Proper Dining Etiquette

What is Etiquette?
 Etiquette is respect, good
manners, and good behavior. It is
not just each of these things, `but it
is all of these things rolled into one.


 Whether at home or in a
restaurant, it is important to have a
complete understanding of how to
conduct yourself when entertaining
or being entertained
Dining
 Goal
 ...To help you perform with
 graciousness and poise at the
table.


 …Provide you with knowledge,

self- confidence and skills needed for
a successful social and business life.


 …Teach you how to handle meal

situations and make a big difference
in your image
 Proper Dress Attire-
Ladies
Simple is best……..


- Basic black or navy suit with white blouse.

 Dress (little black) or blouse with skirt (slacks are
acceptable)
- Jewelry (pearls)- No body jewelry (i.e. tongue rings,
facial jewelry, etc.)
- Panty Hose?? (skirt) – Knee highs?? (pants)
- Well groomed: hair combed, nails clean, shoes clean,
brush teeth, use deodorant.
- Skirted suits are almost always preferable. A solid navy, grey
or black suit with a solid or light colored blouse is
recommended for most positions. Avoid brown, green or
pastel suits. Business dresses are acceptable in fields that
are less formal and less conservative.. No dangling or
distracting bracelets. Avoid purses of any size - carry a
portfolio or briefcase instead.
 Proper Dress Attire- Men
- Basic black or navy suit with white shirt and
tie. (jacket, slacks with belt, and shirt with
tie - acceptable)
- Well groomed: hair combed, nails clean,
shoes clean (no tennis shoes), brush
teeth, use deodorant.
- No earrings, body jewelry (tongue rings,
facial rings, etc.)
- A traditional suit is preferred to a blazer. The color
should either be a dark blue or grey in either a
solid or invisible plaid with a pressed long-
sleeved (even in summer!) white dress shirt.

 Turn off Cell Phone



Be Punctual: Arrive no later than five,
but no more than ten minutes early.

 Stay on Target
•
•
•
• Should I Stand to shake hands
with someone at the dinner
table?

• Table manners play
an important part
in making a good
impression.
• Here are some
basic tips to help
you…
•
 Table sitting
 Silverware will be arranged precisely
in the right order that it is to be used
for the meal. General rule -start with
outer utensils and work your way
toward the service plate.


*Tip…..The word “left” has four letters,



so does the word fork. The word

“right” has five letters, so do the words
knife & spoon. This is a great way to
remember that the fork is on your left
and the knife & spoon are on your right.
Napkin
• Place the napkin on your
lap.
– If it is small – unfold it
completely.
– If it is big – fold it in
half, lengthwise.
• At the beginning of the
dinner, place your
napkin in your lap
after the last person is
seated. Unfold the
napkin and put it in
your lap…do not
shake it open.
• Place napkin on your lap
immediately following the
actions of the host. All
leads should be taken
from the host.
• 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.
• 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
 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. the server
will decide who orders first. Often,
women’s orders are taken before
men’s.
•
 Menu
• Read the menu to
decide what you want
to eat.
• If the host makes a
recommendation, use it
as a price guide as well.
• Generally, as the guest,
your order will be taken
first.
• Ask the server questions
about the dish, but do not
make too many
substitutions.
• Do not order more than two
courses unless the host
makes a comment to do
so.
• Never order the most
expensive thing on the
menu.
•
Table setting
 Table Setting
Cutlery


• Soup Spoon
• Desert Spoon
• Butter knife
• Dinner fork
• Salad Fork
• Dinner Knife
•
•
• White Wine
• Red Wine
• Champagne Glass
Basic Table setting
 Dessert /Coffee

Wat
Bread Plate er
Wi
Butter Knife ne
Wi
ne
Salad

Salad
Meat Soup seafood

Plate/Napkin
Coffee
and
Saucer

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

• Red Wine Glass

• White Wine Glass Sherry

Another Table Setting
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.
 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.
• 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.
 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.
• Eat to your left, drink to your right.
Any food dish to the left is yours,
and any glass to the right is yours.
Starting with the knife, fork, or
spoon that is farthest from your
plate, work your way in, using one
utensil for each course.
• The salad fork is on your outermost
left, followed by your dinner fork.
•
 Posture
• Sit up straight with your arms near
your body.
• Don’t put your elbows on the table.
• Soup: Spoon, don’t slurp. Don’t crush crackers.
Do not slurp or tilt the bowl. Do not drink from
your bowl unless you are in an Asian restaurant,
where it is appropriate.
• Salads: Salad bowl will be placed to the left of
your plate or in front of you. Do not move it.
When finished, put fork on salad plate tines
down between 10 and 4.
• Beverage: Swallow completely and wipe you
hands and mouth before taking a drink. This will
keep glass free and clear from grease marks.
• Pace your self with the host. Your meals should
end at the same time.

