A flambé lamp — the same device as a chafing lamp — is the portable burner used for tableside flambéing and for keeping dishes hot at the table. The classic form is a small spirit burner on a stand, its blue flame heating the pan in which crêpes suzette are sauced, bananas Foster are flamed, or steak Diane is finished — the theatre of classical restaurant service performed inches from the diner. As a chafing lamp it does quieter duty, warming the water bath beneath a chafing dish at the buffet. The fuel is usually methylated spirit or gel, chosen for a clean, controllable flame. The flambé lamp belongs to the era of tableside ceremony; where it survives, it still draws the room’s attention — fire, food, and showmanship in one small appliance.