay) can be served in a slightly wider glass to enhance their complexity.

Sparkling wine glass: sparkle and elegance

Cava, champagne and other sparkling wines have an indisputable protagonist: the bubble. To make it shine, the glass is important (and very important).

Traditional shape: the tall, narrow flute keeps the bubbles longer.

Current trend: tulip-shaped glasses, with a wider base and a more closed mouth, which allow a better appreciation of the aromas without losing effervescence.

Avoid: “coupe” type glasses (the wide and low ones), beautiful but treacherous: bubbles and aromas escape quickly.

Rosé wine glass: balance between freshness and aroma

The rosé, versatile and fresh, deserves a glass that balances its lightness with its aromatic expression.

Ideal shape: medium-sized cup, with a slightly open rim.

Why: Enhances fruity aromas and allows good oxygenation without heating up quickly.

What if I only have one type of cup?

If you are going to choose a single glass for everything (or almost everything), opt for a universal wine glass: medium size, slightly wide body and slightly closed rim. It will not be perfect for every type, but it will be a generalist success.

Serving wine in the right glass is not a whim, it is a way of respecting its character and multiplying the pleasure of each sip. It is like putting a good frame on a work of art: the content is the same, but the experience changes completely.

Visit pilsa.com and find the ideal glass for each type of wine.

Everything you need to make your Happy Hours a success

Want to give your establishment a boost with a happy hour?

Colorful cocktails, gourmet dishes and a relaxed atmosphere: unleash your energy at the end of the day.

Happy Hour is much more than a strategic niche in the daily life of a bar or restaurant: it’s a powerful tool to boost your sales, attract a diverse clientele and strengthen the ambiance of your venue. But to make the most of it, you need to be well prepared.

Prepare a fast and efficient service

A successful happy hour starts with impeccable organization and a team tailored to your needs. The goal: to serve with speed, quality and without stress.

Below are some best practices to optimize your sales:

Objective 1: save time in service

✔︎ Tip: prepare the ingredients and dressings in advance.

✔︎ Recommended equipment: buckets, cutting boards, storage jars.

Objective 2: promote your offers

✔︎ Tip: visually highlight your star drinks.

✔︎ Recommended equipment: bottle display stands, tabletop display stands

Objective 3: increase the average ticket

✔︎ Tip: offer appetizers or tapas to share.

✔︎ Recommended equipment: serving plates, bowls, fry baskets.

Choose the right glasses for each beverage

A well-chosen glass = a better-selling drink. The shape of the glass influences presentation, temperature and taste perception. Therefore, choosing the right glasses is essential to enhance drinks and offer a personalized customer experience. At Pilsa we offer a wide range adapted to each use. These are the essential elements:

✔︎ Beer glasses. Pint, half pint, jug with or without handle: each size adapts to the beer style (blonde, IPA, brown, etc.). They guarantee good foam retention and a comfortable grip.

✔︎ Wine glasses. Balloon or tulip: these stemmed glasses are designed to promote oxygenation and release aromas, while ensuring a professional tasting experience.

✔︎ Cocktail glasses: old fashioned, tumbler, martini glass… Each cocktail has its specific glass, essential to enhance the presentation and respect the proportions.

✔︎ Cups for soft drinks and sodas. Tall glasses, stackable glasses: practical and resistant, they allow a fast service at peak hours.

Our advice: choose several references to satisfy all desires… and appeal to all profiles.

Opt for professional, reliable and practical bar equipment.

The right tools make all the difference in service, especially during peak hours. For smooth and efficient service during happy hour, equip yourself with the essentials:

✔︎ Shakers: for successful cocktails, the shaker guarantees a good mix.

✔︎ Dispensers: Dispensers enable fast, accurate and economical service.

✔︎ Ice buckets and refrigerated containers: these keep beverages cool throughout service, while facilitating access and speed of execution.

✔︎ Serving utensils: spoons, strainers, mortars… Indispensable accessories to improve efficiency and enhance your preparations.

Creates an environment conducive to consumption

The ambience is as important as the offer. A well-designed space encourages enthusiasm, interaction… and sales. To improve your happy hour offer and attract your customers, think about the details.

Some keys to create the right scene:

✔︎ Warm lighting: creates a welcoming space from the moment you enter.

✔︎ Clear and attractive signage: to highlight your Happy Hour offers.

✔︎ Stylish consumables: straws, stirrers, napkins, customizable coasters … it’s the details that stand out.

✔︎ Cozy furniture: high tables, bar stools, high tables to encourage conversation.

Pilsa helps you turn happy hour into a profitable moment

Happy hours represent a fantastic opportunity to increase your turnover, strengthen your establishment’s hospitality and build customer loyalty. With the right equipment, meticulous staging and a few best practices, you have all the keys to turn this moment into something strategic.

Thanks to pilsa.com, you can purchase reliable and durable equipment, designed especially for professionals. From cocktail glasses to ice buckets and barware, we help you make every service a success!

