Which side of the plate on the etiquette put a fork?

Restaurant etiquette is a subtle art worthy of careful study. Not only employees and frequent visitors to the service sector should be familiar with some basic rules and features of this area in order to avoid possible embarrassing situations when serving themselves. You need to know in advance about the ways of serving cutlery and other important trifles that are of great importance in table etiquette.

There are a number of consecutive nuances in the design of the table:

• The serving process begins with the selection of the necessary appliances. The number of forks, spoons and knives depends directly on the number of guests and the dishes served, but it is important to remember that it is inappropriate to mix and get the entire collection of devices available in the arsenal.
• It is necessary to choose the right devices, starting from the official reception, expected guests and the size of the table.
• There are three varieties of sets: basic, snack and dessert. Each house definitely has a basic set. Any of the sets necessarily includes a spoon, fork and knife, but the size of the devices will vary greatly.
• Serving may vary depending on the subject of the meal, the food served and the scale of the event.

Starting a table setting, you should also know that there are different options: basic, formal and informal serving. Each variety should be considered in more detail:

• Basic serving includes the obligatory presence of a “base."Under the basic set, it is assumed that there is a plate, fork, spoon, knife, glass of water and napkins. If the first meal in the serving for the whole meal is not planned, a spoon is easily excluded from this list.
• The informal serving style is suitable for lunch with friends or a thematic brunch. In this case, a large number of snack plates are added, therefore, devices, glasses or other types of vessels for drinks.
• The formal version of serving involves formal events as a reason: the celebration of memorable events, holidays, lunches with colleagues or meals during negotiations.

The biggest difficulties arise in the distribution of devices. Here it is worth remembering the basic rule: the sequence of devices reflects the order in which they are usedtherefore, on the outside of the plate, the first for the guest will be devices for snacks or any other dish served first. Devices are always distributed around the main dish plate. If you remember this only rule, you can already avoid many awkward situations when setting your own table for dinner or any other meal.

To show your deeper knowledge, it is enough to understand which side to put various devices on. And here I have my own conventions. For example, knives, even if there are several, are always placed on the right side of the plate. Their blades are always facing the plate.

Forks are placed on the left side of the plate. In addition, the serving side means which hand is worth taking the appliance. This simple rule also facilitates the understanding of the intricacies of restaurant etiquette for guests.

It is important not only to arrange the forks and spoons in the correct order for dinner, but also to observe certain distances between them. So, the distance between each individual device should be at least half a centimeter, and the ends of the handles of devices should be at a distance of 1.5-2 centimeters from the edge of the served table.

This question is the second most popular in the framework of the basic concepts of restaurant etiquette. The position of the devices during the meal is a separate requirement for the operating staff or the host. Very often you can meet the supply of devices exclusively with a dish and their subsequent change. So, it is very common to wrap devices in napkins. The guest or client, having deployed the devices, must also be aware of their further movement on the table during and after the meal and the significance of these movements.

For example, to avoid prematurely cleaned dishes, you can signal that you are temporarily interrupting the meal or are still continuing the process by placing the appliances on a plate. At the same time, the sides of the arrangement remain the same: on the left is a fork or spoon, on the right is a knife.

To inform that you are ready to serve the next dish, it is enough to cross the instruments right on the plate by turning the knife to the left and the fork to the right. If the meal is already finished, you need to place the devices parallel to each other on the diagonal of the plate.

One way or another, currently there is an opinion that only in restaurant establishments observe all the subtleties of serving. In fact, this knowledge can be applied to all kinds of family celebrations and other important holidays. There are several common examples:

• Serving a romantic dinner for two involves an intimate atmosphere, subdued light and, of course, the presence of suitable glasses. Additional accessories in the decoration will add a special touch of intimacy. You can start by choosing a color scheme, based on the preferences of lice of the second half, and then you can add significant details: put your favorite flowers, ribbons, souvenirs, general photo. An integral accompaniment will be music and lighted candles of various shapes and sizes.

• An important celebration in a close family circle involves respect for tradition and a classic serving style. Generational difference is of particular importance, therefore both the style of serving and the overall table design should be as generally accepted as possible, not too bright, but solemn in their classics. Restraint combined with solemnity can be expressed in beautifully selected expensive dishes (crystal products are appropriate), cutlery, snow-white napkins and the presence of accents, for example, in gold and silver.

• Often a gala meal is associated with the celebration of an event.. Here themed serving comes to the rescue. The New Year or Christmas table is complemented by conifers and Christmas tree accessories, sometimes serving is made out by a combination of burgundy, red and green colors.

• By the autumn holidays tables are served with gems, small seasonal vegetables, serving as accessories. Compositions are complemented by matching colors.

• Summer Wedding Celebrations complement light fabrics, delicate pastel colors and dishes made of thin glass.

It is very important not to limit your imagination and implement any creative ideas, applying knowledge in the design of the table. Any celebration begins with a competent table setting, which is sure to make a pleasant impression on all participants of the celebration.

You will learn more about the side on which the fork and knife are placed according to etiquette from the next video.