The location of the forks on the table. General table setting rules: cutlery and crockery. How to properly place cutlery on the table. Serving for a big breakfast with hot dishes

What hostess does not dream of surprising guests with her culinary skills at the holiday table? But in order to produce maximum effect, you need to know how to properly set the table at home. Correct location dishes and cutlery creates a special atmosphere. What do you need to know about serving? How to arrange a table for a birthday, New Year for family breakfast, lunch, dinner?

Important Rules of Etiquette

Table service is not only correct placement cutlery, but also its design. The choice of decoration elements and a set of dishes, first of all, depend on the format of the meal (birthday, family dinner, business lunch, wedding, etc.).

But some rules remain unchanged.

  • The banquet room should be bright, well ventilated and, of course, large enough to accommodate all the invited guests.
  • Crockery and cutlery must be clean and polished. Make sure there are no water stains on them.
  • The table can be of any shape, but its size should be selected taking into account the number of guests. It is optimal if one person has 80 cm of table length.
  • The tablecloth should be well-ironed, clean and fit the size of the table. That's right, if its edges hang down by 30 cm, and the corners cover the legs.
  • Near each plate, knives, spoons, forks, glasses should be placed in the correct order.
  • In addition to devices for individual use, auxiliary devices should be present on the table. They are necessary for imposing food from common dishes.
  • The type of instruments and location must be the same.
  • Unsuitable sets, chipped corners, bent instruments, dull knives are not allowed.

To properly cover the table with a tablecloth at home, first place the folded product on the surface, and then, lifting the edges, sharply lower your hands down. Then it will fit perfectly.


Serving Order

Whether it's a birthday or a meal at home with the family, according to the rules of etiquette, you need to set the table in a certain order.

  • The table is covered with a tablecloth.
  • Plates are placed opposite the chairs.
  • Then cutlery is laid out.
  • Now it's the turn of glasses, glasses, glasses.
  • At the next stage, dishes are placed on the table.
  • Napkin holders are taken out.
  • Sets of spices, salt are laid out.
  • The table is beautifully decorated with flowers, candles or original compositions.


Placement of cutlery

At first glance, it seems that remembering the rules for placing appliances on the table is very difficult. But in fact, they are quite simple and designed for convenience. All cutlery is arranged in the order of use, the extreme ones are intended for first courses.

So, the basic rules.

  • Plates are located in the center of the seat 2 cm from the edge of the table. If several dishes are served for a birthday or other holiday, then deep dishes can be put on shallow ones. Bread (pie) plates are placed on left hand, about 10 cm apart.
  • As for spoons, knives and forks, they are laid out around the plate with the tip up (the blade of the knife looks at the plate). Forks are on the left and knives are on the right. If dessert is expected, then the soup spoon is placed above the plate, otherwise right hand, to the knife. To big holiday such as a birthday, a set of cutlery should include a small appetizer fork, knife, cutlery for fish or other specific dishes (depending on the menu). There should be a distance of 1 cm between the plate and the cutlery.
  • Dishes for drinks should be on the right hand. If you plan to serve wine and water at the same time, then the drink that is more in harmony with the dish served first is placed closer. The nearest glass, wine glass or glass should be on the line of intersection of the first knife and plate. If there is a handle on the dishes, then it turns to the right. More than three items per guest is considered unacceptable.

Many people get confused about the rules for placing cutlery on the table, so we suggest studying them visually.



Important details: napkins and sets for spices and seasonings

Napkins are an indispensable part of table setting. Distinguish between linen and paper products. The former are placed under deep dishes (if there is no snack plate) or on their feet. Paper napkins are placed in a napkin holder at arm's length. Additionally, you can roll them into fancy shapes, such as roses, envelopes, various geometric shapes or boats, animals (for a children's birthday). If napkins are intended not only to decorate the table, then it is important that they unfold easily.

