Proper serving of cutlery

Why is table setting necessary?

For some reason, it is generally accepted that it is necessary to set the table correctly only in a restaurant. Nothing like this! Serving is a sign of respect for guests, a sign of the good taste of the owners of the house. It will be useful for everyone to know how to properly place cutlery on the table. You need to be able to create a festive atmosphere at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Many table settings, shown in films and TV series or described in books, are frightening because of their complexity.

By the way! Scientists have proven that the production of the joy hormone during eating improves metabolic processes in the body and promotes the absorption of nutrients.

General rules

Below are some general recommendations on how to set the table beautifully and correctly:

It is recommended to set the table with identical cutlery and dishes of the same style and color.
In front of each chair there is a serving plate on which a plate of appetizers is placed.
A snack plate is placed opposite each chair so that the distance from the edge of the table to the plate does not exceed 2 cm and is not less than 1.5 cm.
On special occasions, appetizer plates are placed on small table plates. Moreover, a paper napkin is first placed on a shallow plate to avoid slipping. On the left side, place a plate for bread (pie) so that the lines of the center or edges of the plates coincide.
The distance between plates should be approximately 60 cm, the distance between plates and cutlery, as well as between the cutlery itself - 0.5 cm.
Before placing the plates on the table, it is not enough to simply wash and wipe them; you need to polish the plates until they shine with a kitchen towel.
Never forget about napkins! Starched fabric, folded into a triangle, a cap or in some other way, “mandatory serving attributes,” are placed on a plate or to the right of it - under a knife and spoon. We place paper napkins in vases or special cups in two or three places on the table. Cutlery is laid out immediately after arranging the plates. Next to the serving plate and a little higher, place all the forks and knives that may be needed during meals.

The general rules of table setting according to etiquette dictate putting no more than three forks and three knives, since all cutlery is not used at the same time.

Knives are placed to the right of the plate depending on the lunch or dinner menu in the following order: large dinner knife, fish knife, small appetizer knife.

Knives should be pointing towards the plate.

If it is expected that soup will be served at lunch, then place a tablespoon with the convex side down between the snack bar and the fish knife.

The forks are placed to the left of the plate with the tines facing up. Closer to the plate is a large dinner fork, then a fish fork, and finally a small appetizer fork.

The utensils must be used in accordance with their location, starting from the outermost ones and ending with those located next to the plate.

If you stop using the device from time to time, then place it only on the edge of the plate, but in no case on the tablecloth.

If you only used a fork, then the knife should rest on the right edge of the plate, where it interferes least.

The dessert spoon is placed just above the plate with the handle to the right or next to it, on a saucer if the dessert is served in portions. The dessert fork is in the same place, only with the handle to the left.

Bowls with pepper, vinegar, sauces, mustard, and salt are best placed closer to the center line of the table. The number of boats depends on the number of people dining.

Cold appetizers on dishes and plates are evenly placed on the table so that they are within reach of each guest.
Depending on the number of people sitting at the table, plates with slices of black and white bread are placed in different parts of the table, arranging them so that the bread is within reach of each of those present. The taken slice must be placed on special bread plates, which are located to the left of the serving plates. To prevent the bread from drying out, it is sliced before serving.
If you are going to treat your guests to dishes that they eat with their hands, then finger rinses will come in handy. Small bowls made of ceramics, porcelain, glass or metal (silver or cupronickel) are suitable for this purpose. Rinse bowls with warm water and floating lemon slices - to effectively remove fat from fingertips - are placed to the left of the main plates, behind the forks.
If there are 5-6 people sitting at the table, the host or hostess can freely hand the guest a plate with some kind of food. But when there are a large number of people dining, it is more convenient to distribute the dishes. In this case, you need to keep in mind the following rule: when you serve food already laid out on plates, serve it to the guest from the right side. If the food is served on a platter and the guest must put it on his plate, approach him from the left side.
After each dish, the table must be cleared of used utensils - glasses, plates, cutlery, except for the water glass: it is not removed during the entire feast.

See what a beautiful table setting looks like according to the basic rules:

Types of cutlery

Over the course of human history, many food devices have been created. In the process of evolution they underwent changes. Now in the arsenal of many housewives there are sets of cutlery for festive serving made of stainless steel, cupronickel, and silver.

