How to serve a festive table. Rules for the use of cutlery according to etiquette. Placement of crockery and cutlery for breakfast

It's time to move on to the purpose of each serving item. This scares many. In fact, there is nothing complicated here either. Do not forget that you will be served by a waiter and taking care of what to pour into what glass, what to put on what plate, as well as when and what to remove from the table are his problems. But you still need to know what is intended for what. There are options when you have to do self-service, although in a decent institution this should not happen under any circumstances.

Well, let's get down to business. The standard serving of a business semi-formal lunch usually includes four or five courses. Depending on this, the table will be served. Knowing the purpose of each element of dishes and cutlery, you can relax and not think about whether you are doing everything right. Having got rid of the "torment", it will be much easier to focus on the main goal of the dinner - business communication and negotiations. And now consider the serving options and the purpose of its elements:

Serving for a four-course dinner

Here's what it looks like.

1. salad fork
2. dinner fork
3. soup spoon
4. salad knife
5. dinner knife
6. bread knife
7. dessert fork
8. Dessert spoon

In addition, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the napkin can lie both on the plate and to the left of it. Don't forget the rule - "solid on the left, liquid on the right". This also applies to the napkin, it is “solid”, therefore it lies to your left.

The general principle of using cutlery is extremely simple: "From the edges to the center, from right to left." That is, the devices that lie at the maximum distance from the plate should be used first. In our example, the spoon for soup "3" is the farthest from the plate and to the right, and it will be used first. This is followed by a couple (fork 1/knife 4) for the salad, and closest to the plate is a couple (fork 2/knife 5) for the main course. This is how the order in which cutlery is used and, accordingly, the order in which dishes are served is determined.

By placing the cutlery, you can already determine the order in which the dishes will be served. In this case, the dishes will be served in this order: soup, salad, main course, dessert.

Note that the salad fork "1" is placed on the extreme left, BUT before the salad knife on the right "4" is the soup spoon "3", which means that the salad will be served after the soup, but before the main course ("From the edges to the center, from right to left"). Dinner fork "2" and knife "5" are for the main course, which in this example will be served after the salad.

Making it harder - serving for a five-course dinner

Serving for five courses is also quite common and is often used during business lunches. There are more dishes here, so there will be more dishes and cutlery, which can cause even more confusion, but there is no need to be afraid. Let's first look at what we have on the table.

1. fish fork
2. dinner fork
3. salad fork
4. cocktail fork
5. soup spoon
6. dinner knife
7. salad knife
8. bread knife
9. Dessert spoon
10. dessert fork

In this case, just as in the previous one, you can easily determine the order of serving dishes: seafood cocktail, soup, fish, main course, then salad, and lastly dessert.

In fact, you do not need to calculate the situation with the serving of dishes several moves ahead. Just use the rule "From the edges to the center, right to left" and a bit of common sense. Let's simulate the situation for serving, which is shown in the picture.

You sat down at the table and do not touch anything until the first course is brought. The waiter brings a seafood cocktail. You have two appliances that you can potentially use - the plug on the right and the plug on the left. Despite the large number of appliances in front of you, these two plugs are the only ones you can use right now. So in fact, the choice is not great - either the fork on the right or the fork on the left.

We recall the rule - “From the edges to the center, from right to left”, which means that the extreme fork lying on the right is intended for the first dish. After you "finish" the seafood cocktail, the cocktail fork "4" will be removed from the table. Next comes the fish. In this case, remember the rule again, but also include common sense.

You have two potentially usable appliances - spoon "5" and fork "1". In theory, there is a spoon on the far right and you need to use it, but you certainly don’t eat fish with a spoon, which means we go to the left and take fork “1” on the far left for the fish.

In this case, everything is very simple. You don't have to worry about what and why. It's the waiter's job to fill the glasses. In a good restaurant, the waiter will fill the glass with the drink intended for the dish currently being served, but knowing the purpose of the glasses does not hurt.

In the picture, the first is a small glass of sherry, which is usually served with soup. Then comes a glass of white wine, which is served with fish dishes, a glass of champagne with dessert, a glass of red wine with meat dishes, and a glass of water, which you can drink at any time, with any dish.