When setting the table, it is important not to forget about the set of spices and seasonings. It must have salt and pepper on it. No need to fill the containers to the very brim, it will be enough to pour seasonings in half. If the menu contains meat dishes, then it is advisable to put mustard and horseradish on the table.


We serve the home table

On weekends, the family usually gathers at home in in full force, the hostess prepares her favorite delicious dishes, and sincere conversations are held at the meal. This is the most right time to use proper serving table to give breakfast, lunch and dinner a special charm and comfort. Even at home, you can create a holiday atmosphere. And if there are children in the family, then this will serve as an excellent lesson on how to behave in society, why various cutlery is needed and how to use them.

  • Breakfast.

An aesthetic meal in the morning sets the mood for the rest of the day. To serve dishes beautifully, you need to take into account some nuances. First of all, you need to arrange snack plates, and then cups along with saucers and a spoon. The latter are placed in the middle of the table so that everyone can easily get them. If eggs are planned for breakfast, then they are served in a special stand on a high leg. She should stand on a small saucer, and a spoon for eggs is placed on it. Porridge is poured into a deep bowl, which is placed on top of a snack plate. Pastries are served on a wide dish, butter, honey, jam or jam should also be present. For butter, each participant in the meal is given a small knife. Be sure to have a napkin holder with napkins on the table. It will be beautiful if they are made in the same style as the heater for the kettle. Don't forget salt and sugar.

  • Dinner.

During the day, it is usually customary to serve first, second courses, as well as dessert. Therefore, for proper table setting at home, you will need a few more cutlery for dinner than for breakfast. For common dishes, you will need auxiliary spoons, spatulas and forks. Bouillon cups or deep plates are placed at snack bars, and dessert ones are brought at the end, when the first and second courses have already been eaten, and the used dishes have been tidied up. Do not forget about knives for meat and fish. But for scrambled eggs, meatballs, zrazy and cutlets, it will be enough to serve forks.

  • Dinner.

Evening serving for dinner is practically no different from morning. Usually pancakes, pancakes or a pie are beautifully served on a common dish. Dessert plates are placed immediately, on them with right side have dessert forks or spoons. If you want to give the dinner a romantic atmosphere, then candles in candlesticks are placed on the table and next to it.


Festive table setting

To festive dinner or dinner, you need to take care of the decor elements. Here, not only the traditional rules of table setting are important, but also the combination of colors and the sense of style of the hostess.

So, what should be considered when preparing for the holiday?

  • Tablecloth and napkins. The color scheme can be any, but it is important that the tablecloth is in harmony with the napkins. You can use universal white, delicate shades of lilac, blue, green. Rich pink, red and burgundy colors will come in handy for a romantic dinner. It is desirable to give napkins unusual shape or simply roll them into tubes and tie them beautifully with a contrasting satin ribbon.
  • Crockery, cutlery. The banquet table will be decorated with dishes in the form of non-standard geometric shapes, appliances with curved, designer handles. A snow-white porcelain set will look the most advantageous. However, if the tablecloth and napkins are also white, you can choose a set of dishes with a border.
  • Candles. This element of decor is more appropriate for a wedding or romantic dinner, but for a birthday it is better to limit yourself to candles on the cake. It should be remembered that leading role candlestick plays. It can be tall and thin, or candles can float in flat bowls filled with water and flower petals.
  • Flowers. When decorating a table with flowers, it is important to choose the right vases. It is better to leave high ones for bouquets presented for a birthday to a birthday man. For serving, low vases are more suitable, which will not block the view for guests. You should also take care of the moderate aroma of flowers, it should not mix with the smell of dishes or interrupt it.
  • original compositions. Various fruit towers will look beautiful on the festive table. Depending on the season, you can create decorations from spruce branches, cones, mountain ash, sea stones, sand, etc. Such compositions can then be arranged at home. DIY decor items are at the height of fashion.
  • Children's table setting. For a birthday party for younger guests, it is better to choose plastic dishes and limit yourself to safe appliances without sharp ends. The tablecloth is more suitable multi-colored, with cartoon characters and fairy tales. To napkins, folded in a fancy shape, you can put small gifts. If the little princess has a birthday, then the table can be decorated with flowers. However, there should not be too many of them, it is better to limit yourself altogether. balloons and paper garlands. Do not forget to prepare signs with the names of the little guests at each seat, this will help to avoid confusion at the holiday.

