Table Manners

By:- Richa Sharma

The Basics of Table Manners

Cutlery

Don’t hold your fork like a cello and knife like Lady Macbeth’s dagger.

Once you pick up a piece of cutlery, it should never touch the table again.

Knives go on the plate, blade facing in and touching the inside of the plate.

Only the handle should rest on the rim of the plate.

Napkins

Don’t blot or rub the lower half of your face. Dab delicately. Don’t flap your napkin when unfolding it. Don’t wave it around like a flag. It belongs on

your lap. If you leave the table, place the napkin on the

chair and push the chair back under the table.

Napkins

Don’t refold the napkin at the end of the meal. Pick it up from the centre and place it loosely

on the table to the left of your plate.

Chewing

Never chew with your mouth open. Don’t talk with your food in your mouth. Don’t gulp or blurt.

Appearance Sit up straight. Keep your elbows off the table.

Breaking the Bread

Tear bread into bite sized pieces and butter each piece before you eat it.

Don’t butter the entire slice of bread or roll to get it ready for occasional bites during the course of the meal.

Speed

Take it easy. Gulping down food is not only unhealthy but

also unattractive. It can cross the line of rudeness when dining

with others. Diners should have the same number of

courses and start and finish at about the same time.

Being Picky

If you have something trapped between your teeth, don’t pick at it while at the table.

If its really driving you nuts excuse yourself, go to the restroom and pick at your heart’s content.

Lipstick

It’s bad form to leave lipstick trail behind. If you don’t have a blotting tissue with you,

make a detour to the restroom as you enter the restaurant, or nab a cocktail napkin.

Be careful that you don’t leave lipstick stains on the napkin you are using.

Smoking

Sitting in a smoking section of the restaurant doesn’t give you the right to light up between the courses.

It affects your dining partner’s taste buds and is a jarring note during any meal wait until the meal is over.

Never use a plate as an ashtray.

Purses & Briefcases

Keep them off the table. This same goes for keys, gloves, eyeglasses,

eyeglass cases and cigarette

Minor Details

Don’t salt or season your food without tasting it. This is offensive especially when dining in someone’s home and the cook is sitting at the table.

Cut only enough food for the next mouthful. If someone at the table takes a pill, don’t inquire

about the reasons. If you must take medication at the table, don’t

comment about it, no explanations are necessary.

Minor Details

Don’t dunk. Biscuits, don’t belong in tea. Don’t push your plate away and don’t push

your chair back when you finished eating. Never tilt your chair. Pass food to the right. Don’t ask people where they are going when

they leave the table.

When dinner is announced, if you have not finished your drink, do not carry it to the table.

If you belch, cover your mouth with a napkin and say “Excuse me” to no one in particular.

Never crumble crackers in your soup. Don’t blow on hot liquid that is too hot, cool

yourself until it cools. Put butter first on your bread plate or dinner

plate, not directly on the roll or bread.

What Do You Say????

WDYS!

You are at a fancy diner and you are served something unidentifiable…

What do you say?

“I can’t even guess what this is, but looks wonderful. Can you clue me in?”

Don’t Ever Panic!

When something is meant to wrong it will go wrong. React calmly if possible cheerfully.

If you knock something over, break something, or drop something, the first to remember is “Accidents can happen to anybody!”

Downplay the incident as much as possible.

Contd..

If you spill something, blot up what you can. In a restaurant call the incident to the server’s attention as unobtrusively as possible.

Hand him your napkin if it has got wet. If the person next to you is the victim of the

accident, let him handle his own damage control

Apologize quietly and offer to pay any dry cleaning bills.

Foods From Hell

How Do I Eat This? Cake – Hand, Spoon, Fork. Chicken & Fowl – knife and fork Pasta/Noodles – Eat a few strands at a time,

twirl the onto your fork without the support of your spoon. Do not cut the strands with a knife.

Foods From Hell

Berries – Spoons if no stems, with stems then with hands, cream or sugar served dip only once.

Lemon Wedges - Either secure them with a fork, or when squeezing with fingers use the other hand as squirt shield so that diner beside you doesn’t get an eyeful of lemon juice.

Peaches – Halved, Quartered, eat with a fork. If you want you can peel the skin off.

Foods from Hell

Pineapple – spoon when pieces are small, fork when sliced.

Watermelon – Spoon if pieces are small, otherwise fork. Put the seeds in your hand and then transfer to the side of your plate.

