A few of the best cold starters for dinner party that will impress

Deciding on the dinner party menu is always challenging. Often, the dish that causes the most difficulty is the starter - this is a dish that people only order when they are out to eat. Not only this, but the starter will set the tone for the evening and should always look fantastic.

Deciding on a menu for a dinner party can be extremely challenging and daunting, even if you consider yourself an experienced chef. Preparing food for large groups is always challenging and particularly when you factor in that some of your guests may have dietary restrictions. There is an expectation that you will serve your guests a range of impressive dishes, but experimenting outside your repertoire can be risky.

One of the dishes that people find most intimidating is the starter. It is because it's a dish that people often do not prepare themselves and only eat when they are out for dinner. Not only this, but the starter sets the tone for the evening and presentation is just as important as taste with this dish.

If you are struggling for ideas for good cold starters for dinner party, here are a few options to consider:

Prawn Cocktail

A perfect starter that looks fantastic, tastes delicious and is synonymous with class and sophistication. Prawn cocktails are relatively simple to make with a few simple ingredients, but they are sure to impress your guests and get the evening off to a good start.

Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are packed full of flavour and will always impress guests. Not only this, but they are surprisingly easy to make once you have all of the ingredients.

Caesar Salad

A Caesar salad may not be the most impressive starter, but one that is well made can both look and taste fantastic and can be a superb way to start a dinner party. Often people will serve starters that are too rich or heavy which will ruin people’s appetite, but a Caesar salad is light and easy.

Poached Lobster

If you want to impress your guests right off the bat, then consider serving poached lobster. Lobster is a dish that is considered extravagant, but it can be affordable and easy to make. Half poached dressed lobster served with lobster sauce, cocktail sauce and salad is just one variation that will get your dinner party off to a flying start.

Poached Salmon Salad

Poached salmon is an incredibly delicious, light and impressive dish which makes it an excellent choice for a dinner party starter when served over salad. Not only this, but a poached salmon salad is quick and easy to make for large groups too.

Deciding on a dinner party menu can be tricky and especially if you are not too experienced in cooking for large groups. The starter is often the dish which causes the most stress as people often do not make this for themselves, but above all are excellent options that will get the evening off to a great start.