In today’s blog I’m gonna be telling you about what is the least that you need to know about dining etiquette. Before I get started let’s address two questions. What are table manners? Table manners is basically your behaviour around the table so how you hold cutlery is how you eat, even what kind of conversation you hold all make a part of table manners.
Now, why do we even need table manners especially in today’s world where our restaurants are casual dining places and we often have in formal dining experience - The truth is you need to have a good table manners for your own good so you feel very comfortable at the table and you’ll put others at the table at ease with your good manners. So, whatever the occasion, whatever the degree of amount the dinner is, make sure you put your best foot forward.
Let’s talk about sitting arrangement.
Where should you sit? If you’re a guest and you’re invited by a host or you say your date then you would wait for him/her to gesture you to seat and take your seat afterwards. If you’re the host then you do the same, you’ll point the seat that intended for your guests then he or she will take their seat. So, the rule of thumb is that the guest always gets the best seats that meaning he or she will be facing the main area, the entrance so he or she will get the best view.
Now, that we have seated down we’ve to remember couple of rules.
#1. Don’t slouch. Roll your shoulders backwards, straighten your back and sit straight.
#2. Don’t press your back to the back of your chair. Leave some space between the back of your chair and your own back.
#3. Do not place your elbows on the table when eating however, it is acceptable to place your elbows at the table whenever you’re taking break between the meal to have a conversation.
#4. According to American dining etiquette, you’re supposed to leave your hand on your lap whenever you’re holding cutleries and according to French dining etiquette, you’re supposed to always rest your wrist on the table so, your hands remain visible to your dining partners at all times.
#5. Whatever does not belong to the dining table should be held away from the table that applies to your phone and bag. You should silence your phone before sitting down and put it in your pocket or bag. For your bag, if it’s a large bag you can place it on a special little chair designed or you can ask for a bag holder which looks like a look and you can hang you bag there. Else you can also place your bag on an empty chair nearby it’s nowadays acceptable to place a bag behind your back but do it in a rare cases. If you have small bag that’s like a clutch you can place it on your lap and cover it with a napkin. Whatever you do, do not put your bag on a ground level.
Now, let’s now look at our dining table.
Table setting -
Generally, you can follow utensil placement in order from the one farthest from the plate and work your way inward. Forks go on the left, with the salad fork first, and then the dinner fork beside the plate. On the right side of the plate, you will find the knife, appetizer or salad knife, spoon, soup spoon, and oyster fork. The knife blades should be positioned with the cutting sides closest to the plate. The fork and knife closest to the plate are for eating your main course. The dessert fork or spoon in most cases will be placed parallel or diagonal to the edge of the table near the top of your plate. In some cases, it may be set on the empty dessert plate. Water goblets usually doesn’t have a stem and you hold the water goblet by the bottom of the bowl. White wine glass, unlike the red wine glass which are shorter and larger, this glass is longer and thinner. You’ll hold red wine glass by the bottom of the bowl. For the white wine glass, you have to hold it by the stem so you don’t warm up the drink.
During the meal -
Here are some points that you’ve to keep in mind during your meal -
1. Never start the meal before the presence of the host.
2. Gently stir your soup to cool it instead of blowing on it. Spoon your soup away from you.
3. Always pass both salt and pepper together even if someone asked for one of them.
4. Once you pick up the silverware from the table, It should be kept on the plate after.
5. Always keep your mouth closed while eating.
6. Food should be passed on to your right but it doesn't mean you can't give it to the person sitting on your left.
7. Keep the bread on your right, meal in the centre and water on your left.
8. Do not use excessive amounts of sweeteners - no more than two packets per meal is the rule of thumb.
9. Taste your food before seasoning it.
10. Chew with your mouth closed and do not talk with food in your mouth.
Napkin -
Typically, you want to put your napkin on your lap (folded in half with the fold towards your waist) soon after sitting down at the table, but follow your host's lead.
The napkin should remain on your lap throughout the entire meal. Place your napkin on your chair, or to the left of your plate, if you leave the table as a signal to the server that you will be returning.
Be aware of different styles of eating -
Continental or European Style: Cutting the food with the right hand and using the left hand to hold the food while cutting and when eating.
American Style: Cutting the food with the right hand and holding the food with the left, then switching hands to eat with the right hand.
When you’ve finished -
When you’re done with you meal, place your fork and knife in a postion 12 to 6 o’ clock with knife facing upwards or downwards like the French dining etiquette does usually or you can also place it in a position of 10 to 4 o’ clock.
If this was a dinner you were invited to make sure you sent a thank you message to the host the next day, if you really truly loved the dinner experience you might also consider sending flowers with a beautiful handwritten thank-you note. I guarantee you a beautiful handwritten thank-you note will serve you a long way.
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