Let me remind you once again that the filling of glasses, the correspondence of the poured drink to the served dish is the care of the waiter.

As you “advance”, used cutlery and glasses will be removed from the table, so it will become easier and easier to navigate after each meal eaten.

A beautifully decorated table is the visiting card of the hostess. The first thing to consider when decorating a festive table is, of course, the theme, the purpose of the holiday. The festive table for a children's holiday will be somewhat different than for an adult holiday; New Year's table decoration will be different from decoration Easter table etc.

How to decorate and arrange a table for a holiday?

Decor and table setting

In order for your holiday to become the best and most interesting, it is not enough just to have delicious and varied dishes. You will also need to properly decorate the room, table, dishes, utensils, then dress up yourself ... And the most important thing is to convey a sense of celebration to your guests. And therefore, when they come to visit you, they should see the best, most beautiful and uniquely decorated table. Is it possible to do without a snow-white tablecloth, without intricately folded napkins, name cards, menus, candles, etc. when decorating a table?

❧ Each hostess will decorate the festive standing, trying to make it as good as possible. The main thing is not to overdo it: a huge number of different trinkets on the table will only annoy.

Before setting the table, decide in what style you want to do it. The choice of style depends only on the availability of dishes and tablecloths of this style. And the dominant role still belongs to the dishes, since it is easier to pick up a tablecloth for dishes than vice versa. For example, if you are a happy owner of a crystal service, then you should set the table with a “ceremonial” white starched tablecloth, starched napkins and beautiful sophisticated bouquets in crystal vases. And if you have porcelain dishes, then you can fantasize endlessly with it, since you can choose tablecloths of any shape and color, as well as a variety of accessories for it.

Table setting. rules

Festive tablecloths and napkins

Interesting napkins, colored or snow-white, folded into original figures, will give the table a special solemnity. Therefore, when choosing accessories for the festive table, you must determine what color they will be: the same color as the tablecloth, or shade and complement it. The main thing - do not forget that the tablecloth and dishes should go well with each other. If you have not yet purchased a suitable tablecloth for a table or tea set, then take your time - it can be made from an ordinary plain linen. Such a tablecloth will go well with any tableware, even plain colored ones. A bright “floral” service looks especially good on a plain tablecloth if the color of the tablecloth resonates in its design. If desired, you can decorate a plain tablecloth with a silk ribbon. This will give originality to your table, especially if the color of the ribbon matches the color scheme of the service. But for a coffee service, made with special elegance, a tablecloth and napkins decorated with simple lace are suitable. You can also give new life to an old tablecloth by topping it with beautiful tulle or sheer fabric with lurex.

Piquancy to your table can give paper napkins, designed in a special way. There are several interesting ways to fold paper napkins. Now on sale there are a wide variety of napkins of various colors and with any pattern, so you can easily pick up napkins on the theme of the celebration. There are special holders for paper napkins, which are usually included in large sets. If you found only white (or colored plain) napkins, then they can be arranged as follows: for example, roll shapes from them: rolls, triangles, “fans”, etc. For napkins designed in this way, if there are no special holders , use a glass or crystal goblet.

Options for using napkins in table setting

More complex napkin folding options (step-by-step napkin folding patterns)

Simple, but no less original options for using napkins.

In this case, napkin rings are used, as well as flowers (live, artificial), ribbons, ribbons, snowflakes and other accessories.

Candles and candlesticks in the festive table setting

Burning candles on your table will add a special, romantic note to the holiday atmosphere and decorate any event. By the way, do not replace full-fledged lighting with candles: the festive table should be well and brightly lit. With poor lighting, your guests may get bored, in which case the holiday will be ruined.

The color of the candles must necessarily match the rest of the table accessories (in the same range as napkins, plates or wine glasses). White candles will add special solemnity to your holiday, and red candlesticks decorated with spruce branches will decorate the New Year's or Christmas table. At the same time, you can arrange candles in different ways: put them in a flower arrangement, or install them in candlesticks between bouquets, arrange candles in small groups, and also screw them to flower holders so that the candles rise above the bouquets.

And you can arrange candles in various candlesticks, which can be made of a wide variety of materials: metal, glass, porcelain, ceramics, wood, etc.