What are the different possible formats for dessert dishes?

For a memorable ending, offer your customers beautifully presented desserts in elegant and light dishes. With their creative flavors and variety of colors and textures, desserts lend themselves to innovative presentations.

Rectangular, irregular, square, oval plates… Discover all the possibilities available!

Opt for the modern elegance of a rectangular or square plate

For a change from the typical round dessert plate, you can opt for the more modern lines of flat rectangular plates. Their elongated shape enhances any dessert: a triangular slice of cake, a round flan with a touch of coulis, three ramekins…. On the base of a rectangular plate, you can create an asymmetrical presentation, with the dessert on one side and the rest of the plate decorated with chocolate chips, fruit or coulis. Your customers’ eyes will sparkle before they even taste the dessert!

Thanks to its large bowl, the flat square plate also allows for this type of creative presentation. You can place the dessert in one corner and decorate the plate in the other three corners. These corner plates add air to the presentation and enhance the structure of the dessert. You can let the layers of a mille-feuille show through or let the melted center of a chocolate fondant flow.

Make a statement with oval dessert plates.

Professionals who love novelty and exclusivity can also opt for oval plates for their desserts. The variety of available formats allows you to combine them with the rest of your restaurant’s tableware.

You can also opt for oval plates with pointed ends, for a look that evokes leaves and other natural shapes. Sophisticated and original, these plates enhance your round or square-shaped desserts. Oval plates can also serve as a base for an ice cream sundae or a glass bowl filled with custard or mousse. This presentation is much more elegant than an individual sundae, and your customers will certainly appreciate this detail.

Surprise your customers with irregular flat plates and original materials

Opt for triangular plates, with pointed or rounded tops, or even irregular flat plates.

There are two types:

✔︎ On the one hand, there are dishes with irregular contours, with a longer rim on one side than on the other, for example.

✔︎ In other models, the base is off-center, while the outline is oval, square or round.

To create a great surprise effect in the dessert, you can also choose dishes with original colors and patterns. At Pilsa we offer a wide range of orange, blue or green porcelain plates. You will also find models that evoke nature, with the shape of a rock or a cut tree trunk…

And don’t forget something very important! In your professional kitchen equipment, always provide sufficient and easily accessible space to properly store your dishes. Thoughtful and efficient storage saves your kitchen and service team time and prevents breakage!


If you want your customers to take away a memorable souvenir of your establishment, put the finishing touch with a dessert presented in an original way. Visit pilsa.com and discover a whole world of possibilities.

Decoration trend: colorful tableware

Do you want to give personality to your tables and reaffirm the identity of your establishment? Colorful tableware is on trend!

More than just a culinary complement, it becomes a real asset to attract your customers: it revitalizes the ambiance, enhances your dishes and reflects your world. Vibrant colors, pastel shades, handcrafted finishes… the possibilities are endless to create a unique experience.

The advantages of colored tableware

Tableware plays a fundamental role in the atmosphere of a restaurant or hotel. Colorful tableware enlivens every meal and reinforces the visual identity of the establishment. Beyond just aesthetics, color also influences the overall ambiance, making the experience more immersive for diners.

✔︎ Creating a unique ambiance: The color of your dinnerware can transform the atmosphere of a room. For example, bright shades such as red or yellow can bring energy and stimulate the appetite, while softer colors such as blue or green create a calmer, more relaxing atmosphere.

✔︎ Strengthening the restaurant’s identity: colorful tableware can become a key element of your establishment’s visual identity. By using colors that match your theme or logo, you reinforce your brand image and create a cohesive experience for your customers.

✔︎ Aesthetically pleasing to customers: the visual appeal of a dish served on colorful tableware is immediately more appealing. The contrasting colors not only make the food more appetizing, but also add an artistic dimension to each meal.

✔︎ Adaptation to modern decoration trends: nowadays, table decoration is a way to stand out. By adopting trends such as two-tone or gradient tableware, you show that your establishment is at the forefront of the latest decorating trends.

A strong trend in tableware

Long dominated by traditional white, tableware is experiencing a resurgence marked by the use of varied colors and finishes. This evolution is in line with today’s major decorating trends: the promotion of craftsmanship, naturalness, color schemes and Mediterranean influences. Colorful tableware is becoming a central element in the art of the table.

These are some of the key trends of the season:

✔︎ Vibrant and contrasting colors: dishes in intense tones, such as deep blue or vibrant red, create a strong contrast with the décor. These colors can also be used to highlight specific menu items, creating a unique visual experience.

✔︎ Pastel colors: Soft, soothing tones such as pale pink, sky blue and mint green are found in establishments seeking a calmer, more relaxing atmosphere. These tones are ideal for restaurants or cafes looking to offer a more intimate and relaxing experience to their customers.

✔︎ Handcrafted dinnerware: Irregular handmade designs are particularly popular for their unique style and connection to artisanal traditions. Handcrafted dinnerware allows you to personalize each table and add a unique touch to the dining experience.

