1. The document provides guidance on fine dining service including staff briefing, table setting, seating guests, presenting menus, taking orders, serving food and beverages, clearing tables, presenting checks, and bidding farewell to guests. 2. Specific instructions are given for tasks like seating guests and pulling out chairs, serving each course in sequence starting with ladies, and using hand signals to know when guests are finished. 3. Nine rules for superior service emphasize being patient, attentive, discreet, and helping guests by bringing all items together and never saying "I don't know" without finding an answer.

1. Fine Dining Training
From
Smart Up Business
Property of Smart Up Business 1

2. Fine Dining Service

3. Staff briefing
Staff briefing has to
include the following:
1. Ensure staff appearance & hygiene
2. Stations assigning
3. Special menu items
4. Out of socks
5. Sales suggesting
6. Reservations of the day & table
allocations
7. Review of last shift floor mistakes

4. Table setting

5. • The 10x10 rule
Greeting guest is the job of every one
in the restaurant within 10 foot from
the guest in 10 seconds
• First & Last rule
Be the first & last one to talk
Greeting & seating the guest

6. • Clear and affable tone of voice.
• Good appearance and a smile.
• Eye contact
• Confidence
• Greeting of the day, i.e. Good
Morning Good afternoon/ Good
Evening.
• If the guest is regular then must
be greeted with name.

7. Seating the guest
• Ladies must be seated first.
o Stand straight 9-12” behind the guests’ chair.
o Bring the right foot forward, with the knee touching the wooden skirting of the seat in the middle.
o Hold the chair from both the hands from the sides of the back. Lift the chair about 1’’ from behind and pull it back, ensuring
that there is adequate space for the guests to go between the table and chair.
o When the guest proceeds to sit down, move the chair slowly towards the guest, till it is comfortable for the guest and rest the chair
of the floor.
It must be ensured that the chair is not dragged.
Seating the guest on a sofa
o If the space is not sufficient for the guests to move in, move the table outside and place it back in position as soon as the guests
have sat down.
o If the table is heavy then the waiter must ask for assistance from his colleagues, under no circumstances the guests’ help should
be sought.

8. Seating order:
• When you have 2 guests, they
best sit opposite to each other
• More than 2 guests, better to
be seated man & woman
alternatively. Each man with
his woman on his right
• These are the common rule
unless guests want something
different

9. Menu card must be presented from the right hand side, open to
the first page.
Give 5-7 minutes to the guests to go through the menu.
Check with the guests if they are ready to place the order, by
inquiring “ May I take your order Sir/ Madam” or “ Are you ready
to place your order Sir/ Madam”?
Stand straight at a position where it is convenient to talk to the
guests.
Assist the guest in choosing the best dish on offer, use
‘suggestive selling’ or ‘up selling’ techniques.
Take down the order systematically on KOT (Kitchen Order Ticket)
After taking order, repeat the order.
Take menu card back from the guests and put it back in place.
Inform the guests of the approximate time it would take to serve
the food.
Presenting a menu card

10. Service of
Food and
Beverage
orders
• Beverages are served first from the right of the guest.
• bread and butter must be served immediately.
• Waiting staff must ensure that the same is replenished as
soon as it is over. The guest should not have to ask for it.
• Before serving the food the waiters must ensure that the
cover is appropriate, should it need to be changed then it
must be done before the food comes to the table. This must
be done discreetly, ensuring minimum intrusion and
disturbance to guest and with minimum cluttering.
• Food order must be announced before the service.

11. Sequence of serving guest is as following:
• Guest of honor is served first.
• A lady in the party takes
precedence over the male guest
of honor.
• Ladies must be served before
Gentlemen.
• Older people are served before
younger ones.
• Host must be served last.

12. Service of
food:
Pre-plated service of
food must be from the
right hand side.
•Platter to plate or silver service
must be from the left hand side.
Service of each course should be
coordinated in a manner that
the guests do not have to wait
for a long time between the
courses.
•Guest must be asked whether
the food is up to their
expectation. It must not happen
that in enthusiasm, 3-4 people
go to guest to ask if ‘every thing
is alright’! This may irritate the
guest and may be an intrusion in
his privacy.
01 Water and other food
items must be served/
replenished as soon as it
is over.
02 Before removing
anything from the table,
seek guest’s permission.
03

13. Important Tips to Remember:
• Ladies are always served first
• Never eat, drink, or chew gum in front of guests
• Always exhibit proper posture- Do not slouch,
cross your arms, or leave your hands in your
pockets while on service
• Press uniforms to eliminate wrinkles, creases,
and make sure they are free of stains or excess
food.
• Only use employee entrances and exits during
formal functions
• Do not engage in informal conversations with
guests or colleagues

14. Clearance
Used plates are cleared from the right hand side.
Plates are cleared after all the guests on the table
have finished their meal. Indication for closing the
meal is done by placing knife and fork together
across the plate.
Clearance is done by right hand and collected on
the left hand, by the ‘first plate’ technique.

15. Crumbing
Crumbing is done to remove spills
or crumbs on the table after the main course, prior
to dessert being served.
Carried out by a crumbing spade, crumbing brush
or on a B&B plate with a waiters’ cloth and a B&B
knife to pick up gravies that might have fallen on
the tablecloth.
Begin crumbing from the left hand side, holding
plate on left hand just under the tabletop; gently
sweep the crumbs on to the plate.
Open the dessertspoon and dessert fork.
Bad stains can be covered with a clean white
napkin.

16. Presenting check
Checks must be presented only when asked.
Waiter must bring the check in a neat and tidy folder.
Guest comment card should be in the folder.
A pen must be given along with the check folder.
When the guest is leaving the folder must be removed
very discreetly.
Tips must never be solicited.

17. Farewell
This is as crucial as welcoming the guest.
Guest must be helped in getting up by
pulling out the chair for them. Should be
assisted with coats/ shawls.
Must be thanked.
Must be welcomed again…..” Look forward
to welcoming you back to the restaurant”,
“We hope that you visit us soon”

18. 9 rules to give superior service
1. Be patient. Don’t clear any plates until everyone has finished. An empty plate is far less obtrusive than
making the remaining diners feel rushed or making the first person done feel they ate too fast.
2. Be pleasantly vague. Don’t ask a guest if they want another margarita or some more bread—just ask if
they need anything.
3. Timing is everything. Wait for right moment to recite a long list of specials (with prices, please) or
interrupt an intense conversation.
4. Be discrete and professional. Don’t laugh or gossip with coworkers within earshot of customers, or eat
or drink within site of them.
5. Pay attention. Don’t ignore a table that isn’t yours. If you see a guest clearly in need of attention, help
them immediately or promptly tell them you’ll send their server right over.
6. Good service flows. Bring all of the appetizers or entrees to a table at the same time. Never leave one
guest stranded and plate-less while everyone else in their party has their meal.
7. Read silverware signals. Cutlery crossed in the shape of an X means the diner isn’t finished. A knife
and fork together in the 10 o’clock and 4 o’clock position means they are. Think of it this way: X means
no, hands off, and a straight line means you can take it straight away. (That is, presuming everyone else
is done too.
8. Left/leave, right/retrieve. Generally one serves from the guests’ left and clears from the right, using
the respective hand (ie: placing a dish with the left and picking up with the right).
9. Remember you’re there to help. Never answer a guest’s question with “I don’t know,” without
immediately following it up with “…but I’ll find out.”