Fine Dining Etiquette: How to Read a Formal Place Setting

A formal table can look intimidating: several forks, more than one knife, a row of glasses and a napkin folded just so. Yet a place setting is a map of the meal ahead, and once you can read it you will dine with confidence at any business lunch, formal dinner or banquet.

Work from the outside in

Cutlery is laid in the order it will be used. Start with the pieces furthest from your plate and work inwards with each course. Forks sit on the left, knives and soup spoons on the right, and dessert cutlery is often placed above the plate.

Glassware sits on the right

Glasses are placed above the knives. Learning to identify the water glass and the wine and other beverage glasses – and which belongs to you – avoids one of the most common table mistakes.

Napkin etiquette

Place your napkin on your lap once everyone is seated, use it to dab rather than wipe, and leave it on your chair if you step away during the meal. At the end of the meal, place it loosely beside your plate.

Recover gracefully

Everyone drops a fork eventually. Poise is not about never making a mistake; it is about handling small mistakes calmly and keeping the conversation flowing.

Our Fine Dining Etiquette course and Fine Dining and Table Manners Programme cover place settings, the order of service, handling difficult foods and conversation at the table, for children, youth and adults.