Continental Vs American

American – Knife is used for cutting only. It is held in the right hand, while cutting and the fork

in the left hand to control the object being cut. The knife is then put down on the edge of the plate

(blade facing in) and the fork is switched to the right hand to lift the cut pieces to the mouth.

The tines of the fork face upward when bringing food to the mouth.

Continental Vs American

Continental – The knife remains in the right hand, the fork in the left.

After the food is cut the knife is used to push food into the fork

The tines face downwards when food is lifted to the mouth.

Unless the food is something like peas or creamed food.

Soups

Tilt the spoon away from you (dip the outer edge into the soup first rather than the edge closer to you)

This diminishes the risk of dribbles Sip from the side of the spoon not the front. When you reach the last portion of the soup tilt the

soup plate away from you to collect soup in your spoon.

After you are done with the soup leave the spoon in the soup plate.

Fish

Fish fork is held in the left hand, prongs down.

The fish is never cut, it broken down, therefore the knife is held differently.

Hold the knife like a pencil, between your thumb and index finger.

Meat & Fowl

Fork in the left, prongs down. Hold the knife firm, place your index finger

about a inch from the handle, on the back of the blade.

Spear the meat, holding it firmly in place, while you cut.

Cut enough food for the next mouthful.

Coffee

Never over load your cup with cream and sugar.

Avoid swirling around your coffee too much. Don’t make a splash or a puddle in your

saucer. Don’t slurp, sip gently. If the coffee is too hot wait a while, don’t blow Don’t leave the spoon in the cup, place it on

your saucer.

“I am Finished” Pennant

10.20 position on the clock. Tines of the fork should be down. The blade of the knife facing you. If you have eaten the course with just a fork,

then place it tines up in the same position.

“I am Resting” Pennant

You do this when you want to stop eating temporarily during a course.

Cross the fork over the knife, the prongs of the fork facing down.

The knife should be in a 10.20 position the fork 2’o Clock and handle 8’o Clock position.

On the Table

The knife and spoon are placed on the right. The fork and napkins are on the left. Liquids on the right, solids on the left. Use the cutlery from outside to in. If someone takes your bread plate, use the side of

your dinner plate for the bread. In a buffet don’t overload your dish. Change plates in every course. Never point out mistakes, never say sorry for your

mistakes.

Restaurant Etiquette

Plan! Book! Research! When you are inviting someone for a

business meal, call them to a restaurant which you are familiar or comfortable with.

If you are meeting a group, try not be late. Check the required dress code of the

restaurant before you go. Check heavy coats in, also packages and

books.

You can place your purses and briefcases under the table.

When you arrive as a guest, give the name of the host who has made the reservations.

The captain will show you the way, if the host has not arrived, it is ok for the guest to ask to be shown the table.

Some restaurant may have waiting lounges for this purpose.

At the table, the captain will assist the lady to sit down by pulling out the chair and pushing it forward as she is about to sit.

If there are women in the group the men should assist the women and sit only after all the ladies have sat down.

However the women should not wait for someone to come and pull out the chair for them.

If you do not understand what to order ask the waiter’s recommendation.

Wait for all the guests to be seated, don’t disturb the napkin arrangement before that.

Wait for all the guests to come before you order a drink for yourself.

But, do urge other guests to order a drink for themselves.

When you are a guest, be considerate to the host, do not order the most expensive dish on the menu.

As a guest, don’t place your order directly to the waiter, convey it to the host.

You can do so if the group is very large and the host has asked you to do so.

Posture

Relax and enjoy. Do not rock back on your dining chair. Do not prop yourself with your elbows on the

table. When cutting your food, keep your elbows

close to your body.

Tipping

15% of the bill is the usual tip. However, for exceptionally good service 20%

or more is the norm. Always leave a tip!

Drinks

If the host urges the guest to order drinks, limit yourself to two drinks and at the max three.

You know your limits do not cross it. Don’t pick the priciest bottle on the drinks

menu.

Keep in mind!

Loud laughter and conversation attracts the attention of the other diners and is a sign of ill-breeding.

If you need to draw the waiter’s attention do so by calling out softly either say “waiter” or excuse me” and do so politely.

If the waiter is far away, one could try signaling by raising your hand slightly.

Loudly calling or snapping your fingers is a reflection of poor manners.

Keep it in mind!

If you are not happy with the food or service, complain to the waiter or captain politely.

Do not start using harsh words, or yelling loudly, it just shows your bad temper and makes the other diners uncomfortable.

Thank You!!