A properly and beautifully served festive table will make an unforgettable impression on guests. And it’s not even a matter of etiquette at all - it’s always nice when order reigns at home, and soaring in the air special atmosphere comfort. Therefore, it is very important that a woman knows how to set the table correctly, knows all the rules for decorating and strictly follows them.

Full table setting creates a feeling of luxury, but sometimes leads an unprepared person into a stupor. Different types utensils and cutlery turn the meal into a ritual. Therefore, at such pompous meetings, many feel insecure and even a piece does not go down their throats. But learning to understand the intricacies of table design can be quite easy. To do this, remember correct order arrangement of cutlery.

Exist different ways and serving styles. You should remember the mandatory principles that do not need to be violated in order to maintain a cozy stop. The following serving rules apply:

  • devices are used according to the order of their priority;
  • first take those that are farthest from the dish;
  • the knife is placed with the point to the plate and nothing else;
  • a glass of water should be placed over the knife;
  • forks are always located to the left of the plate;
  • spoons should be on the right.

The basic serving rules are simple and well remembered. They can be easily used at home and delight guests with a special holiday atmosphere.

Table setting basics

The basic design of the table excludes the use of a full set of devices. It is suitable for home celebration. This type of serving includes a set of:

  • plates;
  • spoons;
  • forks;
  • knives;
  • glasses;
  • napkins.

If the holiday menu does not include a meal that should be eaten, for example, with spoons, these devices can be excluded.

informal table

If there is a meeting in a friendly company, then there should be no place for pomposity at the table. For such cases, there separate way decoration.

Informal serving techniques:

  • put a napkin in the place where the plates with the main dish will be placed;
  • put forks to the left of the plate: diner and dining room in the order in which the dishes are served;
  • on the right side of the plate, lay out a knife, a dessert and a tablespoon, and in the specified chain;
  • the snack plate should be on the left side of all forks;
  • bread plate and knife butter place on top of the forks;
  • cups, glasses and glasses are placed above those devices that are on the right side.

Formal style table

A responsible event or a big celebration requires thorough preparation. This also applies to serving. It is possible that a special menu will be thought out for such an evening, which will include the main course, soups, appetizers, perhaps oysters.

It is worth remembering the same basic rule: the appliances should be placed in the same order in which the dishes will be served.

The principle of organizing a formal serving:

  • to the left of the dish, forks should be located in the following sequence: snack bar, for fish, dining room;
  • put soup on a plate for the second;
  • in case there are oysters on the menu, you should serve special plug. It must be placed further than all appliances from the plate on the right side, and not on the left, like the rest of the forks;
  • after the oyster forks, they are laid out in the indicated sequence: a tablespoon, a fish knife, a table knife;
  • place a plate for bread and a knife for cutting butter on top of the forks;
  • cup, glass and glass should be on top of the appliances that are on the right side of the plate.

At the end of the main part of the meal, you need to arrange a table for dessert.

At least once in a lifetime, each of us has come across such a thing as table decoration, whether it is preparing for a home feast or going to a restaurant where dishes are supplemented with several appliances on the tables. In fact, there are not many rules that you need to know for proper serving. Before you understand how to properly lay out cutlery, you need to consider the dishes that will be served on the table. As a rule, plates, cups, glasses, glasses, spoons, forks and knives are placed on the table. You should start with plates, which you will then cover with other items. But let's deal with everything in order.

