Buffet
A meal where dishes are set out together and guests serve themselves.
Also: smorgasbord
At a buffet, food is laid out on a table or counter and diners walk up, choose what they want and carry it back to their seats. It allows many people to be fed with few staff, so it is common at weddings, hotels and conferences. The Swedish smorgasbord, a spread of cold and hot dishes, helped make the idea known abroad. Many buffets charge one price for as much as the guest can eat.