How nice to eat? Etiquette: rules of conduct at the table. How to use cutlery

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

All people know that there are different rules of behavior at the table. But here few people understood them in more detail. For many, it is sufficient that they know in which hand to hold a knife and in which to hold a fork. However, this is very little. In this article I would like to talk about how to behave at the table correctly.

About etiquette

First of all, it must be said that there are different types of behavior in a particular institution and even in a particular country. If you figure out how beautiful it is to eat, this question will be completely the same for European countries, in which you need to be at least quiet at the table, and for Asian countries, where gratitude to the owner for a delicious dinner is expressed by loud champing and smacking. Also, behavior in a restaurant and visiting relatives at the table may be slightly different.

Restaurant etiquette

To figure out how beautiful to eat is very important for those people who visit various restaurants from time to time. So, here it is important to behave correctly immediately after stepping overestablishment threshold. It is important to remember that the head waiter meets guests, tells if there are free seats, and takes them to the desired table. It is also his duty to pick up the outerwear of visitors. Approaching the table, a man (if guests of different sexes have come) must first help the lady sit down, pushing her chair a little, then he sits down himself. It is also important to remember how to sit at the table correctly. As for the position, the representative of the stronger sex should be opposite the woman or to her left. If the lady is a little late, the man can take a seat at the table, but when the head waiter takes her to the appointed place, the guy will definitely rise as a sign of respect.

Order selection

When the couple is already at the table, the waiter is sure to serve the menu. You should not rush to choose the desired dishes, in such establishments it is not customary to rush. Most often, the waiter will see that the guests are ready to order something, and he himself will come. But you can also call the attendants to you with a slight movement of your hand. The order is made first by a woman, only then by a man. However, a lady can ask a guy to do it for her, this is also allowed. If the guests cannot decide on the choice of wine, they can ask the waiter for advice. You can also consult with him about a particular dish, this is allowed by the rules of etiquette.

Waiting

How to behave at the table while the order has not yet arrived? At this time, guests can quietly communicate. The waiter is most likely the firstbring wine. Only a restaurant employee uncorks bottles; a man should not take off from his place to do this. First, the drink is served to the ladies, then to the guys. As for food, you can start eating only after everyone at the table already has ordered dishes.

Rules

When understanding how beautiful it is to eat, it is also important to remember that in restaurants it is strictly forbidden to pick up fallen objects from the floor. The waiter will do it. He must bring a clean instrument. If there was an embarrassment and broke, for example, a plate or a glass, do not worry. Just the restaurant will include its cost in the bill, and the case will be closed. No one will make scandals about this. If you want to s alt the dish, and the s alt shaker is on the other side of the table, you should not reach out for it yourself, you need to ask the neighbor just to serve what you need. It is also important to remember about decibels: you need to speak in a restaurant in a way that does not disturb others.

How to sit

Understanding how beautiful it is, it is important to remember that you need to sit at the table correctly. So, it is forbidden to put your elbows on the table, fall apart on a chair, swing on it. Also, you can not bend low over the plate. The back of the seated person should be straight, no need to slouch either. However, there should be no tension and rigidity in the posture, everything should be natural. When there is a change of dish, the guest is allowed to lean back a little so as not to interfere with the waiter and relax a little in a comfortable position.

About food

Worth rememberingabout the fact that it is not customary to rush in restaurants, the dishes are eaten slowly in order to enjoy their taste. If the food is quite hot, you can not blow on it. To cool down, you just need to wait a little, keeping the conversation going. If burning with burning food occurs, you can’t wave a napkin or hands into your mouth, you can only drink everything with water. Various bones, including fruit ones, are strictly forbidden to spit out or remove from the mouth with your hands. For this, a fork is designed, which is gently brought to the mouth and everything unnecessary is added there. If the person didn’t like the taste of the dish at all, you can bring a napkin close to your mouth and spit everything out there, without attracting the attention of others with indignation about this.

If you need to move away

Table culture has its own recommendations about mobile phones. So, if a guest is called, he can briefly say that he will call back without leaving his seat. However, if the conversation is urgent, be sure to move away. Talking at the table on the phone is a bad form. Also, if you need to leave, for example, to the restroom, you need to ask permission from everyone present at the table. You can also not talk to people sitting at the next table. If these are comrades or you just need to ask something, you need to get up and approach them. In the case when acquaintances enter the restaurant, they should be greeted sitting, with a slight nod of the head. A man gets up only if a lady joins his table. Women don't move in all situations.

End of meal

When the dinner is over, the guests are full and satisfied, they can ask the waiter for the bill, which will mean that their stay in this institution has come to an end. The attendants will bring a folder in which the account will be indicated. It is also important to remember about the tip - 10% of the order value. Who should pay - that's another question. So, in the countries of the post-Soviet space, this is done mainly by men. In European countries, women are actively fighting this, considering it a relic of the past, and there everyone pays for himself. If the dinner was just friendly, you can ask the waiter in advance to bring a personal bill, for each person separately. It is also important to remember about surrender. If it is necessary, the person is simply silent. If there is money in the folder, part of which does not need to be returned, you just need to say: “Without change”, and this will be the end of the matter. It is important to remember that it is necessary to decide who will pay in advance, it is ugly to do this in front of the waiter. You also need to know who to complain to. To talk about everything that you liked or didn’t like, you need the head waiter, not the waiter.

