LOVE BITES

Good things come in small packages

This page, ‘Belgian Linen’ cocktail napkin, £39, by Gayle Warwick. ‘Dom Pérignon’ glass, £120 for six, by Riedel. ‘Form’ tray, £175, by Tom Dixon. Vintage 2010 champagne, £152 for 75cl with gift box, by Dom Pérignon. ‘Dé’ plate, £23, by Ann Demeulemeester, for Serax. ‘Soup Passion’ spoons, £16 for two, by Villeroy & Boch Opposite, top left, ‘Whitework’ cocktail napkin, from £60, by Gayle Warwick. ‘Manufacture Rock’ small plate, £15, by Villeroy & Boch.

‘Last Order’ light, £375, by Michael Anastassiades, for Flos, from Aram Top right, ‘Rock’ serving board, £150, by Tom Dixon. ‘Soup Passion’ spoons, as before. Highball glass, £85, by Richard Brendan. Hemstitch tablecloth, £295, by Summerill & Bishop

Bottom right, ‘Tivoli Orient’ glasses, £36 for four, by Normann Copenhagen. ‘Inku’ plate, from £19, by Sergio Herman, for Serax. ‘Belgian Linen’ cocktail napkin, £39, by Gayle Warwick Bottom left, ‘Royal’ serving tray, £61, by Villeroy & Boch. ‘Eye’ votive, £415 for two, by Nicolas Triboulot, for Baccarat, from Selfridges. ‘Dom Pérignon’ glass; hemstitch tablecloth, both as before For stockists, see page 312

Here at Wallpaper* HQ, we love a good cocktail party (we can’t tell you how much we’ve missed them over the last 18 months). And while many things contribute to making a party one to remember, you just can’t beat a great canapé, those salty, spicy or sweet bites than can lead you to park yourself near the door to the kitchen when they’re particularly moreish. The French are credited with making canapés popular in the 18th century, the name coming from their word for ‘couch’ as some thought a piece of bread topped with food looked like someone sitting on a couch. The rest of the world soon picked up on the joys of finger foods and, over the years, a smörgåsbord of delectable canapé trends have come and gone (devilled egg or mushroom vol-au-vent anyone?). To celebrate Wallpaper’s 25 years in print and a return to party mode, we threw a little soirée and rustled up five of our current canapés of choice (clockwise from top left): a mini burger in a black brioche bun; tuna and avocado tartare with quail’s egg; feta, watermelon and mint skewers; fruit and flower cream tarts; and nori tarts with grilled scallops and caviar (opposite). And as a celebration isn’t a celebration without champagne, we popped the cork on a bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 2010, served in a specially commissioned glass designed by Austrian crystal brand Riedel. Thin-stemmed, with an elegant tapered shape, the wide bowl allows the champagne room to breathe and express its unique nose.