A few simple rules

Everything you need in the first place should be located closest to make it convenient to take. And even if a ten-course menu is planned, this does not mean that the guest should have a whole mountain of dishes and all kinds of appliances in front of him:

  • Cutlery and utensils are always arranged in the order of serving dishes, according to what you are going to use first.
  • Cutlery is arranged so as not to get confused in their use: the fork and knife are placed with the main dish, and the dessert spoon is to the right behind the plate.
  • Always look at the blade of the knife towards the dishes.
  • The glass of water is above the knife.
  • The forks are located on the left side.
  • The spoons are always to the right of the knives.
  • When serving wine, a matching glass should be placed behind the knife on the right. In the case of serving several different drinks, the rest of the glasses are placed there.
  • Together with Italian dishes Bread utensils are always served.
  • Spaghetti is eaten with a fork and spoon, and the butter knife is placed in the bread plate.
  • If the menu includes serving soup, then a spoon for it is placed between the diner and the fish knife.
  • If there is no fish dish on the menu, then a spoon can be put instead of a fish knife.
  • In order to make it convenient to use any object, the ends of the handles along with the dishes should be placed two centimeters from the end of the table.

Basic table setting

Many people use the basic design in order to correctly lay out the cutlery on the table during a home dinner or lunch, when there is no need for in large numbers various serving items.

Basic service includes:

  • A plate.
  • Fork.
  • Spoon.
  • Napkin.
  • Glass for water.

Informal table setting

If you are planning a friendly brunch or just an informal gathering of friends and family, you can set the table in an informal manner.

In this case, the serving might look like this:

  • The napkin is located in the place where the plate with the main course will then be placed.
  • The dining and snack fork is located to the left of the plate in the order in which the dishes are planned to be served.
  • Dessert, tablespoon and knife are placed to the right of the plate, and, in the following order: knife, dessert spoon and, at the end, a tablespoon.
  • Dishes for snacks are placed to the left of the forks.
  • A pie plate and a butter knife are placed above the forks.
  • A glass of wine, a glass of water and a cup of coffee or tea are placed above the appliances on the right.

Formal table setting

This table decoration is more suitable for a holiday or some serious events. Let's imagine that you plan to serve the main course, fish, soup and oysters.

Important! Do not forget that all utensils and cutlery are arranged in the order in which the dishes will be served.

Your serving will look like this:

  • The appetizer fork, fish fork, and dinner fork are placed in that order to the left of the plate.
  • The soup plate is placed on the plate in which you will be served the second course.
  • The oyster fork is located to the right of the plate from the very edge (only this fork is placed to the right).
  • Further, as you approach the dishes: a tablespoon, a fish knife, a table knife.
  • Dishes for pies and a butter knife are placed on the left above the forks.
  • Glasses of red and white wine, a glass of water are placed above the appliances on the right.

Important! At the end of dinner or lunch, the table is set to a proper level for dessert, tea or coffee.

materials

In addition to the basic rules on how to properly lay out cutlery, you should also be aware of the materials from which they are made. Let's look at them in detail:

  • Wooden - used for trips to nature, but not for daily use. Wooden crafts they absorb moisture, are short-lived, and they are not very convenient to use.
  • Aluminum - were common before. Today there are disputes about the dangers of aluminum, but be that as it may, such objects lose their color, shape too quickly, and are also fragile.
  • Stainless steel is one of the most popular. They are made of medical stainless steel, which does not enter into chemical reaction with acids, salts and alkalis.

Important! Typically used stainless steel"18/10", containing 18% chromium and 10% nickel.

  • Cupronickel - this material is an alloy of nickel, copper and manganese. Such items ceased to be produced in the 50s. Today, similar products are made from nickel silver (it is softer and contains zinc) - they are coated with gold, silver or blackened.

Important! As a rule, on reverse side such products have the MNC marking.

  • Silver - very expensive, are a source of pride. The devices themselves are quite heavy, so it cannot be said that it is very convenient to use them every day.

Important! At the end of the serving is the arrangement flower vases, sets with different spices and other decorative elements. Pepper and salt should be placed in the middle of the table - they should be placed on special stands. It is also allowed to put bottles with sauces, vinegar and vegetable oil.