Cutlery

But if all of the above is not too terrifying for the ignorant, then here's how to properly handle cutlery - this is a whole science. After all, there are a huge number of plates, knives, spoons and glasses of various sizes and purposes. It is elementary to know how to properly hold the fork and how to use it. So when a person sits down at the table, no matter whereit happens - in a restaurant or at home, he must definitely look around. So, according to the rules, a snack plate should stand straight, to the right of it - a pie or napkin plate. To the left of the plate should be spoons and knives, to the right - forks. If all this is observed at the table, we can conclude that certain manners are required from the guest. You also need to remember that a dessert device will be located in front of the plate, most likely a teaspoon. Wine glasses and glasses will stand behind the plate, they all also have their purpose.

How to use cutlery

So how do you hold a fork? This question often worries people. It is worth remembering that those devices that lie to the left of the plate are taken with the left hand, those on the right - with the right. That's all science. Dessert devices are arranged so that the handle will look to the right or left. Depending on this, you need to decide which hand to take them with. As for the knife, according to the rules, the end of its handle should rest against the center of the palm, the thumb and middle finger are on the sides of the knife, and the index finger is in the center. The rest of the fingers are slightly bent towards the palm. The fork while eating is held so that its teeth look down, the handle, like that of a knife, rests on the palm. In the case when you need to eat small pieces of food, as well as a side dish - mashed potatoes or porridge, turn the fork upside down, and a knife can help in picking up food a little. The spoon is held in the left hand so that its end is at the base of the index finger, and the beginning ison average. If the dish is easily separated, the waiter can serve only the fork, in which case it must be held in the right hand. Now it should be clear to everyone, not only how to hold a fork and knife, but also other nuances of using cutlery. Moreover, it is not as difficult as it might seem at first.

Napkin

When figuring out how to eat beautifully, it is important to know that you also need to be able to manage with a napkin. Often it becomes the subject of table decoration, but at the same time it also has its direct purpose. Before eating, the napkin should be carefully folded in half and placed on your knees with the edge towards you. This will help protect your suit or dress from drips that might spill. You can also wipe your hands or lips with this napkin after eating or drinking. Hanging it by the collar, making a bib, is strictly prohibited. This is both inconvenient and very ugly. Soiled fingers are gently and imperceptibly wiped on the upper edge of the napkin, which remains on the lap. If you need to get your lips wet, the napkin is raised, however, so that it is completely in the palm of your hand, and not hanging. Blot (but do not wipe) the lips with the middle of the napkin, then it is placed back in place. It is strictly forbidden to use it as a handkerchief or towel for wet or dirty hands. Also, you can not wipe the cutlery with a napkin, looking for a speck on them. This can be great to offend the owners. If this item has fallen, you need to ask to bring a new one. At the end of the meal, the napkin is placed to the left of the plate, but never hung on the back of the chair.

About drinks

Everyone understands that the correct behavior at the table is the key to a successful evening in a cultural institution. It is also important to give a few words and drinks, as well as the containers that suit them. The main thing is to remember the rule: the stronger the drink, the less capacity it needs. A glass is for vodka drinks, a Madeira glass is for fortified wines, glasses or glasses for white and red wines, a glass or a glass for champagne. Stronger drinks are served first, then in ascending order. Wine glasses are two-thirds full.

About children

Etiquette at the table for children is also important, because kids should also be able to behave correctly in society. However, it should be said that the rules for them will be lighter and more restrained than for adults. And no one should pay much attention to the mistakes of the kids at the table. However, a mother or other parent should quietly make a remark to the baby, teaching him the right behavior. What is the most important thing for children when behaving at the table? It is important that the kids know that at the table you can not talk loudly, laugh, shout. You can not talk with a full mouth, it is ugly and even harmful to the process of eating. Also, you can not champ and smack, it is unacceptable. It is necessary for the child to be told how to properly handle the napkin: it should be used to wipe dirty lips and hands, and when not needed, it should be on your knees. Also, the baby needs to be told that there are dishes that you can eat with your hands, and those for which you need to use cutlery. For example,french fries, shrimp, fish sticks can be easily taken with your hands, you can also grab a cauliflower inflorescence. But this ends the list of products that are taken without appliances. For unknown reasons, babies love to eat spaghetti with their hands, but this is ugly and wrong. The kid needs to be told about this. Children should also remember that they need to stay at the table until everyone has eaten. And, of course, it is important to say “thank you” to the hosts who served. In the case of a meal in a restaurant, “thank you” is said to the head waiter. If table etiquette is too difficult for a baby, pictures can be a great help in learning. You just need to show the baby a few video tutorials or characteristic pictures, and everything will become clearer to him.