Table Etiquette - Tumblr Posts

Table Etiquette

A crash course on fine dining/ being invited to dinner at someone’s place. Even if you don’t fine dine, I’d recommend you start practicing these habits in any establishment so that they come to you naturally.

Remember : A typical four-course meal consists of a soup, an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert.

If you’re standing at some sort of a networking session/ mixer:

Keep at least one hand free. If you are standing, have only a drink or food in one hand, never both.  Hold a drink in your left hand so that you have a clean hand for a handshake. You can eat and drink while sitting, but it is always better to stand and greet.

Sitting/ dining out/ invited to dinner:

1. Wait to be seated by the staff/ host.

2. Napkin on your lap the minute you sit down at the table.

3. if you're looking at the menu, make sure to have the bottom, or at least one part of it, still touching the table, even if your impulse is to bring it closer to your face. Don’t lift the menu off the table to your nose.

4. Once you sip from a glass, you must sip from the exact same place on that glass for the rest of the evening.

5. If there’s a breadbasket and butter on your table - don’t dip the bread in the communal butter plate. Take a piece of the butter with your butter knife, put it on the side plate, then spread that butter on your bread. Don’t double dip! Your bread plate is the one on your left, by the way. And your glass will be on your right.

6. If your table has a lot of silverware - start from the outside and work your way in.

7. Dishes should be passed in a counter-clockwise flow. Don’t reach across the table.

8. Lay you fork and knife diagonally across the plate, side by side, pointing at 10:00 and 4:00 on a clock face. This signifies to the wait staff that you have finished.

9. Keep the rim of your plates as clean as possible, as a sign of respect to the staff.

Cultural differences:

1. Whilst eating Indian food/ in India, always eat with your right hand. The left hand should never touch the food. This is also seen in the Arab world - use only the thumb, index finger and middle finger to pick up food.

2. In Korea, one waits for the senior most person in the room to sit and eat, and is followed suit. Sharing is caring - food is often ordered to share with each other rather than individual plates.

3. Chopsticks etiquette (general): don’t stick and leave your chopsticks in your food perpendicular to the table, it signifies death. Don't set your chopsticks down pointed at another person at the table. Don't point your chopsticks at other people around the table.

4. France: bread on the table is meant to accompany the main dish, not as an appetiser.

What are some table manners that one should keep in mind if they’re eating food/ eating with someone of your culture?