❧ At the same time, remember: the candlestick should be combined with the dishes: do not put a ceramic candlestick served with crystal on a standing position.

If you don't like how the candlesticks look on your table, put the candles in low cups, where you can even pour water - it will look especially impressive. If you want to enhance this effect, then “serve” to the table a deep tray filled with water, on which a whole “sea” of candles can fit.

Candlesticks come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They also come in various heights. According to etiquette, it is customary to put long candles in low candlesticks, and low candles in high ones.

And in order for the candles to stand evenly in the candlestick, they must be burned from the ends or placed in hot water, and then, when the ends of the candles become soft, put in the candlestick nest or pricked on its metal needle.

You can also make beautiful compositions from candles. For example, having fixed two, three or four candles of different sizes in a clay bowl, water is poured into the container, and the space around the candles is decorated with various fresh or dried flowers - and before you is an original "floating" flower arrangement, which is enlivened by the fire of candles reflected in the water.

If you want to somehow decorate the table in a special way, then place small candles in low candlesticks near each guest’s device, as well as boutonnieres and name cards that will fit well into the overall composition.

Usually candles are lit before the arrival of guests and left to burn throughout the evening. However, you should not turn off the general light at the same time (this can only be done at the end of the evening in order to pacify the guests after a fun celebration).

And finally the owl t: in order for the candles to burn longer, before the holiday they should be placed in the refrigerator for several hours.

Options for using candles in the decor of the festive table

Decorating with fantasy

Additional elements of table decoration will help create a special holiday atmosphere, they will also give a topic for conversation and make the feast original. As such elements, you can use all kinds of things and objects. For example, you can beautifully lay out large lettuce leaves on the table and sprinkle spices on them - this decor method will refresh the table and eliminate the need to put salt and pepper shakers. The coffee table can be decorated with scattered coffee beans and chocolates laid out on carved paper saucers.

Interesting, touching and cute silk ribbons look on the table. They are selected depending on the color of the dishes or flower arrangements. Given the space on the table, the ends of the tapes can be made freely falling or fastened with wire. Ribbons can be put from bouquets to devices, creating intricate lines, rings, but they should not touch the water in vases with flowers.

At parties, the festive table can be decorated with various silver figurines: as a rule, these are figurines in the form of birds, flowers, etc. Large figurines are placed next to flower bouquets or along the edges of the table, small ones near each device.

Table setting rules are not just about preparing it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or tea. This is a kind of art, which is more dependent on the taste of the person setting the table, and not on his financial means.

The aesthetics of the table depends on the tablecloth, napkins, cutlery, dishes, flower arrangements present on the table, as well as on the overall harmony with the interior of the room, its color scheme and style.

In addition, the table setting rules have the following requirements: compliance with the type and occasion of the feast, combination with the menu and the correct arrangement of serving items.

There is a certain sequence of actions that helps to quickly and correctly arrange numerous serving items.

First, the table is set with a tablecloth, which must be spotlessly clean and ironed. It is desirable that the ends of the tablecloth hang down evenly from all sides of the table by about 25-30 cm, and the corners of the tablecloth should cover the legs of the table.

After that, the plates are arranged. It is recommended not only to wash and wipe them well, but even polish them to a shine with a towel or napkin. The snack plate should be placed strictly against each chair at a distance of about 2 cm from the edge of the table. A pie plate is placed at a distance of 5-15 cm to the left of the snack plate. In this case, the center of the plates should be on the same line. Depending on the type and occasion of the feast, there may be several plates. In such cases, small dining rooms are placed under the snack plates, and a pie plate (bread plate) can be placed so that the edges of the plates farthest from the edge of the table are in line with the small dining plate.

Serving examples for a two-course menu.
A deep plate stands for the main course. A dessert plate is served later as needed. Cutlery is arranged in such a way as not to get confused in their use: the knife and fork lie next to the main dish and, accordingly, are intended for it. The dessert spoon lies behind the plate with the handle to the right. If wine is served, then on the right behind the knife is the appropriate glass for white or red wine. If several drinks are served (beer, juices, water), the rest of the glasses should be in the same place.

