Holding a 1990s dinner party - please give me some food suggestions!

[lorettalemon]

I'm holding a 1990s themed dinner party to celebrate my niece's 30th birthday as she grew up in the 90s.

Can anyone give me some suggestions of meals which used to be really popular at the time, or things you remember really enjoying if you were a child or teenager then?

I know pizza was popular, but that's so commonplace for people to eat anyway that I would like to go for something a bit more nostalgic!

Ideas for starters, mains, desert and nibbles would be much appreciated! Party decorations too if anyone can think of anything!

There aren't any vegetarians/vegans/dietary requirements to cater for, so all ideas welcome. Thank you ever so much!

I can remember people turning their noses up at Lidl end of the 90s now it is treated as some sort of continental market!

60s and 70s food would still have been eaten in the 90s, just as 90s stuff is eaten today.

I did come across couscous for the first time in the 90s. Plus there did seem to be a lot of feta and sundried tomatoes about.

I think its quite hard to theme a dinner around the 90s as there was an explosion during the 90s and everything has pretty much stayed around. People will still julienne their vegetables, use tapenade or humus, chicken wrapped in parma ham is still served at our table (though perhaps not dinner party fodder)...

If you look at a 1970s or 80s cookbook they are noticeably very different with plenty of things we just wouldn't eat today. Jamie & Nigella are still in common use. Have just picked up Nigella's and it could have been written this decade easily.

Oh my gosh wow, thank you so so much for giving me such a great selection of suggestions everyone! I'm feeling so nostalgic and also realising a lot of the foods I like and eat regularly now I must have discovered in the 90s!
A few of the chocolate bars and things I really miss!

@Higginstone dont know that one but I like the sound of it.

I remember when red bull came out in the 90s. We thought we were so cool drinking that.

@lorettalemon

Are you going for fun nostalgic party food or “classy“ 90s dinner party?

I do not miss red bull & vodka shots 🤮

Those disgusting toast toppers. Bleugh.

The 90s were the rise of celeb chefs. See if you can find some gary rhodes recipes, particularly his jaffa cake.

Yes MrsJayy! I remember thinking Lidl was a touch below Kwiksave! Now I do indeed drive out of my way to stock up.

I remember making a Vesta curry for my guides cooking badge 🤦‍♀️

Did Sandwich Spread rear its head in the 90s or 80s?

Vesta curry was a 1960s & 1970s phenomena. Am glad it made it to the 1990s!

We need a 1990s Nick Hancock to host a 1990s food Room 101.

Aftershock
Dooley's
Taboo
Babysham
Mateus
Blue nun

Most of these are seventies , not nineties, some even 60s. How old are all of you ? I feel about 5,000 years old reading this.
Nineties food much the same as now, with fewer vegans and food intolerances.
I was making things from Nigella’s column in the late 90s.

I think some posters have got confused with the 70s and 80s!

90s for me want really stand out, pretty
Much what we have now but Thai food was definitely absent.

Red aftershock 🤢

Whilst the food isn't so distinct from today, a 1990's dinner party would have utterly awesome music and alcohol.

No Thai food? There was a pub that used to do it in the 90s and a nice Thai restaurant we went to for most of the 90s.

I think location has a lot to do with it.

I used to go to Thai restaurants in the 90s (was born in the 80s).

Again I think lots of places are regional, there were no Aldi's or Lidl's in my part of London till fairly recently.

Thai Food was massive in London in the 1990s. I worked in Fulham, Blue Elephant for when someone else was paying, Jimmy somethings when I had to pay for myself, and loads of Thai cafes plus some pubs started serving thai food.

Surely if you're her aunt you remember the 90s better than she does?!

Archers peach schnapps to drink - it coursed through my veins in the 90s!

Ha ha, maybe it was and I was too young! I didn't discover Thai until I went travelling in 2000. Haven't stopped eating it since 😂😂😂