Buffet facts for kids

Buffet at festival in school

Buffet at Buffet restaurant

A breakfast buffet in Japanese Hotel

A buffet is a fun way to eat where you serve yourself! Imagine a big table filled with lots of different foods. You get to choose exactly what you want and how much of it.

You'll often find buffets in hotels, especially for breakfast. They are also popular at parties or big events where people stand up to eat and chat. Many buffet restaurants let you eat as much as you like for one set price.

What is a Buffet?

The main idea of a buffet is that all the food is laid out for everyone to see. This means you can look at all the yummy options before you decide. You can pick your favorite dishes and even choose how much of each you want to put on your plate.

Buffets are great for serving many people at once. This is why you often see them at large gatherings like business meetings or big celebrations.

Different Kinds of Buffets

Buffets come in a few different styles:

• Hot Buffets: These buffets usually have warm dishes, like pasta, meats, or vegetables.
• Cold Buffets: Sometimes called a "cold buffet," these only have cold foods. Think of salads, sandwiches, or cold cuts. A famous example is the Swedish Smörgåsbord.
• Finger Buffets: This type of buffet is designed for food you can easily pick up with your hands. Examples include mini cupcakes, small pizza slices, or snacks on cocktail sticks. You usually don't need forks or knives for these.

Sometimes, buffets can be a bit like a cafeteria. In a cafeteria, you might move along a line with a tray, and someone serves you. But with a buffet, you usually serve yourself!

Images for kids

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  Swedish smörgåsbord buffet

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  Modern sideboard furniture, used for serving food

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  Dinner buffet in Americus Hotel (1955)

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  A small cold buffet at an art school exhibition

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  Easter celebration buffet at a school in Poland: Head cheese, boiled eggs, sausage, deviled eggs, rye bread, and stuffed eggs

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  North Indian–style buffet

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  A small Chinese American buffet selection

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  Ham and cheese in a German breakfast buffet

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  Staffed hot buffet line aboard the Celebrity Equinox cruise ship

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  A crayfish buffet at restaurant Tukkutorin kala in Kalasatama, Helsinki, Finland

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  Breakfast buffet

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  Brunch buffet

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  Cheese, coldcuts, and bread station in brunch buffet

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  A platter of lunch meat and cheeses in Slovenia

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  German-style dinner buffet

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  Customer getting food from a buffet

See also

In Spanish: Bufé para niños