Dining Etiquette – Dinner Table Manners

 

• Always wash your hands before eating

• It is courteous to pull out / push in chair for mom, grandmother, or any friend in need of help

• It is polite for gentlemen to stand when a lady leaves the table (only the first time)

• The gentlemen always sits to the left of the lady

• Sit up straight (The helps you to maintain eye contact)

• Place your folded napkin across your lap

  • At someone's home, wait for the host before doing it​

  • At a restaurant, do it immediately after you sit down

  • Always open the napkin under the table

  • Place it across your lap, crease towards your body

  • When temporarily leaving the table, place napkin on your seat

  • When leaving the table for good, place it to the left of your plate

• Wait until everyone has been served before you start eating

• Chew with your mouth closed

• Do not speak with food in your mouth

• Take small bites

• Do not slurp or make noises while eating

• Be as quite as you can with your cutlery

• No electronics at the dinner table

• Use utensils correctly (Outside-In Rule)

  • If you forget the rules, you can always copy the host​

• Keep elbows off the table

• Use a knife and fork to cut your food

• Bring the food to your mouth, NOT your mouth to the food

• Break off bread into soups and use your spoon to eat it

• When eating soup, always scoop AWAY from you

• Ask for Items to be handed to you, never reach across someone

• Take part in the table conversation but not while chewing

• Say “Excuse Me” when leaving the table and place your napkin on your seat

• Never announce you are "going to the restroom"

• Parallel utensils indicate that you are finished

• Crossed utensils indicate that you are still eating

• When you are ready to leave the table, fold your napkin so the food stains are now on the inside and then place it to the left of your plate when you are finished

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Table Setting – Know Your Cutlery (knives / forks / spoons)

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• Your cutlery always begins along side your plate

• While there are several orientations for your cutlery, we have listed the most important ones below

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Table Setting – Informal Setting

 

• If you can remember the acronym F.O.R.K.S. you will always know how to property set any table

• Moving from left to right:

  • The “F” stands for FORK (shorter SALAD fork then longer DINNER fork)

    • You can remember because the “S” in SALAD stands for “Short”

  • The “O” is for the PLATE (Plates are round like the letter O)

  • The “R” is for the DESSERT FORK / SPOON which are above the plate

    • You can remember this by saying “ARE you ready for dessert?”

  • The “K” is for KNIFE which is to the right of the plate

  • The “S” is for SPOON which is to the right of the knife

  • The WATER GLASS is just above the spoon

  • The NAPKIN can be either to the LEFT OF THE FORK or ON THE PLATE

  • The bread plate is on the LEFT just above the fork

  • The drinks are to the RIGHT just above the knife and spoon

    • You can remember what side these are on by making a letter b with you left hand and the letter d with your right hand (See formal setting below)