Table items according to etiquette. Modern rules of table etiquette

Today we will tell you something more serious than things from the series “don't put your elbows on the table” and “chew with your mouth closed”. Of course, without this, too, will not do: it's a classic. But I promise you, the set of rules will be divided and severe.

Why table manners matter

I remember I had etiquette classes at school. We learned to sit at the table, arrange the plates and everything. I don't know why we were taught this. Whomever I asked, everyone said that they did not have such a subject. But now I am pleased to participate in various official meals.

I understand that following a dinner protocol allows you to simultaneously relax, do everything right, not paying attention to your actions, and have fun. When you know the rules, you don't feel awkward and biased at the table, you don't have to ask stupid questions like "What to do about it?" series. You can just enjoy your meal.

Why you need to follow etiquette

When I began to periodically have the need to eat in public places, I noticed that many people do not have the slightest idea about the rules of behavior at the table. It surprised me so much that I don't even know how to express it. The rules of conduct at the table have been a given for me since my school days. We still eat three meals a day, and we need to do this in a way that does not make others depressed.

At least follow these four rules:

follow the owner of the house

If you do everything exactly like him, it will help you avoid embarrassment 95% of the time. It is not so difficult - to start eating when everyone starts, to use the same cutlery - this is already a guarantee of success. However, constantly staring at others is not the most pleasant option. So you can not relax and enjoy dinner.

Chew with your mouth closed and don't talk with your mouth full

Yes, this problem still exists. Some types chew without closing their mouth and showing its contents to others. If you need to say something, swallow what is in your mouth first. To always be ready for a conversation, do not stuff your mouth, let there be very little food in it - literally one bite. Gone are the days when people stuffed their mouths in order to quickly get enough. Your food won't run away from you

Bring food to your mouth, not your mouth to food

Do not lean towards the fork, and even more so towards the plate, scooping food into your mouth, almost like a scoop. Carrying food to your mouth is a distance of no more than 20 cm, it is easy to overcome it. Sit up straight, do not scoop too much food into a spoon or fork, and bring cutlery directly to your mouth. And never drink from a soup cup.

Say "thank you", "please" and "sorry"

These little words are truly magical and should be used freely.

The first rule of etiquette is to know who you are dining with and the seating of the guests.

You need to be prepared. If you were invited to an official reception, you need to find out how many people will be there and in general what to expect. Dress appropriately, decently, if it's a work meeting, it's important to look professional. This shows respect for the owner of the house, besides the impression made can be very important.

If you go to someone's house, bring some small present: flowers or a bottle of wine. If you're going out to dinner with a close friend, it's worth finding out how you can help. Maybe he will ask you to buy a cake for dessert or something like that. Arrive on time, but not earlier than ten minutes before the appointed time: final preparations are being made.

informal lunch

This means that there is no fixed time when a group of people should sit down at the table and start eating together. For example, picnics and barbecues: people come, eat and leave at any time. Here the rules of conduct at the table are much more relaxed, but there are a few points that you should pay attention to.

1. Get yourself a medium serving.

It is unpleasant to find that you are able to eat only half of the food that lies in front of you on a plate, and someone because of your zeal did not get some dish. You can take a supplement at any time: just in bulk, besides, it is always a compliment to the person who prepared everything.

2. Do not dip a piece twice in a common sauce

If you like it so much, put the sauce on your plate so you don't spread your germs.

3. Do not cut all the meat at once

If you have fried something really big, cut off pieces for yourself and everyone around you only once, then cut them off again. Otherwise, the meat will be dry.

4. Clean up after yourself

Any reasons needed?

Informal meeting at the table

You sit at the table, eat and communicate at the same time. Business meetings, Easter and Christmas dinners and things like that. There are already places for everyone. The main indication is this: all the pieces are arranged and laid out around the plate: forks on the left, spoons and knives on the right. They begin to use cutlery from the outside in: first you take the last cutlery, then the one next, and so on. A glass of water is usually larger than a glass of wine.

formal lunch

When you come to a formal dinner, you are required to wear a suit and, in many cases, a black tie. I will not go into too much detail: you can find this information on other sites. I'll just tell you, don't worry if you're invited. You can learn all the basics in practice in just half an hour. The picture is attached.

