This document provides 26 tips related to table manners and etiquette. It discusses proper etiquette for items like napkins, utensils, passing food, bread, soup, drinks, seating arrangements, and more. The tips emphasize polite conduct, consideration for others, and using utensils and hands appropriately for different foods. Business dining etiquette and etiquette in restaurants is also addressed.

4. Manners
P R E P A R E D B Y :
M R . J A Y M A R D . A R A G O
Food and Beverage Services NCII

5. It emphasizes personal conduct and the way one carries
oneself at the table. For example, not talking with food in
your mouth, not slurping, or not reaching across others. This
includes how a person uses utensils, chews food, drinks, and
engages in personal conduct at the table.
Table Manners
Table Manners and Etiquette
Etiquette includes considerations for others, such as
passing dishes politely, waiting for everyone to be served
before starting to eat, and being aware of the comfort of
fellow diners.
Table Etiquettes

6. Table Napkin
Etiquette
Placing the Napkin in Your Lap. Place the napkin in your lap
immediately upon seating. If there is a host or hostess, wait
for him or her to take their napkin off the table and place it
in his or her lap. (An exception to this rule is buffet-style
meals, where you should unfold your napkin when you start
eating.)

7. Unfolding the Napkin.
Unfold your napkin in one
smooth motion without
"snapping" or "shaking" it
open. The size determines
how you unfold a napkin in
your lap.
• Large napkins are
unfolded halfway.
• Smaller napkins are
unfolded completely and
cover the lap fully.

8. Don't Tuck the Napkin. Don't tuck a napkin
into your collar, between the buttons of your
shirt, or in your belt.
Using the Napkin. Use your napkin frequently
during the meal to blot or pat, not wipe, your
lips. Blot your lips before taking a drink of your
beverage.
Napkin Rings. If a napkin ring is present, after
removing your napkin, place the ring to the top-
left of the setting. At the end of the meal, grasp
the napkin in the center, pull it through the ring,
and lay it on the table with the point facing the
center of the table.

9. Temporarily Leaving the Table. When leaving the
table temporarily, put your napkin on your chair.
If the chair is upholstered, place the napkin soiled
side up.
Placing the Napkin at the End of the Meal.
At the meal's end:
• If a plate is in the center of your place setting,
when leaving the table lay the napkin to the
left of the plate.
• If after-dinner coffee is served at the table, the
napkin remains in the lap.

10. Handling Utensils
In most situations, following
the "OUTSIDE-IN" rule will
tell you which knife, fork, or
spoon to use at the dinner
table. Use utensils on the
outside first and work your
way inward with each new
course that is served.

11. Handling Utensils
Continental Style
• Hold your fork in your left
hand, tines downward.
• Use your fork to spear and
lift food to your mouth.
• If your knife is not needed, it
remains on the table.

12. Handling Utensils
Continental Style
• Hold your knife in your right
hand, an inch or two above
the plate. Extend your index
finger along the top of the
blade.

13. Handling Utensils
American Style
• Hold your fork like a pencil,
with the shank extended
between your thumb and
index and middle fingers.
Your fourth and fifth fingers
rest in your hand.
• For leverage, the index finger
is extended along the back of
the fork, as far from the tines
as possible.

14. Resting Utensils
Continental Style: Place your knife and
fork on your plate near the center, slightly
angled in an inverted V and with the tips
of the knife and fork pointing toward
each other.
American Style: Rest your knife on the
top right of your plate (diagonally) with
the fork nearby (tines up).

15. When each course is finished:
 Place the knife and fork parallel with the handles in
the four o'clock position on the right rim of the plate.

16. Passing Etiquette
 Food should be passed to the right
- but the point is for the food to be
moving in only one direction.
 One diner either holds the dish as
the next diner takes some food, or
he hands it to the person, who
then serves herself.
 Any heavy or awkward dishes are
put on the table with each pass.

