There was a time when throwing a dinner party wasn’t just about feeding guests — it was also about making a statement. Unsurprisingly, a good roast or salad wouldn’t cut it. You needed presentation, flair, and ideally, a bit of drama. Whether that meant setting your dessert on fire or serving something stuffed and sculpted, the mid-century dinner party was more of a spectacle.
60s and 70s kids may remember these dishes from their parents’ dinner tables—or from hosting their own soirées as newlyweds. And while the culinary scene has changed a lot since then, the charm of a showstopper entrée or a dramatic dessert still holds up.
To that effect, we’ve gathered 10 dishes that ruled the dinner table in the 1960s and ’70s, and still hold nostalgic power today.
Beef Wellington
Opulent, theatrical, and unapologetically indulgent, Beef Wellington used to be the crown jewel of every host’s repertoire. A tenderloin of beef wrapped in mushroom duxelles or pâté, then encased in golden puff pastry, sliced ceremoniously at the table. The dish signaled taste, money, and a willingness to spend all afternoon prepping in the kitchen. Even today, it’s still seen as the ultimate flex.
Fondue
A bubbling pot of melted cheese or chocolate, accompanied by a crowd of guests wielding long forks, used to be the epitome of social dining.
Fondue was cozy, communal, and just sophisticated enough to evoke a European ambience. You could dip crusty bread, fresh fruit, even tiny meatballs, and somehow the whole evening revolved around that little pot. If you had a fondue set in your wedding registry back then, you were doing it right.
Chicken Kiev
Cutting into this dish felt like a big reveal: hot, garlicky butter gushing from the center of crispy breaded chicken was nothing short of marvelling. In the 1960s, upscale New York restaurants, such as the Russian Tea Room, popularized it as a luxurious, “continental” dish.
Chicken Kiev was dramatic in all the best ways. It felt fancy, tasted rich, and looked impressive on a plate next to parsleyed potatoes or steamed green beans. For many, it was their first brush with something “continental”.
Bonus trivia: Chicken Kiev’s roots can be traced back to 19th-century French and Russian cuisine. It became a global staple of convenience food by the late 1970s.
Baked Alaska
Baked Alaska (originating in 1867) was one of those few desserts that truly stopped conversation when it hit the table. Its labor-intensive preparation and need for precise timing made it a symbol of culinary prowess for hosts.
Ice cream layered over sponge cake, all covered in meringue and blasted with fire before serving — Baked Alaska wasn’t just a dish—it was a finale. Even the name sounded exotic. Restaurants lit them up table side and home cooks tried to recreate the magic, blowtorches or not.
Seven-Layer Salad
Served in a clear glass bowl to show off its layers, this salad originating in the 1950s Southern U.S., often called the “seven-layer pea salad”, was part dish, part centerpiece.
Starting with iceberg lettuce and stacking up peas, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, cheddar, and a mayonnaise-based dressing, the seven-layer salad looked impressive but was dead simple. And it could be made the day before, which, for hosts in the ’70s juggling appetizers and cocktails, made it a lifesaver.
Devils on Horseback
The name alone got people curious. Likely originating in Victorian England, Devils on Horseback were a finger food staple at mid-century gatherings.
These bite-sized beauties—sweet dates or prunes stuffed with cheese or almonds, then wrapped in bacon—were stuck with toothpicks and served warm. They hit every note: salty, sweet, smoky, rich. Perfect with a martini in hand and Sinatra playing in the background.
Pasta Primavera
Light, colorful, and just exotic enough to feel trendy, this Italian-American creation which developed in North America emerged in the 1970s as a trendy dish, popularized by New York’s Le Cirque restaurant. It became iconic after a 1977 New York Times article.
While it wasn’t strictly an Italian classic, Pasta Primavera (“spring” in Italian) burst onto the scene with its mix of fresh vegetables and Al Dente noodles, often finished with a splash of cream or cheese. It felt healthy yet indulgent, especially when paired with heavier meat dishes.
Watergate Salad
Green, fluffy, and just a little mysterious, this salad originally called Pistachio Pineapple Delight became a potluck staple after the 1972 Watergate scandal and the 1975 release of General Foods’ Jell-O’s pistachio pudding mix.
The pistachio-flavored “salad” (more of a dessert, really) was made with instant pudding, whipped topping, marshmallows, and crushed pineapple. No one knew quite where it came from or why it was named after a political scandal, but that didn’t stop it from appearing on nearly every potluck and buffet table for a solid decade. In fact, the dish endured beyond the 70s, maintaining a cult following in Southern and Midwestern U.S. regions.
Duck à l’Orange
Nothing says “fine dining at home” quite like duck with citrus sauce. Duck à l’orange was a symbol of mid-century sophistication, frequently appearing on restaurant menus and home dinner party tables during this era. Its association with French haute cuisine (despite disputed origins) gave it an air of extravagance.
This dish paired crispy roasted duck with a rich, tangy orange glaze that felt downright luxurious. It was tricky to execute and even harder to pronounce correctly, which only made it more impressive to serve.
Champagne Punch
Because a dinner party without booze was just a meal innit?
Champagne punch was bubbly, fruity, fashionable and a little dangerous. Recipes varied, but they all leaned into color and fizz—cranberry juice, lemonade, maybe some limeade, spiked with sparkling wine, cognac or champagne. It looked fancy in a punch bowl and tasted light enough that guests kept refilling.