Napkin

The napkin is placed on the lap within the first minute after sitting down at the table to have lunch. No need to cling it to the corner of the shirt collar or tuck it into the belt. Just straighten it on your knees (you can only open half, usually this is enough). It will protect your pants from splashes and crumbs, and you can also use this cloth to wipe your mouth. When you have eaten or have to leave, place it neatly to the left of your plate.

When to start eating?

The safest and easiest answer is when others start. It is often not clear whether it is possible to eat: the hostess and her assistant are still in the kitchen, a couple of guests have gone away somewhere, and they cannot be called. In this case, if the hot meal has already been served and at least two people are left at the table, you can proceed. If the food was brought and everyone is sitting, and three or four people have already been served, you can also start (unless, of course, there are more than four of you. If less, wait until everyone is served). The main thing is never to eat alone, but hot food should be eaten while it is still hot.

If there is a tradition in the house to pray before eating, the owner of the house should read the prayer, and anyone can offer the initiative. The main thing is to declare this desire even before everything is served on the table and laid out on plates. Toasts can be made at any time the glasses are refilled and, with the exception of formal dinners, they can be made by anyone. Often guests make a toast to the host's hospitality.

Elbows, distant plates and table troubles

Elbows on the table, as you know, are best not to put, but there is nothing special if you put them on the table, communicating with someone during a meal break or over tea or coffee. Stretching is prohibited. If you can’t get a certain plate easily (you have to get up and reach for the dish) or it is in someone’s personal space, ask the nearest person to pass it to you. If something spills, first make sure that it stops pouring, and then ask the hostess to help you wipe it up. Then forget about the incident and enjoy your lunch.

What if you don't want something

If you just don't want to try it. You haven't tried a dish, how can you know if you'll like it? Always try a little of all the dishes on offer. Sometimes even the smallest piece is enough, let the rest remain on the plate - but the hostess will not be offended.

You are on a diet. Depending on the severity of the diet, you can warn the hostess in advance so that she can cook something for you personally. You can eat something before this dinner, so as not to be hungry and try a little of what you can.

You do not drink. Until recently, I didn't drink at all and had trouble at some dinners where I was still expected to drink alcohol. You can be persuaded and even almost forced. How to be? I will offer you a compromise: make a toast, take a sip, and then barely touch the liquid with your lips. This usually works. When people know that you basically don’t drink, after a while they stop pestering you with this question. Just be persistent, do not give in to persuasion, and everyone will fall behind.

How to say you're done

The best way is to put your fork and knife across your plate, as if the hands of a clock show 4:20. The fork lies closer to you with the teeth up, the knife blade to the fork. This is the most convenient cutlery position for the waiter to remove the plate from the table without dropping anything.

Parting

Before leaving, thank all the owners of the house. If it was a big event (more than 30 people) and you urgently need to leave, and the hosts are talking to other guests somewhere in the thick of the crowd, you can leave in English and not say goodbye. In this case, it is better to ask a friend to say goodbye for you. However, within 24 hours, be sure to call the owners of the house and explain the reason for your hasty departure.

1. Have fun and have a couple of drinks, if you so desire, but do not get carried away too much, do not ruin the evening for the hosts. Often there is a dude at the party who went over and started arguing loudly with his girlfriend or making ambiguous jokes.

2. Connect with people. Listen to them, understand what they say, be careful. If during the last ten minutes you are the only one who spoke, then this is no longer a conversation, but a presentation.

3. Turn off your phone and enjoy the moment. Don't put it on silent: that way you'll be checking it every five minutes and letting people know you have more important things to do. You can live one evening without twitter and instagram.

4. The best way to acquire good manners is through practice. Make them your habit. Teach them to your children and you will never fail.

Each of us would do well to brush up on the rules of etiquette at the table, and perhaps even learn something new about how to behave while eating. The most important rules of etiquette that absolutely everyone should use.