 Excuses
• Try to refrain from leaving the table during
dinner.
• If necessary excuse yourself from the
table, exit on the right. Place your napkin
on your seat. A napkin on the table
signals the end of dinner.
•
• Eat food in the order it is served.
• Start eating hot food when it is served.
• For cold food or buffets, wait for the
host/hostess to announce dinner. (Wait
until invocation or bless your food before
you start eating.
• Bring food to your mouth, not your mouth to
your food
• Chew with your mouth closed
• Cut your food into small pieces…take small
bites so you can carry on a conversation
• Do not smoke, use a toothpick, chew gum,
apply make-up at the table
 Salt & Pepper

• Taste your food before adding salt &

pepper.
 Passing the salt & pepper
• Pick up both (salt & pepper) and
place them within reach of the
person next to you, do the same
until they reach the person who
asked for it.
• Do not pass hand to hand…salt &
pepper should only be used by the
person that ask for it. Always pass
• If the glass has a stem, hold the
glass by the stem to preserve its
chill.
• Tuck empty sugar packs, plastic cup
from creamer under the rim of your
plate or under the edge of saucer
or butter dish
•
 Eating Breads
• Take one piece of bread, place it onto the bread plate
and pass it counterclockwise.
• Break bread into moderately sized pieces with your
fingers – do not cut it.
• Spread enough butter, using the butter knife, onto the
piece you have broken right before you eat it.
• Do not butter the whole piece of bread first.
• Do not bite bread
• Place bread on your service plate
• Use your knife at your place setting to retrieve butter
from butter plate. Place on your plate.
• Butter pats in foil….remove foil, using your knife, slide
butter onto your plate.
• Fold foil and place it under the rim of your plate.
•
• 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
 What to do when finished
with your meal……and
• Leave your plate where it
is, do not push it away.
• Place knife & fork
horizontally or
diagonally in the plate.
(Indicates to server you are finished)
• Place the napkin to the left
or right of your plate, or
in the center of your
plate.
• When you leave the table
at the end of the meal,
place your napkin
loosely next to your
plate.

•
 And…Whoever extended the
invitation to dinner should
pay the bill
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.
•
 HAPPY DINING
 Important Tips….once
again
• Always be on time. If you are late,
call the host/hostess.
• If you are uncertain about how or
when to use a certain utensil,
watch others and do what the
majority of them do.
• If a little bowl of water is on the
table, or appears with the dessert,
wash tips of your fingers in it. Dry
them on your napkin.
• Meat ordered with bones, should be
eaten with knife & fork (cornishhen,
ribs). Never use your fingers.
• To eat soup, dip the spoon into the soup,
then remove it by going away from your
body, not toward it. Sip, (not slurp) the
soup off the side of the spoon, instead of
placing the whole spoon in your mouth.
• Ordering spaghetti (shell pasta) easier to
eat
• Eating peas from a dinner plate use knife to
push peas onto plate. Eating out of a
bowl, use spoon.
• Never discuss controversial issues (religion,
politics)
• Never chew gum
• Do not talk with mouth full of food
• Do not apply make-up, lipstick at the table

 Formal Dinner Place Setting
Formal Dinner Place Setting
1. Napkin

2. Fish Fork

3.  Dinner or Main Course Fork

4.  Salad Fork

5.  Soup Bowl & Plate

6. Dinner Plate

7.  Dinner Knife

8.  Fish Knife

9.  Soup Spoon

10.  Bread & Butter Plate

11.  Butter Knife

12.  Dessert Spoon and Cake -

Dessert Fork
13. Sterling Water Goblet

14.  Red Wine Goble

15.  White Wine Goblet

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