The basic rule of table etiquette is “from the edges to the center.”

Spoons

The dining room is the largest in size. Dessert is ¼ less. The tea room is almost half the size of the dining room, but larger than the coffee room. Sour cream is easy to recognize by its round, pot-bellied shape. For sugar, it is made in the form of a scoop or with a curly ornate handle so that it can be immediately recognized among other spoons.

There may be a lot of cutlery on a set table, but not all of them are there at once.

Important! There are spoons for fruit compotes; they have an elongated handle, instead of the usual spatula there is a scoop for scooping out fruit. Externally, the fruit spoon resembles a miniature ladle. Another wonder is a spoon with an elongated handle for preparing mixed drinks.

Forks

Standard forks with long tines are used for appetizers and main meat courses. A fish fork has shorter teeth to make it easier to remove the bones. Sometimes a fish fork makes a depression in the center. Dessert ones differ in size, the cocotte one has only three teeth, the lemon one has only two.

Today, there are a lot of different cutlery designed strictly for a specific type of dish.

Rules for serving cutlery

Immutable rules of serving: cleanliness and neatness. Each cutlery made of non-ferrous metals is polished to a shine on the eve of the celebration. The tablecloth is bleached, starched for rigidity, and ironed.

A classic and win-win option is a snow-white tablecloth. She always looks elegant and solemn.

The dishes are arranged so that there is enough space for cutlery. How many dishes there are so many spoons and forks.

The minimum distance between them is 1 cm.

Choosing a tablecloth for the table

At special events, a light tablecloth made of natural fabrics: linen or cotton is recommended. The tablecloth should cover the entire tabletop and hang down to the sides by 20–30 cm.

The tablecloth should be combined with curtains and upholstery.

Important! Stains from starched fabric are easier to remove; they are not absorbed into the fibers and remain in grains of starch, which are easily washed out of the fabric.

Serving plate

The lower large plate is placed 5–7 from the edge, dishes for main courses are placed on top, and a snack bar is placed even higher. A deep bowl for soup is placed on it. Broths are served in special deep cups. The pie plate is placed on the left, away from the edge, the tea cup and saucer is placed on the right, at a distance of 3 cm from the dessert knife. Plates on the table play a key role; they are the basis of serving.

It is the responsibility of the housewife to promptly replace the plates with clean ones.

Arrangement of spoon, fork and knife

Knives are placed to the right of the plates, blade to the edge, forks to the left. The number of forks must correspond to the number of knives. Place the soup spoon next to the outermost knife. Cutlery for those dishes that are served earlier is placed closer to the edge of the plate, the rest are nearby, taking into account the order in which the food is served. With an extensive menu, which includes meat and fish appetizers or a main dish, first put a knife for meat, then for fish. The location of the teaspoon and coffee spoon is the same, on a saucer; a knife for butter or cutting pies is on a pie plate.

How to serve breakfast correctly

You need to start serving by choosing a tablecloth. If we talk about fabric, preference should be given to linen or cotton. You can choose tablecloths of any color, with or without patterns. For each person, 2-3 napkins (paper, fabric) are provided.

In the very center of the table is the largest plate, in which the main course is usually served. A plate with cold cuts, salad on one side, and a decanter filled with plain purified water, a salt shaker, and a sugar bowl are placed around it.

After this, you can begin arranging the plates and laying out the cutlery. The main plate is placed 2 centimeters from the edge of the table. A cloth napkin is placed on it, and a deep plate for porridge is placed. This is how the table setting continues: the knife and fork are placed on the right and left, respectively. You can place a teaspoon next to the knife.

We must not forget that knives are placed with their sharp side towards the plate, forks - with their teeth facing up.

A saucer with a cup is placed higher on the right side, and a glass for water on the left side. Above the fork is a bread basket.

If we talk about tablecloth fabric, preference should be given to linen or cotton.

If you plan to receive guests for breakfast, there are a few more points to consider:

The tablecloth should be white or a very light pastel shade;
Napkins are preferable in calm, light colors;
A bouquet of flowers is placed in the middle, real or artificial - it doesn’t matter;
All the plates with dishes intended for the morning meal are placed around the vase;

We must not forget about the need to have a carafe with filtered water. (All other devices are arranged as standard).

Each guest should place a cloth napkin on the main plate.