17. Salt and Pepper Etiquette
 Taste Before Salting. Be sure to
taste the food before putting salt or
pepper on it.
 Pass Salt and Pepper Together.
Always pass salt and pepper
together. If a person asks for just
one, pass both anyway.
 Saltcellars. Some hostesses
prefer to use saltcellars, which salt
shakers have largely replaced.
Saltcellars

18. Salt and Pepper Etiquette
 If there is no spoon in the saltcellar, use the tip of a
clean knife to take some salt.
 If the saltcellar is for you alone, you may either use
the tip of your knife or you may take a pinch with your
fingers.
 If it is to be shared with others, never use your fingers
or a knife that is not clean.
 Salt you have taken from the cellar should be put on
the bread-and-butter plate or on the rim of whatever
plate is before you.

19. Bread Etiquette
 If the bread is placed in front of you, feel
free to pick up the basket and offer it to the
person on your right.
 If the loaf is not cut, cut a few pieces, offer
them to the person to your left, and then
pass the basket to your right.
 Do not touch the loaf with your fingers,
instead use the clothe in the bread basket
as a buffer to steady the bread as you
slice it.

20. Bread Etiquette
 Place the bread and butter on your butter
plate - yours is on your left - then break off
a bite sized piece of bread, put a little
butter on it, and eat it.
 Don't butter the whole piece of bread and
then take bites from it.
 Don't hold your bread in one hand and a
drink in the other, and
 Don't take the last piece of bread without
first offering it to others.

21. Serving
Etiquette
Formal Meals
 Food is brought to each diner at the
table;
 The server presents the platter or bowl
on the diner's left,
 (Alternatively, plates are prepared in the
kitchen and then brought to the table
and set before the diners.)
Casual Meals
 the host will dish food onto guests'
plates to pass around the table; or
 the diners help themselves to the food
and pass it to others as necessary.

22. Eating Soup Etiquette
 Dip the spoon sideways at the near edge
of the bowl, then skim away from you. Sip
from the side of the spoon. To retrieve the
last spoonful of soup, slightly tip the bowl
away from you.
 If you want a bite of bread while eating
your soup, don't hold the bread in one
hand and your soupspoon in the other.
Instead, place the spoon on the
underplate, then use the same hand to
take the bread to your mouth.

23. Cocktail Glasses
• Do not bring a cocktail glass
to the dinner table. The glass
crowds the place setting. In
addition, the taste of spirits
may counteract the flavor of
wine served with the
meal. Leave the cocktail glass
in the room where cocktails
are served.
Seating Etiquette

24. Seating Etiquette – In addition
 The place of honor at the table is
to the right side of the host
because most people are right-
handed.
 Unless protocol is being observed,
other guests should not be seated
according to their importance.
 Beyond these few guidelines,
guests should be arranged in the
way that the host feels will be most
congenial for conversation.

25. Seating Etiquette – In addition
 In a private residence
the hostess should
suggest where to
leave a purse, purses
should not be brought
to the table. In a
restaurant or public
place it is held on the
lap or placed close at
hand.

26. How Long to Hold
• Dinner should be delayed no more than
15 to 20 minutes to accommodate a late
guest's arrival.
• At an informal meal, the host answers
the door and greets the latecomer.
• If a guest arrives late to a formal meal, a
butler or maid receives them at the door
with the hostess still seated.
Dinner for a Late Guest?

27. Seating for Business Dining
• Seating arrangements are made by
the host. It is never correct for guests
to shift name cards or take a seat at a
table other than one to which they
have been assigned. It is a company's
prerogative to decide how to seat its
guests.

28. Seating for Business Dining
• At a round or square table, the head
seat is wherever the host wants to sit.
• At a rectangular table, the head seats
are at the ends of the table.
• The most important guests occupy the
right-hand seats, with the second most
important guests, if any, occupying the
left-hand seats.

29. Seating for Business Dining
• At a round or square table, the head seat is
wherever the host wants to sit.
• At a rectangular table, the head seats are at the
ends of the table.
• The most important guests occupy the right-hand
seats, with the second most important guests, if any
occupying the left-hand seats.
• The guest of honor is seated to the right of the host,
with a second guest of honor seated to the left.
• Less important guests are arranged, often
according to rank, around the table.

30. Door Lists
• The company may require guests to
present an invitation to gain
admittance, but those can be copied.
For extra security, a door list has
proven to be a good way to enhance
security.
• Several people may wait near the door
with the list. Guests state their names
and are allowed to enter.

