A Quick Guide to Table Manners

Stylish entertaining does not exist without practicing the rules of etiquette. Since we are in the main season for conferences, seminars and dinner events, it is appropriate to start by reviewing table manners. I wrote them for a conference sit-down lunch event but they apply to all occasions.

Before we start

Good manners transcend being polite; it is a way of living in society. Since there are a lot to say of the subject, this is the first of a series. The schedule will be announced when I determined the best format.

Let me state that etiquette is always a touchy subject due to cultural differences. If you follow my blog, you probably know that I am a French Canadian. I was raised in the French style of entertaining. I lived 5 years in Toronto, Ontario. I traveled enough in North America and Europe to integrate the best of both worlds in my way of living.

Having said that, I may pinch in comments about what I consider to be good manners. But for now, let just go over 5 basic table manners. There are so basic that these table manners even apply when you eating at home with the people living with you.

1 | How to use the napkin?

Napkins are a must at every table. After you sit down, you take the napkin, unfold it carefully and lay on your lap. If you need to get out of the table during the meal, you deposit your napkin on the table at your left. You casually and quickly fold your napkin before resting it on the table. You are folding it so it takes less space. It should never invade your neighbor area and not touch your dirty plate.

At the end of the meal, leave your napkin at your right side. It is not polite to put your napkin on your chair, at least in North America. Why the right side? My guess is to follow the service path. We serve food from the left side and we remove dishes from the right. So the right signifies that you finish your meal.

2 | When start eating?

The rule is when everyone has been served. You should apply the rule at every course. If the hosts sit at your table, you must wait until they start eating or they invite you to begin.

In business events, because we are often pressed on time, it is acceptable to start eating when at least 70% of the people have been served. If you wish to start eating before everyone is served you must ask the permission first to the persons that have not yet receive their food.

Personally, I feel that the 70% rule is proper only in extreme circumstances, like there is a delay and you do not wish your food to get cold. My advice is to use the 70% rule wisely, especially when you sit at a table with people that you do not know.

3 | How do you indicate to the waiting staff that you have finished your plate?

Whenever you eat at a public places and at home according to the British eating habits, there is no need to eat everything on your plate. When you have finished eating, you position the fork and knife parallel at 4 o’clock with the handles pointing to your right. 

If you need to momentarily deposit your knife and fork during the meal, rest them on the top rim of your plate, the blade facing you and the fork thumbs down. Never place back on the table cloth, utensils that you have started eating with.

In the course was dished with a plate underneath like a soup, deposit the utensil on the accompanying plate once you finished.

4 | What is the order for utensils?

It is really simple. Just remember that the order follows an outside in pattern. So you start with the utensils further from the plate.

Dessert utensils can be placed on top of your place setting. For a more elegant event, it is customary to bring the dessert utensils at the table just before serving the course. I will talk about place settings in another column.

5 | How to hold your glass?

What is important to remember about this rule is that you hold any beverage in such a way to not warm up any cool beverage. Therefore, you always hold a martini glass, a champagne glass and a white wine glass by the stem.

With the trend towards stemless glassware, the right way to hold the glass is to grab it at a level higher than the liquid. For that reason, when you are serving white wine in a stemless glass, it is best to leave out a gap of at least 1 inch and a half at the top.

It is not a faux pas to hold red wine by the bottom part of the glass. I just feel it is less elegant. But I know it feels more comfortable. So if you wish to evolve in the elite circles, you can practice always holding by the stem all the times. But do not feel bad if you prefer not doing it when you are drinking a red wine.

It is good to know that the white wine glasses are always smaller than the red wine glasses. It is like that so the wine stays cool longer. Water glasses are usually the biggest glass on the table. The white wine glass rests at your left, then the red wine glass and the water glass near the center.

That it is for my first etiquette lesson. Stay tuned for more in the following weeks.

My favorite fall pattern: Gien’s Tulipes Noires dinnerware

I like to thank Arthur Quentin where I took this picture last month. This casual table shows off the beautiful Tulipes Noires dinnerware collection by French maker Gien. This is my favorite pattern this fall. You would be surprised how stunning Tulipes Noires could look on a Christmas table.

Sourcing:
Photo credit: Table done by Arthur Quentin featuring the Tulipes Noires dinnerware by Gien – price: $32 CAD for the dinner plate