Each of us notices when someone in a cafe at a nearby table eats carelessly or stealthily wipes his hands on his knees. In the same way, other people notice our mistakes, any behavior is conspicuous and can cause embarrassment. Therefore, it is better to check yourself and correct your own behavior if necessary.

How to behave at the table

General rules apply to any situation, they will never be superfluous. The first thing we pay attention to when we see a person is his posture. Posture characterizes not only the behavior or condition of a person, but also reveals the secrets of his character.

An insecure person will fidget nervously on the edge of a chair, a notorious person will try to slouch in order to become less noticeable. Sit up straight, but in a way that is comfortable for you. Hands can be placed on the edge of the table or on your knees, and it is better to press your elbows to your sides.

By the way, in order to learn how to hold your elbows near the body in Soviet times, it was advised to periodically train - have lunch, holding a couple of weighty books to your elbows. This is necessary so that the correct bodily pattern is formed, and you keep your elbows flawlessly even when you don’t think about it at all.

The rules of table etiquette imply almost all situations that can happen to a person and give a clear recommendation on how to act in a given situation.

Naturally, table etiquette at home and restaurant etiquette are somewhat different. However, there are rules that are appropriate in any situation:

• do not speak too loudly;
• do not take a fork or spoon with food too far from the mouth;
• you can not make sounds while eating;
• eat calmly, without undue haste.

Restaurant

The rules of conduct in a restaurant imply some composure - you need to behave correctly and with dignity in order to make a good impression on others.

1. A man must let the lady go first, but if a company of men or women goes to the restaurant, then everyone is on an equal footing or rely on the initiator of the dinner.
2. If several people are to meet at dinner, and someone is late, then by mutual agreement with the rest of the guests, you can wait for those who are late for about a quarter of an hour. A longer wait is a sign of disrespect for guests who arrived on time.
3. If you happened to be late, then you should apologize, and then just join the others. You should not draw special attention to the fact of being late and explain the reason, just join in the table conversation.
4. During a meeting of a man and a woman in a restaurant, a man should read the menu and offer his companion any dishes. For a girl in this case, expressing her indifference is a sign of bad manners. Etiquette in a restaurant implies the participation of a lady in the choice of dishes.
5. In a restaurant, you should not conduct a conversation in raised tones and laugh out loud. If this happened by accident, it makes sense to apologize to other visitors and be quieter. Observe table etiquette, and if someone behaves inappropriately at the next table, then this should be reported to the waiter.
6. You need to start eating when the waiter brought out the ordered dishes to all those present. If a person who is waiting for his dish to be prepared does not mind, he can make an offer to others to start eating.
7. It is strictly forbidden to engage in hygiene procedures at the table - wipe your face, neck and hands with napkins, comb your hair or tint your lips. If you need to pay attention to your appearance, it is better to do it in a special room. Dining etiquette also does not welcome traces of lipstick on dishes. Before you start eating, the girl should carefully remove the lipstick with a napkin.
8. Any interaction with food also looks uncivilized - food is on the table in order to eat it. Taking photos for Instagram, blowing on the soup, meticulously poking around in the salad, commenting on the ingredients - is indecent.
9. If you come across a cartilage or a bone in some dish, you need to carefully return the inedible element back to the spoon and move it to a plate (or napkin).

How to handle appliances

1. In no case should you check the cleanliness of the appliances, and if you still notice a cloudy spot on the fork or spoon, you need to quietly draw the attention of the waiter to this oversight and politely ask for a replacement.
2. In most restaurants, the table is set in advance, and cutlery is laid out on both sides of the serving plate.
3. Do not get lost if there are more dishes on the table than you expected to see - everything has its own purpose, and if you are in doubt about which fork or spoon you should take, you can always see how other guests solve this problem.
4. Those devices that lie on the left of the plate are used with the left hand, and those that are laid out on the right must be held in the right hand.
5. With complex serving, each dish relies on its own devices, so if you are in doubt which fork should be taken, take the far one - the one that is furthest from the edge of the plate. As you change dishes, you will gradually approach the nearest appliances.
6. The knife is used either for cutting food or for spreading pâtés and butter (for example, during breakfasts). You should not try pieces from a knife.
7. Cut meat or fish should be sequentially, as it is eaten. Cutting the whole portion at once is a bad form. It is generally accepted that this way the dish cools down faster and loses its main flavors.