In this case, a deep plate designed for spaghetti stands on a large stand dish. With Italian dishes, a plate of bread is always served. Spaghetti is eaten with a spoon and fork, so the knife is replaced with an appropriate device, the dessert spoon lies in the same way as in the previous case, and the butter knife lies on the bread plate. Water is always served with Italian dishes, so a glass of water (mineral, for example) should be in the first position, closer to the dish. The wine glass is located on the top left behind the water glass.

Cutlery is laid out immediately after arranging the plates. If there are a large number of knives, forks and spoons, then start with the cutlery for the main dish. Knives are placed on the right side, blade to the plate, forks - on the left side, point up. The soup spoon is placed nose up, next to the knife. If the menu provides for several dishes that require the use of separate devices, then proceed as follows. Closer to the plate is placed a table knife, to the right next to it - a fish knife and last - a snack knife. By the way, if butter is served with bread, then a small butter knife is placed on a bread (or patty) plate, which should be located to the left of the fork. If soup is served, the soup spoon is placed between the diner and fish knives. It can lie instead of a fish knife if a fish dish is not provided. On the left side of the plates, there are forks corresponding to the knives - a dining room, a fish, a snack bar. The distance between the appliances should be slightly less than 1 cm, as well as the distance between the plate and the appliances. The ends of the handles of the cutlery, as well as the plates, should be 2 cm from the edge of the table.

Now it's the turn of glass (crystal) dishes. Each drink has its own serving item. If only water is supposed to be served, then behind each plate, in the center or slightly to the right, a wine glass or glass is placed. It should be located on the line of intersection of the top edge of the plate with the end of the first knife. If kvass or fruit drink is served instead of water, then instead of a wine glass they put a mug, and with the handle to the right. For alcoholic beverages, their own dishes are provided, which are placed next to the glass, to the right of it. With several objects for drinks, the glass is shifted to the left of the center of the plate, and next to it, to the right, the rest of the objects are lined up on the same line. But putting more than three items in one row is not accepted. When fully served, items for drinks are arranged in two rows. The distance between objects should be at least 0.5-1 cm.

Serving examples for a four-course menu.
A deep plate and a soup cup stand on a dish-stand. The soup spoon lies to the right along the outer edge, then the knife and fork for snacks. The knife and fork for the main course lie next to the plate. Remember, guests always start eating with the utensils that lie on the outer edge, and then take the utensils towards the plates as they change dishes. Next: a dessert spoon is placed behind the plate. A glass for white wine, which is supposed for snacks, is on the top right behind the soup spoon. If water is supplied, a glass for it is placed on the left behind a glass for wine. And finally, the red wine glass for the main course stands in a straight line above the other glasses.

A soup bowl and a deep plate stand on a platter-stand. To the left, just above the forks, is a plate for bread. The cutlery is arranged as follows: the soup spoon is on the right next to the fish knife, the fish fork lies on the left outer edge, for the main dish, the corresponding fork and knife lie near the plate. A small knife for butter and snacks lies on a patty plate. Dessert devices lie above the plates: a fork with a handle to the left, a spoon with a handle to the right. Glasses are placed in the following sequence from the soup spoon to the right and up: for white wine for snacks, a glass for water and a glass for red wine for the main course.

A napkin is an indispensable attribute of table setting, which is laid out immediately after placing glassware (crystal) on the table. There are many ways to roll napkins, both simple and requiring some skill. Rolled napkins are placed on each guest's dinner plate. In some cases, linen napkins can be replaced with paper ones.

The final chord of the table setting is the arrangement of devices with spices, vases with flowers and other decorative elements. Appliances with salt and pepper are placed in the middle of the table on special stands. A device with mustard, if there is a need for it, is placed nearby. You can also put bottles of vinegar, vegetable oil or hot sauces next to the spices.

And, of course, only flowers will add festive completeness to the table. Plants must be spotlessly clean, petals, leaves and pollen should not be allowed to fall on the table. Flowers can be placed on the table in any flat dish or low vases so that the bouquets do not obscure the people sitting at the table, or the dishes for which the serving was carefully selected.

Today we will talk about how to set the table beautifully and correctly, citing as an example a photo of serving for various holidays or everyday dinners. Proper table setting says a lot about the hostess, her education and taste, because one of the basic norms of ethics is the ability to set the table, know the purpose of all cutlery and use them correctly.