31. Table Manners Tip #1
- Make Good Use of Your Napkin.
Place your napkin in your lap
immediately upon sitting down. Unfold
it while it is in your lap.
Table Manners Tip #2
- Utensil Etiquette. In most situations,
use the "outside-in" rule to tell which
knife, fork, or spoon to use at the
dinner table. Use utensils on the
outside first and work your way in with
each new course.

32. Table Manners Tip #3
- Removing Unwanted Food from your
Mouth. Food is removed from the
mouth in the manner in which it is put
into the mouth. Food put into the mouth
with a utensil is removed with a utensil.
When fingers are used to eat food, the
pit or bone is removed with fingers.
Table Manners Tip #4
- Excusing Yourself. Simply say "excuse
me, please; I'll be right back" Leaving
without a word is rude.

33. Table Manners Tip #5
- Cutting Food. Cut your food into only
one or two bite-sized pieces at a time.
Table Manners Tip #6
- Electronic Devices. Turn off or silence all
electronic devices before entering the
restaurant. If you forgot to turn off your
cell phone, and it rings, immediately turn
it off. Do not answer the call. Do not text
and do not browse the Internet at the
table.

34. Table Manners Tip #7
- Seasoning Food. When at a dinner party
or restaurant, proper table manners
dictate that you taste your food before
seasoning it.
Table Manners Tip #8
- Speaking While Eating. If you have
more than a few words to say, swallow
your food, rest your fork on your plate,
and speak before you resume eating.

35. Table Manners Tip #9
- Reaching. Items are within reach if they
are within easy reach of your arm when
you're leaning only slightly forward. Don't
lean past the person sitting next to you
(read more about passing etiquette).
Table Manners Tip #10
- Don't Drink with a Full Mouth. To avoid
leaving food on the rim of the vessel,
make sure the mouth is free of food and
blot the lips with a napkin before taking a
sip of a beverage.

36. Table Manners Tip #11
- Holding a Wineglass. White wine
glasses are held by the stem, not the
bowl. Red wine glasses may be held by
the bowl.
Table Manners Tip #12
- Unfamiliar Food. (1) Wait until someone
else starts to eat and follow suit. (2) Ask
how the food should be eaten (fingers or
fork, for example). (3) Avoid the food
altogether.

37. Table Manners Tip #13
- Eating Quietly. Scraping a plate or loudly
chewing is unpleasant to listen to and
considered impolite. Smacking and
slurping food are major mistakes and a
sign of bad table manners.
Table Manners Tip #14
- Wayward Food. In formal dining the
knife is used to push food against the
fork. At informal meals, a knife or a piece
of bread is used as a pusher, for example,
to push salad onto a fork.

38. Table Manners Tip #15
- Elbows. The "no elbows on the table"
rule applies only when you are actually
eating. When no utensils are being used,
putting your elbows on the table is
acceptable.
Table Manners Tip #16
- Show the sommelier your selection and
ask for his opinion, but place your finger
on the price, rather than the name.

39. Table Manners Tip #17
- Something Caught in your Teeth. When food is
caught between the teeth that is annoying or
uncomfortable, wait to remove it privately.
Table Manners Tip #18
- Declined Credit Card.
• Do not call attention to the situation
• If your card continues to be declined, and you do not have enough
cash to pay, ask to pay by check, visit the nearest ATM, or return
the next day with cash.
• If the restaurant declines these suggestions, you have no option
but to return to the table and throw yourself on the mercy of your
companions.
• Repay their kindness within 24 hours, repaying them in cash.

40. Table Manners Tip #19
- Approaching the Table in a Restaurant. When being
seated, if the maitre d’ leads the group to the table,
the guests should follow the maitre d’ and the host
should follow the guests. If the maitre d’ does not
lead the group, the host should lead.
Table Manners Tip #20
- Sneezing, Coughing, Blowing your Nose. When
sneezing or coughing at the table is unavoidable,
cover your nose or mouth with a napkin and proceed
as quietly as possible. Except in an emergency, don't
use a napkin to blow your nose. Leave the table and
use a handkerchief instead.