Since ancient times, celebrations were accompanied by feasts, and it was then that the customs and rules of table setting began to take shape. Over the years, they have been honed, turning into a kind of ritual. Some of them smoothly flowed into everyday life.

Introduction to dining etiquette

For many, table setting, shown in films and TV shows or described in books, frightens with its complexity. A lot of devices, the purpose of which is not always clear. A variety of dishes that are scary to approach, and glasses of various shapes and sizes are not clear for which drink. But everything is not as scary as it seems at first glance.

Basic Rule table etiquette is "from the edges to the center". As the dishes change, the cutlery that is further away from the plate is used. The same applies to glasses and glasses, changing from left to right.


Table etiquette includes the rules for serving dishes, the order in which cutlery is used, as well as the norms of behavior at the table and the basic basics of politeness. The basic rules of etiquette include:

  • the location of the napkin is strictly on your knees;
  • “thank you” and “please” must be said both with requests and when they are fulfilled;
  • slouching while sitting at the table is not accepted;
  • men sit down at the table after women, having previously pushed a chair for them;
  • being late for celebratory event regarded as disrespectful:
  • elbows on the table is a sign of bad manners;
  • you should not start eating if your companions have not yet brought plates;
  • the knife must be held exclusively in the right hand;
  • fork and spoon - perfect combination for long pasta;


  • cutting or biting off bakery products is indecent, you should eat them in small pieces broken off from the whole;
  • the device missed on the floor must be replaced;
  • educated people chew with their mouths closed;
  • to slurp in society is indecent;
  • bad taste - eat from a knife;
  • before pouring a drink, offer it to your neighbors;
  • no need to be greedy when you impose from a common plate;
  • you need to close your eyes to the violation of table etiquette by the interlocutor;
  • a slightly half-eaten soup is better than a tilting plate;
  • using a knife and fork, calculate the strength to chew immediately without biting off;
  • cutlery laid crosswise means that you are waiting for the next dish, folded in parallel - a sign of a finished meal;
  • in any awkward situation, you should apologize.


Purpose of dishes

As mentioned above, there can be a lot of devices on a served table, but not all of them are there at once. To date, there are many different cutlery designed strictly for their type of dish.

It is unacceptable to use them for eating dishes of a different type, and so that guests who are not accustomed to complex serving are not confused by the variety of devices, they are advised to lay them out in the order of the planned serving of dishes.

General rule applies "from the central plate to the sides."


Types and purpose of spoons:

  • dining room, oblong shape - for soup;
  • bouillon - round shape, otherwise indistinguishable from soup;
  • dessert, less dining room;
  • tea room;
  • coffee - less than tea;
  • for ice cream - it has the same dimensions as a coffee shop, but longer;
  • salad - served in a plate with salad;
  • for caviar - another small spoon resembling a shell;
  • pate - common cutlery for all guests;
  • sugar scoop;
  • ladle for sauce - served with a gravy boat.

coffee shop

For caviar

Forks:

  • dining room - for second courses;
  • dessert;
  • for spaghetti - has five teeth, facilitates winding pasta;
  • for sprats - a common device;
  • for seafood - a two-pronged fork;
  • for mollusks - with three teeth, the largest of which separates the meat from the shell;
  • herring - a two-pronged fork for shifting herring from a common dish;
  • salad - served in a plate with salad;
  • cocotte - an elegant trident fork used to apply julienne;
  • lemon - serves to shift the pieces;
  • for olives;
  • for fruits - used for sliced ​​​​or small fruits.


Knives:

  • dining room, its prerogative is second courses;
  • snack bar;
  • meat - served with the dish;
  • fish;
  • cheese - used only for cutting;
  • oil - a common device;
  • fruity - served for unpeeled fruits.

For fish

For cheese

All tongs (except the last ones) are used by all companions together:

  1. for ice;
  2. confectionery;
  3. asparagus;
  4. for spaghetti;
  5. salad;
  6. for lobsters.

