Guests feel a special sense of relief when they sit at a neatly arranged table. It immediately shows two things. That you care about their comfort and that you are in charge of the evening arrangements. Formal table setting is more than just decoration. Create a visual border in your dining area. You can tell your guests where their elbows and forks should be without yelling.
Let’s look at a specific scenario. First serve the salad, then the soup, then the meat main course and finally the dessert. You will also serve a bread roll with the salad. We’ll show you exactly how to arrange your dishes and cutlery to achieve this goal.
Base and bowl
Let’s start with the basics. Place a large plate of food in front of each guest. This is the anchor point of the entire setting.
Then stack the small plate directly on top of the dinner plate. Place the salad on this tray. Keep the vegetables away from the main course until the first course is done.
“Formal settings greatly improve the appearance of the table and provide a background for the meal.”
Left: fork and bread
Cutlery follows a strict order from outside to inside. This is not advice. This is the rule.
Place a large fork on the left side of the plate. This is for the main course.
Place the small salad fork to the left of the large fork. Since the salad comes first, this fork is used first. It’s out there and easily accessible.
Place the roll plate on the left side of the fork. This small plate has a bread roll. Keep bread away from silverware until needed.
Right: knife and spoon
Flip to the right side. Place a large knife next to the plate. The blade should face the plate. This is a safety detail and style standard.
Place the spoon on the right side of the knife. This spoon is for the second course.
Place a small butter knife on the right side of the spoon. This knife is used to cut and spread rolls. It’s on the far right.
Top and right
Now look at the top of the setup. If you remove the dessert tool first, the dessert tool will be placed here.
Hold the dessert fork and spoon horizontally above the plate. The handle of the fork points to the left. The handle of the spoon points to the right. The tines of the fork are against the plate. The bowl side of the spoon should be facing up.
Wait. There is a discussion here. Desserts also come with dessert tools. Some people find it helpful to prepare it in advance. When lined up, the fork is closest to the plate and the spoon on top.
Glassware and napkins
Place a glass of water on the right side of the plate at the tip of the knife. If you are serving wine, here the wine glasses are slightly higher and further to the right.
The napkin is the final touch. There are three options.
1. Fold and put in a glass of water.
2. Place it flat on a dinner plate.
3.
