Dinner Etiquettes

PowerPoint PresentationWhile restaurant etiquette standards have loosened in recent decades, formal dining conduct is still
taught at finishing schools and etiquette classes, and they're honored at many fine-dining establishments
in both Europe and America.
If you've ever been nervous about where to put your napkin on your lap, or how to excuse yourself to
use the restroom (first rule of the restroom: never talk about the restroom), you may find this article
useful.
Below, find the unexpected fine-dining etiquette you probably haven't been following.
Never lift your menu off the table
In formal dining, the menu should always be
touching the table in one place. So if you're looking
at the menu, make sure to have the bottom, or at
least one part of it, still touching the table, even if
your impulse is to bring it closer to your face.
Once you sip from a glass, you must
sip from the exact same place on that
glass for the rest of the evening
When you drink, you want to drink from the same
place on the glass every time to avoid that lip ring,
whether it's from natural oils or chapsticks or
lipstick. Then you put the glass back in the same place
where you picked it up.
Don't clink. Not even for the 'gram
Clinking for a cheers could damage the glass,
especially if you're using very fine glassware. Plus, In
very formal dining, the less noise we make, the
better.
If there's no oyster fork on the table, don't ask
for one; the lack of oyster fork means that the
oyster is already loosened and ready to go. (If, for
some reason, there is still a bit of oyster attached
to the shell, you can use a knife to loosen it.)
Once you've finished the oyster, turn the shell
over on the plate to signal you are done.
Keep the rim of your plates as clean
as possible
This is out of respect for the service staff who has
to clear the plates and will be grabbing the edge of
the plate.
part of your plate
The upper left part of your plate is for discards. Let's say you had a lemon rind you didn’t want to
eat; that would go on the upper left hand part of
your plate. Or a fish bone. The bottom right is for
sauces and butter.
times unless you are delivering it to
your mouth
That means you should butter the bread while it is
still on the plate, but do not butter the whole slice at
once. Break off the piece you plan to eat, butter that
piece, and then lift the piece to put in your mouth.
This applies to bagels, muffins, biscuits, and other
bread-like products.
toward you before putting it in your
lap
Napkins are to be folded in half with the crease
facing toward you. We don’t ever wipe stains, we
dab stains. And then we close the napkin and so all the stains
stay closed on the inside of the napkin, so you’ll
never again have a messy presentation for your
guest.
This shows that you enjoyed the meal, but you
weren't so famished you cleaned the whole
plate—which could indicate that you are still
hungry, or it wasn't enough food.
The host should always be in charge
This means picking an appropriate restaurant and
making reservations ahead of time, which is
especially important if you're having a business
lunch or dinner when it can be busy. The last thing
you want is to be told there isn't a table available
for you and your guest(s).
Once you're seated, "you need to take charge of
the logistics of the meal," Pachter says. This means
directing your guests to their seats or
recommending menu items in various price
ranges.
them
It's okay to hold open a door for your guest, but
you shouldn't pull someone's chair out for them
regardless of gender. "Both men and women can pull
out their own chairs. In a business setting, you
should leave those social gender rules behind.
Keep the food options balanced with
your guest
dessert, you should follow suit. You don’t want to
make your guest feel uncomfortable by eating a
course alone.
Know the utensils' proper locations
Food is placed to the left of the dinner plate. The
words food and left each have four letters; if the
table is set properly, your bread or salad or any
other food dish, will be placed to the left of your
dinner plate. Similarly, drinks are placed to the
right of the dinner plate, and the words glass and
right contain five letters. Any glass or drink will be
placed to the right of the dinner plate.
Know which utensils to use
Each course should have its own utensils and all of
them may already be in front of you or will be placed in
front of you as the dishes are served. In the case that all
the utensils are there at the beginning of the meal, a
good general rule is to start with utensils on the
outside and work your way in as the meal goes on.
The largest fork is generally the entrée fork. The salad
fork is smaller. The largest spoon is usually the soup
spoon. If you are having a fish course, you may see the
fish knife and fork as part of the place setting. The
utensils above the plate are the dessert fork and spoon,
although these may sometimes be placed on either side
of the plate or brought in with the dessert.
Always break bread with your hands
You should never use your knife to cut your rolls at
a business dinner. Break your roll in half and tear off
one piece at a time, and butter the piece as you are
ready to eat it.
Place your knife and fork in the rest position (knife
on top of plate, fork across middle of plate) to let
the waiter know you are resting. Use the finished
position (fork below the knife, diagonally across the
plate) to indicate that you have finished eating.
Do not push away or stack your
dishes
You are not the waiter. Let the wait staff do their
jobs
The napkin should only be used for blotting the
sides of your mouth. If you need to blow your nose,
Pachter says to excuse yourself to the bathroom.
The host should always pay
If you did the inviting, you are the host, and you
should pay the bill, regardless of gender. What if a
male guest wants to pay? A woman does have
some choices. She can say, 'Oh, it’s not me; it is
the firm that is paying.' Or she can excuse herself
from the table and pay the bill away from the
guests. This option works for men as well, and it
is a very refined way to pay a bill.
Always say "please" and "thank you"
to wait staff
Do not complain or criticize the service or food. Your complaints will appear negative, and it is an
insult to your host to criticize.
Never ask for a to-go box
You are there for business, not for the leftovers. Doggie bags are okay for family dinners but not
during professional occasions.
Conclusion
Eating with someone you don't know well in a professional environment is a tricky situation. On the one
hand, you're trying to get to know the person better, but on the other hand, you're also worried about
what your eating habits say about you.
Hope these tips will help you become a master of the rules when eating.