This document provides etiquette tips for table manners. It discusses proper table setting with different utensils and their placement. It also covers etiquette for sitting down, using a napkin, ordering food, eating with utensils, posture, eating soup and bread, passing items, and indicating you have finished your meal. Mastering these formal dining procedures and etiquettes will help one dine properly.

1. Table Etiquette
The Basics

2. Introduction
• Table manners play
an important part
in making a good
impression.
• Here are some
basic tips to help
you…

3. Sit down dinner/lunch
• At a very formal dinner name cards will
show you where you should sit.
• If there are no name cards on the
tables, the host will take you to the
correct place.

4. Sitting down
• If you are at a romantic dinner, the
man should push the woman’s chair in
for her.
• Sometimes the waiter will do this for
you or the lady.

5. Using the napkin
• Place the napkin on your lap.
– If it is small – unfold it completely.
– If it is big – fold it in half, lengthwise.

6. Using the napkin
• The napkin stays on your lap the whole
time.
• If you need to leave the table during
the meal, place your napkin on your
chair as a signal to your server that you
will come back.

7. Using the napkin
• You should only dab your lips and should
not make the napkin dirty.
• Once the meal is over, you too should
place your napkin loosely on the table to
the right of your dinner plate.
• It should not be crumpled or twisted, which
reveal untidiness or nervousness.
• Nor should it be folded, which might show
that you think your host might reuse it
without washing

8. Using the napkin
There is a European superstition that a
diner who leaves the napkin on his
chair will never sit at that table again.

9. Ordering
• If there is something you don’t
understand on the menu, ask your
server any questions you may have.
Answering your questions is part of the
server’s job.

10. Ordering
• An employer will generally let you order
first; his or her order will be taken last.
Sometimes, however, the server will
decide who orders first. Often,
women’s orders are taken before
men’s.
• As a guest you should not order one of
the most expensive items on the menu
or more than two courses unless your
host shows that it is all right.

11. The Menu
• Read the menu to
decide what you
want to eat.

12. The Menu

13. The Table Setting
Side Plate
Dinner Plate
Soup Bowl

14. The Table Setting
Cutlery
Dessert Spoon
Soup Spoon
Butter Knife
Dinner Fork
Dinner Knife
Salad Fork

15. The Table Setting
White Wine Glass
Red Wine Glass
Champagne Glass

16. Basic Table Setting

17. Informal Setting
• As you can see, this is a setting for a buffet dinner since there is no dinner
plate.
A. Dinner Plate if you chose to serve in this manner
B. Forks. Salad Fork on the left. Dinner Fork to the right of the Salad Fork.
C. Napkin
D. Dinner Knife with the cutting edge facing the plate.
E. Spoons. In this setting, soup will be served prior to the main course, so it is
placed in the outside position, keeping with the idea that you work from
the outside in with your utensils.
F. Glasses. Water Glass above the knife and wine glass to the right of the
water.
G. Salad Plate
H. Bread Plate with Butter Knife placed diagonally.
I. Dessert Spoon and Fork.
J. Coffee Cup and Saucer

18. Formal Setting

19. Legend
A. Dinner Plate
B. Butter Plate
C. Dinner Fork
D. Fish Fork
E. Salad Fork
F. Dinner Knife
G. Fish Knife
H. Salad Knife
I. Soup Spoon or Fruit Spoon
J. Oyster Fork
K. Butter Knife
Glasses - can number up to 5 and are places so that
the smaller ones are in front.
• Water Goblet placed directly above the knives.
• (not shown) Champagne Flute would be placed
to the right of the water goblet.
• Red Wine Glass
• White Wine Glass Sherry Glass

20. Another Table Setting

21. 1. Seafood Fork
2. Soup Spoon
3. Fish Course Knife/Fork
4. Meat Course Knife/Fork
5. Salad Course Knife/Fork
6. Dessert/Coffee
7. Water Glass
8. Wine Glass
9. Wine Glass
10. Plate and/or Napkin
11. Bread Plate & Butter Knife
12. Coffee Cup & Saucer
Important Tips
• Use silverware from the outside in.
• Never cut more than three bites at one time.
• When passing main dishes, always pass to the right.
• To indicate you have finished eating a meal, place
silverware together on your plate in a clock position of ten
to four, with the handles at four.

22. Using the knives, forks and
spoons
• In most restaurants you will only find
one knife and one fork on the table.
• If there are more than one, you should
use the one on the “outside” first.

23. Using the knives, forks and
spoons
• There are two ways to use a knife and
a fork:
– The American Style
– The European Style

24. The American Style
• When you need to cut something, you
should hold the fork in your left hand
and the knife in your right hand.
• After cutting off a small piece, you put
your knife and fork down, pick the fork
up with your right hand and eat it.

25. The European Style
• When you need to cut something, you
should hold the fork in your left hand
and the knife in your right hand.
• After cutting off a small piece, you put
the food directly into your mouth with
your left hand.

26. Using the knives, forks and
spoons
• When you hold the knife or fork, you
should relax your fingers.
• Never let the knife, fork or spoon touch
the table after you started eating.

27. Using the knives, forks and
spoons
• When you take a break from eating,
you simply put your knife and fork on
the plate.
• When you have finished eating, you
should put your knife and fork together
pointing to the left.

28. Posture
• Sit up straight with your arms near your
body.
• Don’t put your elbows on the table.

29. Taking something out of your
mouth
• Food should go out the same way it
went in (If with the spoon then out on
in the spoon-example seed of a plum)
• Your may take fish bones out with your
hand.

30. Eating Soup
• Dip the spoon in the soup away from your
body.
• Sip the liquid from the side of the spoon.
• Don’t put the whole spoon in your mouth.

31. Eating Bread
• Take some butter and put it on the
plate.
• Break a piece of bread off with your
hand.
• Put some butter on the small piece.
• Don’t spread the butter over the
whole piece of bread.

32. “Please pass the salt”
• If somebody asks you to pass the salt,
you should pick up both the salt and
the pepper.
• Put them on the table near the
person next to you.
• Do not use the salt before you pass it
on.

33. When you have finished
• When you leave
the table at the
end of the meal,
place your napkin
loosely next to your
plate.

34. Setting a table for a formal sit down meal is an art.
Sitting down and dining is a formal procedure or a
string of etiquettes master them will help you to
dine with the best.

35. Thank You