The very name of such tableware will tell the owners which tongs to put next to the salad bowl or in the ice bucket.


For spaghetti

Plates:

  • soup - better wide and shallow;
  • bowl - narrow, small diameter, very relevant for cream soups and broths;
  • diner - usually flat;
  • dessert, served only for confectionery;
  • fish - a common dish for all guests;
  • chill mold - a small ladle for julienne;
  • a manazhnitsa is a sign that a buffet is organized at the celebration;
  • herring - an oblong dish;
  • egg;
  • saucer - used as a stand for cups;
  • socket;
  • creamer - used for jelly, mousse and ice cream.

Dessert

Kremanka

Wine glasses and goblets:

  • high under champagne;
  • wine (separately for white and red varieties);
  • liqueur;
  • cognac;
  • for martini.


Glasses:

  • for whiskey;
  • for cocktails;
  • punch;
  • for juice and water.

As well as glasses for vodka and other drinks of comparable strength.

For whiskey

Punch

Cups:

  • tea - on a saucer with a corresponding spoon;
  • small cylindrical - for espresso;
  • under cappuccino;
  • for the look.

As you can see from all of the above, there are a lot of serving items. Do not be afraid, because the name of each speaks for itself. The appliances used to serve dishes from common dishes are common.


Does color matter?

Color is always important, and their harmonious combination will help in the design. A white tablecloth is a tribute to tradition, it goes well with almost all colors of dishes. Variegated tableware looks advantageous on a plain tablecloth, but for a plain set, you can equally choose both options for tablecloths. Napkins should be in harmony with the tablecloth.

It may seem that the black and white serving option is something out of the box, but it is not. Harmonious combination of these two colors can give a special charisma to the reception.

The combination of purple and mint (green) looks very fresh, red color gives solemnity. Silver and gold are indispensable attributes of a wedding. A dinner in honor of a man must be concise, with white dishes and contrasting napkins. Bright colors- the most correct solution for a bachelorette party.



Placement rules

Do not put too many appliances on the table, it is better to leave a little free space. No matter how many changes of dishes are planned, it is better to take out the required appliances and items with a new serving. In the figure below you can see an example of the correct serving.

As you can see from the image, knives and spoons are always placed to the right of the plate (except for the oyster fork). Above them are wine glasses. To the left of the plate are forks, with a patty plate above them. dessert appliances should be on top of the plate. As mentioned above, the location of the devices depends on the order in which they are used.

The napkin should be placed on a serving plate. Before serving dishes, it must be laid out on your knees. Common dishes must be arranged symmetrically.


Serving sequence

Place dishes for a new dish only after the previous shift has been removed. It is recommended to arrange devices at the same time.

Appetizers are served first - cold at first, and then hot. They are followed by the first dish (soup), after it - the second: fish, meat. Dessert is served before fruits, which are the conclusion of the meal.

In appetizers and cold second courses, one should move from fish to meat, then to vegetables and mushrooms, and, finally, to dairy (cheeses).

The sequence of serving is observed in order to avoid loss of appetite and dulling of taste. Of course, everyone has the right not to eat what he does not like, especially if everything is immediately on the table.

The main thing is to remember the order of serving and do not return to the previous dish.



What to do after eating?

When you have finished your meal, roll up the napkin from your knees to hide the soiled parts. You need to place it in the place of your plate, if it is occupied - to the left of it.

At the end of the meal, the cutlery should be put on a plate. The knife and fork are placed parallel to each other. The instrument knobs must be directed to the right and down. The blade of the knife should be directed inside the plate, as well as the convex part of the fork.

After eating liquid food, cutlery should be left in the plate or bowl in which the dish was served. Scolding the chef is considered bad form, as well as outright lying about how much you liked everything. It is better to highlight something that you really liked.


Reminder for every day

You need to set the table not only for guests, you can do it every day for yourself.

Breakfast is the start of the day and can be spent beautifully. It is better to place the plate for the main dish in the center, in front of you. It is better to put a fork or spoon on the left, and a knife on the right. You can put a tea cup and saucer over the knife, and put bread over the fork.