The tablecloth should be white or a very light pastel shade.

Types of table settings

Each type of meal requires a special atmosphere. An ordinary lunch, of course, differs from a festive dinner. When only dessert is served, the table should not appear empty.

Descriptions of several classic options for a set table will help awaken your imagination.

Table setting for breakfast

An individual decorative napkin is placed for each family member. Place a snack plate in the center and put cutlery. On the left is a place for a pie plate. Nearby is a glass for juice or water. A coffee or tea pair with a spoon is located on the right.

Vases with flowers, napkins and cutlery with spices are usually placed in the center of the table.

For a shared breakfast, it is acceptable to serve sliced bread in a nice small bread bowl and butter in a butter dish. Sliced meats are laid out in an elongated dish, the cheese is usually not cut, served in one piece on a flat plate or serving board, each cut as much as needed for breakfast. Paper napkins are placed in a napkin holder next to the spice set.

Bread can be served in a wicker basket, and butter can be served in a butter dish made of ceramic or porcelain.

Dinner and supper

Lunch involves frequent changes of dishes; the dishes are arranged so that everyone sitting at the table can be approached from the left side. After arranging the cutlery, choose a place for the tureen; place a ladle next to it on a ceramic stand so that there are no stains on the tablecloth. Shared hot dishes are laid out so that everyone can reach the plate independently; usually 4 servings are placed on a common plate. Slices and appetizers are designed for 6 people or arranged individually for each person.

The dinner table is set in such a way that guests can be served conveniently and quickly.

Proper table setting for dessert

The service will make the dessert table elegant and sophisticated. It’s beautiful when there is a teapot, candy bowls, a sugar bowl, and croutons with cookies in the same style on the table.

A dessert plate is placed in front of each person, next to a couple for a hot drink. Appropriate:

wine glasses;
juice glasses;
glasses for water.

The ideal option would be to use a special service.
Bowls for jam and preserves are placed next to the dessert plate on the right, away from the edge of the table. It is better to buy lace napkins. The tea bags are placed in baskets or on saucers, the coffee is placed in jars, and a long-handled spoon is placed on top. Boiling water is best served in a large porcelain teapot. Lemon slices are laid out on a special tray.

How to serve lunch and dinner correctly

Setting the table for dinner traditionally begins with the selection of a suitable tablecloth. It is best to choose one whose color scheme matches the design of the room.

Plates are placed a few centimeters from the edge of the table: first a small flat one, and then a deep one for soup. Serving continues: a spoon, fork, and knife are placed as in the case of breakfast (a tablespoon next to the knife).

Spices (salt, pepper) are placed in the center of the table. This way they will be placed accessible to every diner. A bouquet of flowers placed in the center of the table near the spices will also uniquely decorate the table setting.

If you plan to drink alcohol (wine), the bottle is opened in advance, and the glasses are placed near the plates. Butter should be served on a flat plate. Be sure to prepare a separate knife. The tureen is usually placed near the hostess.

Don't forget about napkins.

A bouquet of flowers placed in the center of the table near the spices will unusually decorate the table setting.

In setting the table for dinner, all the steps are approximately the same as those used for lunch. But there are several differences:

It is better to choose a tablecloth with an attention-grabbing pattern.
The appetizer plate is placed inside the main course plate.
For dinner, you can do the same serving of knives and forks as for lunch. If more utensils are needed (depending on the number of dishes), a maximum of 3 utensils of each type are placed.
Containers for drinks that will be served to the table are placed above the plate.

It is better to choose a tablecloth with an attention-grabbing pattern.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Table Color Scheme

When setting a table, the tablecloth is chosen according to the type of event. For everyday use, variegated or plain fabric with acrylic coating is allowed, the main thing is that it matches the colors of the dishes.

Shades of red stimulate the appetite, while cool blue tones pacify it. Yellow and orange create a good mood, green have a calming effect.

The principle of arrangement of cutlery: the dish that is served first is the farthest cutlery.

It is better to decorate a romantic dinner in dark colors so that burning candles look advantageous. There is no need for unnecessary details on the table that interfere with communication: vases with flowers, multi-tiered fruit stands.

A formal event requires moderate, muted tones and crystal tableware. Themed parties will be memorable if the tablecloth contrasts with the colors of the dishes.

Setting a holiday table is also an opportunity to show your creativity.

