When eating at home or in a Restaurant how important to you is food presentation?

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It matters very little. At first I thought it didn’t matter at all, but I soon realized that if I don’t have the biggest appetite, I’ll only feel hungry for the “good-looking” foods.

Cover it in sour cream and I don’t care.

At home it doesn’t matter much at all. At a restaurant I care that it looks appetizing. I don’t care that it’s cut in fancy shapes, or stacked in a special looking pile. If the food looks fresh and 2–3 different colors on the plate, that’s good enough for me.

Depends on the type of restaurant. I’ll expect a much nicer presentation if I am paying $35 an entree, as opposed to the chicken enchiladas I had last night, or the Chinese I had week ago. Yet it still needs to be presented neatly, not just piled on top of each other like I have just been through a buffet.

Same at home. I don’t make dinner with a large expectation of presentation, but not piled on each other. Half the tim e the kids don’t like their foods touching each other anyway.

Having a knife, fork, and spoon helps a great deal.

The initial stage of the eating process is looking at our food. Haven’t you ever looked at a meal and you start to salivate before you ever taste the meal? Similarly, how food smells is part of the pleasure of eating.

Sure, if someone mashed up our food and served up a plate of slop we could eat it, but would it be appealing? No. So whether I’m at home or not I want the food on my plate to look appealing in terms of colour, how it’s arranged etc. It doesn’t have to be arranged as though a 3-star Michelin chef prepared it, but I want it to look appealing.

If I’m paying for an expensive meal, then yes I want it to be presented creatively. That’s part of the experience.

I recently went to a very expensive restaurant in Sydney. The chef is one of Australia’s top people and the food was not only delicious, it looked beautiful. And it had great texture. The chef was aiming for the enjoyment of the food to extend beyond taste and visual appeal. The waiter asked whether we had enjoyed the different textures of the food. We use many senses when we eat.

Yep. Makes a difference. Subliminally.
People want to eat. When it looks better, the food tastes better.
More special. Tastier. Food for the eyes and soul. Flavor of the food prep.
Many study how to do this for the food that will be put on restaurant tables.
The importance? Check the books available on the subject. Look at the YouTube Videos.
Food Presentation.
If I am making something for someone? It matters.
If I am dining out? I appreciate their efforts.

Probably more than I realize, but I don’t think that appearance is as important as those proffering it would prefer me to believe. In fact I’ve developed the regrettable habit when encountering a new dessert of viewing that sprig of mint, dainty sprinkling of powdered sugar or scrolling of raspberry puree as an excuse to overcharge for the main event.

Just as important that every other aspect.

At home or at someone’s house, not necessarily. At a cheap restaurant, not necessarily. In an expensive restaurant, yes, I’d like it to be attractively placed on the plate. Unusual looking food is a bonus in a very expensive place. Unusual silverware and unique tableware and plates are a bonus, too.

As much as people like to deny it, food presentation is as important as any other aspect of eating, especially when dining out.

I worked in (mostly full service) restaurants for years, and it was my experience that I could serve a mediocre meal, beautifully presented and get rave reviews.
Try to serve something something supremely delicious that is odd, unusual or ugly looking and the vast majority of people will either refuse to try it, or will turn their nose up at the first tiny taste.

The average diner wants an identifiable piece of meat, a starch (potato/pasta), a contrasting vegetable and some sort of sauce or gravy.

If there isn’t some sort of color on a plate, the diner might be satisfied, but they won’t rave. No matter how nicely seasoned and how delicately cooked, if you serve a sauteed pork chop with mashed potatoes, milk gravy and cauliflower with white cheese sauce you’re not going to get better than high-average (bland) feedback.

A handful of chopped pimentos in the green beans, while adding little flavor, can turn the tide on a dinner plate from good to great.

I don’t care how it looks as long as it tastes good and the portions are decent.

I consider it a bonus if the food looks nice, because I love food photography (my own and professional) but it really doesn’t matter to me how it looks as long as it tastes good. I eat a lot of Indian food, which tends to look like baby poop, but it tastes fantastic!

Exhibit A and Exhibit B

It’s all in the eye of the beholder.
Imagine, @Kardamom, how dry and sterile a chopped steak, baked potato and green beans must look to someone raised on baby poo Indian food!

^^ Ha!

I seriously question that, @Kardamom.

What must an Indian think of KFC buffet when they’re used to traditional Indian buffet?
KFC must look like the ingredients for a single do-it-yourself dish!

KFC has a buffet?...

Some locations have a buffet.