Tablecloth selection

First of all, a tablecloth is laid on the table, it would seem that this is understandable, however, this business has its own subtleties. The tablecloth must be absolutely clean, smoothly ironed, otherwise it will only become an indicator of your untidiness. After you set the table with it, check that it has an equal length everywhere, and at the same time does not hang too low, as long edges can cause inconvenience for guests, and besides, they can be accidentally pulled, which will be an unpleasant end holiday. Too long ends can be secured with fabric snaps, which most often have an interesting design.

Also, the tablecloth should not be too short, otherwise it will look like the girl was wearing a dress several sizes larger. In the absence of a tablecloth or the desire to set the table in an unusual way, you can use special large napkins for each person. Please note that these are not the ones that lay on your knees or wipe your mouth with, they are much denser in material, have a large size, since plates, cutlery, and glasses should fit on them.

Serving rules

The next step is to arrange the plates, they are placed on top of each other depending on the size and purpose. Three types are most often used: soup, snack bar, dining room. They are put on the countertop in reverse order, as the guest will start with soup, then move on to snacks, simply removing the already used plate from above.

Knives are placed to the right of the plate, followed by spoons in order of use. Today, the number of devices, their location are not determined as strictly as before. Since the design itself plays a huge role, based on which, according to the idea, a teaspoon can be located not at all at the plate, but, for example, next to a saucer for cakes or served only with tea. The forks are placed on the left side with the teeth up, so the sooner it is used, the closer it is to the plates. This arrangement of cutlery contributes not only to ease of use, but also helps guests not to get confused.

Dessert cutlery is placed behind the plate, perpendicular to how all the rest are stacked. There, on the right side, there are several glasses. There must be a glass for soft drinks: juice or mineral water. Also about 2-3 glasses, each designed for a certain type of alcohol.

Types of glasses

Let's start with a simple one, everyone knows what a flute glass is, because traditionally, especially on New Year's Eve, champagne is poured into it. Although glasses of this shape are also suitable for sparkling wines. The main feature is the upwardly elongated shape, which allows the foam to rise and air bubbles to play inside the liquid.

Red wine glasses are just as easy to imagine for most, they have a thin stem, a rounded bottom, are quite bulky and taper towards the top. However, the type of glasses varies greatly depending on the type of wine, for example, glasses for Burgundy and Montrachet have a much larger volume, more like a ball or pear, tapering less towards the top. However, quite rarely people at home and even far from always in restaurants follow such subtleties.

A glass for white wine has a more elongated shape, it looks more like an oval. Usually two types of wine glasses are placed side by side, a glass or a glass for the selected strong drink is added to them, and other glasses are brought as needed. Otherwise, the whole table will be filled exclusively with glasses of different types.

A glass for whiskey or cognac is low, with a thick bottom, expanding towards the top, has a simple, fairly spacious shape. The martini glass is shaped like an inverted triangle, so it's not difficult to recognize it at all. For cocktails, straight glasses, glasses or two-tiered complex shapes are used. If you do not arrange a bar separately, then it is better to place small saucers with lemon, lime, olives next to the bottles.

Placement options for napkins

When serving, three types of napkins are used:

• decorative;
• napkins, creeping on your knees;
• wipes adapted for wiping hands or mouth.

Napkins that are placed on the lap can be placed on top of the soup plate, folded nicely. Thus, a person sitting at the table will immediately understand what it is intended for. On top of it, you can put a small postcard with the name of the guest or a nice short wish. You can add a miniature flower or a piece of a spruce branch to the card.

Decorative napkins are usually placed under the plates, sometimes additionally and between them. They can be folded into triangles, diamonds, or overlapped so that the colors are intertwined. In addition, you can also put small lace napkins under candles or glasses.

The most ordinary napkins are usually located under the cutlery, or behind the plates, but only one at a time. There should be a few more napkin holders in the center so that guests can easily use any number they may need.

