Perfect Table Manners

Worried about how to handle things at a formal sit-down dinner?

• Place your napkin on your lap. It is an old cliche but an excellent display of table manners. Getting the napkin off the table leaves room for other things and signals the wait staff that your seat is occupied for dinner, allowing them to get an accurate count of meals to be served at your table.

• Pass items around the table, when you are asked to pass the salt with the pepper and hand it to the person sitting next to you. Items such as salt and pepper or the breadbasket should be passed around the table, not across the table, clock wise. When one of these items is handed to you, help yourself and then pass it on.

• Eat on the left; drink on the right. Your bread and butter plate, salad plate, dessert bowl or other vessels meant for you to eat from will be located to the left of your place setting. Your water glass, wine glass and other glasses necessary for the meal can be found to the right of your place setting.

• Use one fork at a time. When several forks are part of the place setting, begin with the outside fork and work your way toward the center with each successive course. Use the same technique with the spoons. Forks or spoons set at the top of the place setting are for later courses, usually dessert. The wait staff should move those items into position at the left or right of the place setting when it is time for the appropriate course.

• Begin eating only once everyone is served. Think of it as a race; it would be unfair if anyone got a head start. And, of course, you may have heard it is rude to eat in front of someone. Wait until everyone has food, then begin eating.

• Butter your bread on the plate. Keep the bread on your plate while applying butter to it. Holding bread in the palm of your hand while buttering is a terrible breach of table manners.

• Leave your silverware at four o’clock to indicate you are finished. Think of your plate like the face of a clock. When you are finished eating, put your knife and fork together on the plate with the handles positioned where the number four would be. This is a signal to the wait staff that you are finished eating and your plate can be cleared away.

• Use your knife, never your fingers, to push food onto your fork.
Folding your napkin diagonally will help keep it from slipping off your lap.

• Never place dirty silverware on the tablecloth.

• Do not leave your spoon sticking out of the bowl or cup; instead, place it on the liner plate beneath the bowl or on the saucer.

• Do not speak with food in your mouth. Taking small bites will facilitate conversation during the meal.