A real hostess always pays special attention not only to cooking delicious meals for this or that celebration, but also serving holiday table. A beautifully and properly served table stimulates appetite, promotes good mood and pleasant communication, harmonizes with the interior of the room and corresponds to a particular holiday, makes guests admire the talents of the hostess. If you want to know how to properly set the table - read about it in our article.



Tablecloth

A tablecloth is the beginning of any table setting. Choosing the color of the tablecloth, give preference light colors and unobtrusive (preferably plain, although variations are possible depending on the interior of the room, the color of the dishes, etc.) colors.

Check the condition of the tablecloth at least a day before the celebration. It must be perfectly clean. Even the most inconspicuous spots have no right to be on it. Also, the tablecloth should be well ironed. The perfect look has a starched, freshly ironed tablecloth.





When covering the table with a tablecloth, make sure that its corners cover the legs of the table, and the ends fall from the edge of the table by about 30 cm. You can put under the tablecloth soft tissue- then the sound of the knocking of cutlery on the table will be completely inaudible. Putting a transparent oilcloth on the tablecloth (to avoid contamination of the tablecloth) is possible only if the family gathers at the table, but for guests (friends, work colleagues, etc.) this is unacceptable.

Placement of dishes

All utensils must be clean: they must first be washed and wiped dry thoroughly. It is very desirable that all the dishes on the table be from one set (if there are a lot of guests, then 2 or 3 sets for 6 people each - the main thing is that it does not turn out that all guests have different plates, glasses, forks) - otherwise, it will create impression of disharmony.

Plates are placed in front of each guest at a distance of about 2-3 cm from the edge of the table. Make sure that all the plates are on the same line. If there are several plates, they can be placed one on top of the other (snack plates are placed on small large plates). Guests' plates should be at least 60 cm apart so that those sitting at the table do not push with their elbows.





Cutlery is placed as follows: next to the main dish are a knife (on the right, sharpened side to the plate), a spoon (on the right, convex side down, placed if a first course is provided) and a fork (left, convex side down), a dessert spoon is placed behind the plate. If other cutlery is provided (snack knife, fish knife, oyster knife, etc.), they are placed in the order of use. A distance of no more than 1 cm should be observed between cutlery. Drinking equipment (a glass for vodka or cognac, a glass for wine or champagne, a glass for water or juice) are located to the right behind the knife.

Napkins

An important element of table setting are napkins. They can be fabric or paper. Cloth napkins (most often linen) are laid out folded on plates after the main stage of table setting is completed. If paper napkins - use a napkin holder for them. Choose napkins to match (or contrast) the tablecloth.








Dishes and drinks

The main dishes are placed around the perimeter of the table - you can try several options for arranging them so that it is as convenient and beautiful as possible. In the center, you can put the “signature” dish of the hostess or the dish that is best decorated.

Any seasonings for dishes: salt, spices, vinegar, sauce, etc. - put in the center of the table so that everyone can reach them. Bread boxes are placed on opposite sides of the table. Fruits are laid out on special wide vases (large fruits are recommended to be cut into slices). Dessert is placed behind a glass or served at the end of a meal (if the table size is small or the dessert contains quickly melting ingredients: ice cream, jelly). All dishes should be served with cutlery (spoons, spatulas, etc.)







Drink bottles are placed in different places tables and open before the guests sit down at the table. The only exception is for champagne - it is opened immediately before pouring into glasses. Juices, compotes are best poured into decanters.

Flowers and other table decorations

Flowers are great addition to general serving table. They should be placed in low but stable vases and placed on the table in such a way that they do not cover the faces of the guests, do not interfere with communication and eating. Pick flowers to match the tablecloth or dishes.

The table can be decorated with candles, small figurines in the theme of the holiday, and gel balloons. The main thing is that everything should be in moderation and complement the atmosphere of the holiday at the table, and not “irritate” the eyes.