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Boho decor

The “boho” style is distinguished by its brightness and abundance of various interior and decor items; it is possible to combine dishes of completely different styles, colors and shapes in it. Serving looks insanely beautiful when all the glasses are made of different materials, some are blue, some are pink or green. In addition, this style is characterized by an abundance of textiles, that is, under each plate there can be several napkins also from various materials, fringe, tassels are welcome, with which you can complement a monotonous tablecloth.

An important element is lighting, around the table or above it, you can place several lamps, ceiling lamps, garlands, and place candles of various shapes with unusual candlesticks or small lamps on the tabletop itself. Small frames and voluminous vases with flowers will interestingly fit into the decor. Bouquets are best made from a mixture of field and garden flowers, so that large heads of roses, lilies, and peonies peep out among the multitude of greenery.

Easter table

Easter decor is truly one of the cutest, because decorating eggs, baking Easter cakes and creating little bunnies with your own hands is a favorite pastime for both children and adults. The Easter table often looks amazing due to the baskets with painted eggs, candles and sprinkles on the tops of Easter cakes. However, this is not all that you can think of to create a beautiful festive interior.

You can make a small basket of recruiting branches, an egg carton, or any other shape. Inside put napkins, lace (which goes very nicely with canvas and coarse craft thread). You can also complement the decor with grass and flowers, both natural and artificial. And eggs are already laid on top, or parts of their shells, from which toy chicks, hares or, again, flowers can crawl out.

The table can be decorated with candles of different diameters and colors, low, thick candles can be placed in shells or on varnished wood cuts. Napkins, tablecloths, the color of plates and dishes are best chosen for the overall decor. Below are photos of Easter servings for inspiration.

New Year decoration

When decorating the New Year's table, several colors are most often used:

• red;
• green;
• white;
• gold.

However, it is better not to mix them in the total mass, only three colors should always be the main ones. It is better to combine gold only with white, for example, white tablecloths, beige napkins, white dishes, several of which can be with a gold or black border, the pattern can also be in the form of specks. Transparent wine glasses can also be supplemented with gold ribbons, white candles can be placed in golden candlesticks. You can add greenery to the bouquets, lingonberry or spruce branches are amazingly suitable for the atmosphere.

Spruce branch decorations are especially popular when serving on winter days, the photo below will show an example of how best to do this. They can be laid out on the table between dishes, you can use them to decorate candles, or create a wreath into which white long candles will be inserted, which can be lit closer to midnight.

New Year's Eve or Christmas, held in a red and green theme, is a classic. Checkered napkins, red tablecloth, fir cones, striped lollipops, Santa socks and white candles. This design is considered one of the most stylish and is quite traditional in America, where the New Year can be called the main holiday. You can also create a more relaxed design by placing decorations in bright colors on a snow-white tablecloth.

Another amazing color combination, just the same more suitable for Russia: white, blue, silver. Just the same here again you can use glasses and napkins of different colors. You can place small Christmas decorations with silver glitter on the table, for example, deer or Christmas trees.

Holiday in nature

Perhaps one of the most beautiful types of serving is a combination of boho, rustic and natural styles. The rustic style implies maximum closeness to nature, therefore, for the most part, natural materials are used in it, and dishes and decor are chosen in soothing natural shades. Wedding tables are often decorated in such a decor, on which there are always a lot of bouquets made in delicate color variations, the main elements of which are again wild flowers.

Napkins are selected from canvas and white lace, cutlery can be tied with lace beige ribbons, and glasses can also be decorated with them. The abundance of lighting is also characteristic of all three styles, however, the color variations are far from being as bright and bold as in boho. Often garlands with white or yellow bulbs are chosen, which can be hung over the table or laid out on it, they can also be hung around on trees or braided around trunks.

Candles or other lighting fixtures do not have to be exclusively white, but it is better to turn to pastel colors. It can be beige, light green, lilac, or pale pink - these colors can be used throughout the interior. But again, make sure they match.

Table setting in nature

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.
• Bread dishes are always served with Italian dishes.
• 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 a large number of different 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 standard 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 products absorb moisture, are short-lived, and it is not very convenient to use them.
• 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 react chemically with acids, salts and alkalis.

Important! As a rule, “18/10” stainless steel is used, 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 the reverse side of such products there is an 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, there is an arrangement of flower vases, sets with various 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.