How to properly arrange dishes on the holiday table

Each housewife prepares many different dishes to surprise guests with her hospitality. However, one should take into account the fact that excessive abundance is quite difficult to place on the table, which leads to the following consequences:

There is no place for guests to place their plate.
Not enough space for food.
It is impossible to reach all the dishes.
The table looks sloppy.
You won't be able to set the table properly.

Therefore, when planning a special event, you should initially make a list of dishes that you want to prepare. If you are planning an elegant reception, you should consider the possibility of setting the table three times:

Serving hot dishes.

Table setting for hot dishes

Separate table offering snacks.

Serving the snack table

The final stage is when sweet dishes and desserts are served.

Table setting for serving dessert

You need to think carefully about setting the table at home for each stage. You should plan time for changing dishes and utensils. During this period, it is recommended to keep guests busy with something interesting.

Great attention is paid to the details of the placement of the main dishes. Salt and pepper should be placed in the central part of the table, there should be a small distance between them

Nearby, as a rule, mustard and special sauces are located.

Arrangement of salt and pepper on the table

The butter is served with a knife, and the mustard is supplied with a small spoon. The bread is placed on special plates, which are placed on opposite sides of the table. This way every guest can reach it.

Serving oil on the table

Cold appetizers must be positioned correctly. They should consist of fish, meat and vegetable types, which alternate with each other.

Cold appetizers on the table

If you serve drinks that are in bottles, then uncorked vessels are placed on the table. Experts are ready to give some advice regarding serving drinks:

Fruit or mineral water should be placed in different places, opened before the start of the meal.
Juices or fruit drinks must be poured into jugs and placed in several places.
Decanters are used for vodka and fortified liqueurs.
Cognac and wine should be served in original bottles.

Placing drinks on the table

If you have invited many guests, then you should follow the correct order of serving dishes. As a rule, the feast begins with the offering of cold appetizers. Salads and sandwiches are available.

Then the main course is served, which may consist of soup and a second course. The meal ends with dessert, which should be served at the very end of the event.

Every dish placed on the table must have a spoon. This offer will allow guests to freely put food on their plate. Don't forget to decorate the treats with herbs; you can cut out figures from vegetables.

Dishes are served to the table in a certain order

Additional decorations for serving

The decor should not be conspicuous; it complements the serving of dishes. Inappropriate:

high compositions;
vases with huge bouquets blocking the view;
strong-smelling bouquets; guests may be allergic to them.

Decorate with napkin holders and candlesticks. Originally folded fabric napkins are an ideal option for decorating a formal table. Flowers from vegetables and fruits, edible compositions are appropriate for any dinner, they have a place on the dessert table.

A win-win option is to use flowers. Usually they are placed in the middle of the table - it can be a bouquet or composition.

Knowing the secrets of serving, you can turn a traditional meal into a wonderful meal, where everyone will enjoy not only the food, but also the contemplation of the feast. It's so easy to give joy to your loved ones! Make every family lunch and dinner special.

Glasses and glasses

As you know, there is a glass for each type of drink. Your task is to place them correctly on the holiday table. Glasses are usually located to the right of the plates in one line at an angle of 45 degrees. The line can be either parallel to the table or at an angle of 45 degrees. It happens that the line of wine glasses goes perpendicular to the edge of the table, but in this case, when you sit down, the waiter will come up to you and ask what drink you want and take away the unnecessary glasses, and pour the drink into the right ones and place them properly. You can also find groupings of glasses, but it all depends on the type of serving and the country of origin of the serving style, the main thing is to remember a couple of simple rules:

The closest (accessible) glass to you should be a water glass
Glasses should go in descending or ascending height, depending on which side you are looking at
Grasp the middle or bottom of the leg
If you are a lady, under no circumstances should lipstick or its traces remain on the glass.

Since each type of drink is also served at a specific time during the meal (aperitif, main drink, dessert drink, digestif), the glasses are removed along with the plates and cutlery. The only type of glass that always remains on the table is a glass (or glass) for water. Glasses must be in the order in which drinks are served.

The water glass or glass should always be located closer to the top of the plate and to the left of the other glasses.

You can come across a variety of glass placement schemes, because... Different countries have their own characteristics and nuances of serving.

You can read more about glasses in our article about glasses and their types.