For food bloggers, taking photos of your meal before you tuck in has been standard practice for some time. However, the popularity of social networking platforms like Twitter and Instagram could mean that taking pictures of your food could be set to be encouraged by various restaurants and eateries themselves.

One such establishment which appears to be endorsing this practise is Cómodo. Spanish for ‘comfortable’, this restaurant has mastered the style of understated chic – meaning it is, arguably, the perfect setting for such food photography. After all, whilst it is find to take photos of the sandwich which you are about to eat whilst at home playing online games at cheekybingo.com, or the colourful ice cream which you are devouring on a beach, many people believe that it is impolite or distracting to be snapping away a more formal venue. Whilst there is perhaps a certain romance to be found within Cómodo’s dusky lighting and intimate place settings, there is also a communal feel – shared dishes, loud chatter, brick walls.

Perhaps, then, this is why the menu features the subtle statement: “#ComodoMenu on Instagram” – not an instruction, more of a subtle permission to take pictures of your food and upload them to the site. It’s working, of course. The beautifully presented meals, which feature everything from Mezcal Octopus to Ajiaco Soup and plenty of seared steak, are regularly cropping up on Instagram, and searching the hashtag is certainly a great alternative to browsing the menu.

This hidden gem of a restaurant is located in SoHo and stays open until 11.30pm Tuesday through to Sunday. With an imaginative menu that also features Mexican Coca-Cola sauces and Pork which has been kneaded with coffee, it’s perhaps no wonder that Cómodo are keen to show it off. With former advertising executives Felipe Donnelly and Tamy Rofe in the kitchen, could this innovative marketing technique set a precedent amongst even more of New York’s eateries? Only time with tell!