✔︎ Two-tone or gradient dinnerware: Two-tone or gradient plates and glasses are perfect for adding depth and originality. These designs allow you to play with shades of color and add visual texture to the table.

Add color to your tableware with Pilsa

Colorful tableware is much more than just a fashion statement: it is a real tool that enhances your visual identity, the customer experience and the attractiveness of your establishment.

Whether you want to modernize your tableware or create a complete decorative universe, on pilsa.com you will find a wide selection of colorful tableware: plates, glasses, kitchen utensils and room decor accessories.

With more than 60 years of experience in the supply of professional restorative equipment, we offer aesthetic, practical and durable products.

✔︎ Colorful ceramic or porcelain plates: these materials are durable and aesthetically pleasing. They add a touch of sophistication and are ideal for professional use.

✔︎ Colored or tinted glasses for original presentations: ideal for enhancing your drinks, colored glasses allow you to play with light and textures while adding a touch of originality to your service.

✔︎ Matching decorative accessories: open coasters and other table accessories complete the décor and integrate perfectly with the overall theme.

Discover now our colorful tableware collections and create tables as appetizing as they are memorable.

Porcelain and stoneware: which material to choose for your tableware?

Choosing the right tableware is essential to enhance the identity of your establishment. Opt for porcelain and stoneware, materials that combine elegance, durability and practicality.

Whether you are looking for the sophistication of porcelain or the authenticity of stoneware, these options enhance the image of any establishment, guarantee a long service life and meet the needs of professionals.

What is the difference between porcelain and stoneware?

Porcelain: elegance and resistance.

Porcelain is a fine ceramic made of kaolin, quartz and feldspar. It is especially prized for:

✔︎ Its resistance: thanks to firing at very high temperatures (around 1400°C), porcelain is dense, non-porous and scratch-resistant.

✔︎ Its color: naturally white and bright, it adapts easily to sober or sophisticated designs.

✔︎ Cleaning: dishwasher safe and resistant to intensive cleaning products, it is suitable for large-scale services.

The main categories of porcelain:

✔︎ vitreous china: a very dense, non-porous, fine-looking but incredibly durable ceramic. It is ideal for high-end tableware.

✔︎ Bone China Porcelain (also known as bone ash): a particularly refined type of porcelain, known for its unique translucency, lightness and luxurious appearance. It is often considered one of the most prestigious porcelains.

Stoneware: authenticity and robustness

Stoneware is a thick, robust ceramic made from clay and minerals. Its advantages include:

✔︎ Its resistance: its high temperature firing (around 1200 to 1300°C) makes it durable and particularly resistant to thermal shocks.

✔︎ Its color: naturally nuanced, it offers organic tones, perfect for warm and modern presentations.

✔︎ Cleaning: easy to maintain, stoneware is also dishwasher and microwave safe.

The main categories of stoneware:

✔︎ Glazed stoneware: ceramic that is distinguished by the use of reactive glaze. This type of glaze is designed to interact with the surface of the piece and sometimes with other glazes during firing, creating unique and unpredictable visual effects.

✔︎ Dyed stoneware: a type of stoneware in which the color is incorporated directly into the clay mass before or during shaping. Unlike plain glazing, the color penetrates throughout the material, ensuring long-lasting uniformity, even in the event of wear or chipping.

Porcelain or stoneware, what are the main advantages for professionals?

Whether you choose porcelain for its refinement or stoneware for its authenticity, these materials have common advantages:

✔︎ Longevity: sustainable investment thanks to its resistance to mechanical and thermal shocks.

✔︎ Versatility: suitable for various types of cuisine and presentations, whether haute cuisine or fast food.

✔︎ Impeccable hygiene: its smooth or enameled surface prevents the accumulation of bacteria.

The characteristics of these two materials allow you to cover specific needs according to the identity and priorities of your establishment.

Porcelain: ideal for high-end service.

✔︎ Aesthetics: its immaculate whiteness and refined finish add a touch of sophistication to your tables.

✔︎ Adaptability: suitable for both gourmet restaurants and hotels.

✔︎ Durability: scratch and impact resistance ensures long-lasting use, even in high-volume environments.

Stoneware: a perfect choice for a cozy and authentic atmosphere.

✔︎ Unique style: its natural tones and irregular finishes seduce with their handcrafted charm.

✔︎ Versatility: perfect for modern concepts, such as bistros or casual chic establishments.

✔︎ Robustness: ideal for daily use thanks to its solidity.

How to make the right choice?

The selection depends on your needs:

✔︎ Choose porcelain if you are looking for elegant and durable tableware suitable for high-end establishments.

✔︎ Choose stoneware if you want a more natural, modern and authentic look.


Whether porcelain or stoneware, these materials are a safe bet to enhance your tables and provide an unforgettable experience for your customers. Explore our selection at pilsa.com and benefit from our long experience to provide your establishment with elegance and reliability.

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