41. Table Manners Tip #21
- Reservations.
• Call a day or two ahead; or a week or two ahead if
the restaurant and day are popular.
• Reconfirm the reservation by calling on the day of
your visit.
• Call the restaurant during meal hours to speak to
the official reservationist.
Table Manners Tip #22
- Hot Beverages. To test the temperature of a hot
beverage, take a single sip from the side of the spoon.
When an extremely hot beverage is sipped, take a quick
sip of water to decrease the effect of the burn

42. Table Manners Tip #23
- Finger Food. When finger food is taken from a tray,
place it on a plate. Don't lick your fingers; use a
napkin.
When in doubt about whether to use fingers or a
utensil to eat a particular food, watch those about you
and proceed accordingly. If you're still in doubt, use a
utensil, usually a fork.
Table Manners Tip #24
- Ready to Order. To show you are ready to order,
close your menu and place it on the table.

43. Table Manners Tip #25
- Paying the Check in a Restaurant. If you are the
host, inform the waiter or maitre d’ that you are to
receive the check. Once the meal is finished, ask the
waiter for the check.
-If there is no established host at a business lunch or
dinner, the most senior professional is generally
responsible for the check.
Table Manners Tip #26
- When two eating utensils or two serving utensils are
presented together, such as a fork and spoon, the fork
is used to steady the portion, and the spoon to cut and
convey the bite to the mouth.

44. Table Manners Tip #27
- Tasting Another Person's Food. Either hand your
fork to the person, who can spear a bite-sized piece
from her plate and hand the fork back to you, or (if
the person is sitting close by) hold your plate toward
her so that she can put a morsel on the edge.
Table Manners Tip #28
- Dropped Utensils. If you drop a utensil, pick it up
yourself if you can and let the waiter know you need
a new one. If you cannot reach it, inform the waiter
and ask for a replacement.

45. Table Manners Tip #29
- One Thing at a Time. Do one thing at a time at the
table. If you want to sip your wine, temporarily rest
your fork or knife on the plate.
Table Manners Tip #30
- What to do with your Hands. When holding a
utensil, rest your other hand in your lap. When not
holding any utensils, both hands remain in the lap.
Do not fidget, and always keep your hands away
from your hair.

46. Table Manners Tip #31
- Eating Soup. Spoon soup away from you towards
the center of the soup bowl.
Table Manners Tip #32
- Spilled Food. At an informal meal, the diner quietly
and quickly lifts the food with a utensil and places it
on the side of his plate. If food is spilled on another
guest, apologize and offer to pay for cleaning (but let
the other person wipe up the debris).

47. Table Manners Tip #33
- Garnish on a Platter. When a platter contains a
combination of foods, take a moderate serving of
each, including the garnish. If a course is presented
that contains another food underneath, such as toast
or lettuce, take the entire portion.
Table Manners tip #34
- Gesturing. Do not gesture with a knife or fork in
your hands.

48. Table Manners tip #35
- Servings from a Platter. When a platter of pre-sliced
food is presented, take one serving. As a courtesy to
the last guest, make sure to leave enough food on
the platter so he or she has a choice from several
portions. Take the portion nearest to you.
Table Manners Tip #36
- Assisting with Service. At an informal meal, the
guests assist with service by passing the dishes
nearest to them. To avoid congestion, serveware is
passed to the right.

49. Table Manners Tip #37
- Thanking for Service. Each time service is provided
at a multi-course meal, verbal acceptance is not
necessary. But to refuse service, a verbal rejection of
"No, thank you," is given. At a simple meal when a
serving bowl is passed upon request, say "Thank
you."
Table Manners Tip #38
- Complimenting the Food. A compliment on the
cuisine is always appreciated.

50. Table Manners Tip #39
- Holding Dinner for a Late Guest. Rather than delay
dinner for everyone to accommodate the arrival of a
late guest, dinner is held no longer than 15 to 20
minutes.
Table Manners Tip #40
- Cocktail Glasses at the Dinner Table. A cocktail
glass is not brought to the dinner table because
water and several wines are served with a multi-
course meal. Leave the cocktail glass in the room
where cocktails are taken.