Restaurant etiquette: What do the different positions of the cutlery mean, how should the cutlery be placed in the restaurant?

Basics of restaurant etiquette

Have you ever asked yourself what food etiquette you should follow when you sit down to eat? Table manners are important in many situations, so it's worth knowing some basics. By following a few simple rules of etiquette and following the language of the cutlery, you can impress your dinner or business partner. Did you know that, for example, napkins can also have an important function in fine dining meals?

Basics of restaurant etiquette: Correct use of the napkin

In addition to their hygienic function, napkins play an important role in social communication. Guests follow the host's example by picking up the napkin and placing it on their laps at the beginning of the meal. At the end of the meal, the napkin is also placed on the left side of their table and they again listen to the host's signals.
 

Basics of restaurant etiquette: the correct order of cutlery

In the canteen of fine dining, the guiding rule in the correct order of using cutlery is to always use them from the outside to the inside, as the different courses are served. A separate cutlery is suitable for each course! Generally, the cutlery suitable for soup and salad is placed at the outermost place, the cutlery for heavier dishes (fish, poultry and/or meat) is placed inside, and the dessert fork and spoon are above the table setting. As we wrote above, the position of the cutlery also reveals whether the guest is resting or has finished the meal, so it does not matter how you place them on the plate! Let's see what the different positions of the cutlery mean!
 

What do the different positions of cutlery mean?

The positions of the cutlery tell the service staff where the guest is in the meal, whether he has finished or is just taking a break, whether the next course is coming or whether it will be good to wait. It is worth acquiring this knowledge for a business lunch or a simple family dinner! When you take a break during lunch or dinner, i.e. you want to eat the dish later, place the fork and knife in the center of the plate with the tips facing each other, forming an inverted (V) shape. When you have finished one course and are ready to move on to the next, the correct thing to do is to place the knife and fork in a cross shape, with the fork up and the knife to the left. If you want to express your appreciation, you can place the cutlery parallel to the center of the plate, pointing to the right. This way you will let the staff know that you liked the food. When you have reached the very end of the meal, place the knife and fork straight up and down in the middle of the plate, this will let the waiter know that you have finished, and the plate can be taken away!

We hope we can help a little in the area of proper restaurant etiquette. Now all that's left is to use your knowledge! Reserve a table in our restaurant!