If you are in a high-end restaurant, do you know exactly how to act? Hmm, some of us would feel uncomfortable to say: Totally, yes!". Therefore today, I will be sharing with you some basic dining etiquette rules.
We probably recognise, that there are different types of dining etiquette: American, British and Continental. American Etiquette is the least formal. When you are in America it is very useful to practice their etiquette. It is always good manners to know the rules in the country you are in or visiting. This shows respect to the people and the culture.
Continental Etiquette can be used in most of Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean to North America. It is quite a formal style of etiquette and we will be exploring it in more depth today.
Social event
One fundamental aim of having good manners when dining is to feel positive, happy, confident and elegant. It is a next level of education after polishing yourself with the looks and approachability. If you would like to learn about this, visit my previous blogs. I have been exploring some meaningful methods and tips you may find very useful.
First steps
When you walk into a restaurant, the moment you sit down, you should take the napkin and put it on your lap. At a private party, you may need to wait for the host to put their napkin on their lap first. One sign of showing respect!
Generally, the napkin will be folded and placed on the main dining plate.
To elegantly put napkin on your lap: we take the napkin to our side, unfold it completely and fold it perfectly in half. Keep the creased towards you. To clean your mouth you need to hold your napkin with both hands and open the edge, than bring it to your mouth. Never wipe your mouth, but dab.
If you are going to a restroom, you don't need to tell anyone about it. Simply excuse yourself. Say "Please excuse me" and keep it like that. When we leave the table, we pinch the napkin and leave in on the chair. If you are leaving and not coming back, we would than pinch the napkin in the middle and leave on the left hand side of your plate facing upwards. Never put your napkin on top of your plate.
In British and American etiquette the hands stay under the table at all times. In Continental Etiquette, we keep the wrists on the table. It is also not ok to put your elbows on the table between courses. It looks horribly bad as well.
Your drink
Depends on the party and event, you might be drinking out of few types of glasses. The one and only thing to remember to hold your glass by the steam. Hold it with minimum of three fingers: index, thumb and middle fingers.
If the glass does not have a steam,keep your fingers at the bottom of the glass.
Cutlery
No matter if you are left or right handed the fork always stays in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. You need to ensure that your index finger stays on the handle of each piece of cutlery and to on the bridge.
After a maximum of four bites, take a break.
Service plates are generally purely decorative and are generally removed as soon as guests are seated.
General rules
Always wait until everyone have their food before you begin eating.
The host should always say "Please enjoy".
Take a maximum of four bites and take a break, positioning your cutlery correctly. Eating too fast is simply a bad etiquette. Only cut one piece of food at the time.
Never eat directly from shared plate. You need to put the piece of food onto your own plate, than it it from there or napkin depending on the food. Tapas or peanuts are eaten of the napkin.
We pass everything around the table to the right with the right hand.
Never put your handbag on the floor! Breafcase can go under the tale. But for a formal event you should choose a small bag that can easily fit behind your back.
Try to drink from the same place where your lips touched the glass. And never, but ever drink from a can or straight from a bottle.
Each of your guests should have a place cards if you a hosting a formal dinner.
Zero grooming at the table. No brushing your hair, looking at the mirror or putting on lipstick. Simply excuse yourself and head into the restroom. Long hair should be pushed back before the meal begins.
No cell phones or sunglasses on the table. No taking pictures of food on formal meals. If you are expecting an important call tell the host at the beginning of the meal, than when it calls (on vibrant) excuse yourself and leave the table. Never take a call at the table.
Salt and pepper is always passed together.
It is considered disrespectful to season your food in from of the chef.
Always match the number of courses with the people you dine with. Do not order just desert or have a salad as a main course.
Never order the most expensive meal on the menu if you are a guest.
Everyone should finish their meal right about the same time, so pace yourself. When the most VIP person at the table finish, everyone finish.
Do not clink glass on a formal dinner. You may break the glass!
Soup is scooped away from us. Never blow your soup. You may stir the soup to cool it down.
Do not be rude to service staff. Treat everyone with respect. Those who are not polite to staff are considered growing up in disrespectful and rude environment. You would not want to be associated with that!
Is that a lot of information. Yes. I understand. But the more you practice the more natural it will become for you. You can print off the rules and let them guide you before any important event. Good luck!
Business dinner
Many business professionals who travel often can instantly see who has been trained in formal dining etiquette just by the way they hold their cutlery or unfold the napkin into their lap. If you are representing your company or hosting clients, it is important to know and practice a good dining etiquette.
So, the table is set, the meal is on the table. The first thing that should happen is the host saying "Please, enjoy". This indicates that everyone can start the meal.
To make yourself polished and elegant you need to learn how to hold your cutlery correctly. In the UK, you can pick your knife and fork, cut up to four pieces of food, rest your knife down on the plate and than eat the food with your fork. However, if you enter the formal dining on the US, the recommendation is to switch to the "Continental style". Take the breaks after up to four pieces and remember to pace yourself to the speed of your companions. When you are taking a rest, you need to clean your mouth with the napkin or perhaps have a sip of water. You also need to keep the glass in the appropriate way. Hold your glass by the stem. Do not leave fingerprints all over the glass and try to sip your drink from the same location. Dirty and smushed glassware doesn't look very elegant. It takes a practice of consciousness to do, but that's what we are learning here today. Once you master it, it will become natural to you.
To start your meal when there is a lot of different pieces of cutlery, it is generally appropriate to start from the side there is more. For example, if there is a fork on the left and the knife and spoon on the right, you know you should pick the spoon first. If there is an equal number of pieces on both sides, you know to start from both sides together.
It is also appropriate to make a toast before everyone starts eating, but you should always check that everyone has a food on their table.
In business etiquette, we cut one piece of food at a time. What about leaving food on a plate when you finish? In the US and the UK you want to leave a little bit of something to show your host that you are satisfied.
While eating, there should be no noise coming from your mouth, and please, no talking while you are eating. The rim of your plate should always be clean.
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