Learn in advance a few differences between different cutlery, so as not to get into a mess.

Forks

• second hot dishes are eaten with a table fork, it has four cloves, and in length it is slightly inferior to the diameter of the plate and is placed on the left;
• a fish fork is used for hot fish dishes, looks smaller than a diner and has four short cloves, a fish fork is easy to recognize by its recesses - they are needed to separate the bones;
• snack fork - a reduced duplicate of a table fork, they eat cold snacks with it;
• dessert fork - for pies, small, corresponds to the size of a dessert plate and looks atypical;
• a fruit fork equipped with two prongs, usually served with a fruit knife;
• the remaining forks are considered auxiliary, they are placed next to the dish that they need to eat.

Knives

• any second hot dishes are eaten with a table knife, it is placed to the right of the plate, the blade is turned to the plate;
• a fish knife is blunt and resembles a spatula, used to separate the flesh of the fish from the bones;
• the snack knife is small and has teeth;
• dessert and fruit knife look similar - they are the smallest.

spoons

• a tablespoon - the largest, lies to the right of the plate;
• a dessert spoon is served with a dessert that does not require cutting - soft puddings, jellies and whipped cream;
• an ice cream spoon is served with a bowl;
• the cocktail spoon has a very narrow and long handle;
• a teaspoon can be served with any hot drink;
• coffee spoon - the smallest, served only with black coffee.

Dialogue and table manners

Table etiquette includes not only the use of utensils, proper positioning and good posture, but also the manner in which dialogues and conversations are conducted.

It is worth noting that table etiquette categorically prohibits discussing provocative issues that can lead to a serious conflict - therefore, one should refrain from commenting on money, politics and religion.

How to behave at the table and what to say? Be sure to look at the person who is addressing you, listen without interrupting, and only then answer. If you think some questions of the interlocutor are inappropriate for a meal, delicately offer to discuss this a little later. In all other cases, the answer should be easy and unconstrained.

The rules of etiquette in a restaurant do not imply violent disputes either - refrain from inappropriate comments and lighten the mood with a cute joke if someone else raises their voice.

You should not talk only together, involve the rest of the participants in the meal. For example, if the conversation turned to a recent vacation, you can ask one of the interlocutors if he is going to go on vacation in the near future or what places he prefers to relax.

It is also good form in any table conversation to praise the host, chef or initiator of the meeting - find a few kind words to note the general atmosphere of the evening.

A short course in etiquette

• Do what the majority does.
• Don't point out to others their mistakes, in the most extreme case, this can be said quietly in an undertone and only to your neighbor on the table.
• Don't skip meals for too long.
• Leaving the table - apologize.
• Try everything and eat what you like.
• Diet, eating disorders, restrictions on alcoholic beverages and diet are not discussed at the common table.

It is better to study some rules of behavior at the table by looking at the pictures - look at the basic table setting patterns, you can also watch the video on how to properly hold this or that device.

Table etiquette is not that difficult if you give it a little time, and following all the rules will help you present your best side.

Knowing the rules of table etiquette is extremely important. By the way a person behaves at the table, they judge the level of his upbringing and culture.

General rules of table etiquette

Table etiquette varies depending on the country, the purpose of the meeting (formal dinner or friendly gatherings), and the place chosen for the feast. However, there are general rules of conduct that must be observed in any situation. This will create a reputation for you as a well-mannered and worthy person.

These rules include the following:

• You can't talk with a full mouth.
• If some food is far away, you do not need to reach for it across the entire table. It is enough to ask a neighbor to pass it closer.
• You can not take your spoon from a common dish.
• If the device falls, do not climb under the table for it. Just ask to be replaced.
• While eating, it is not permissible to slurp, sneeze, blow your nose, etc.
• You can't put your elbows on the table.
• Food is imposed in small portions, eat calmly, without rushing.

Official reception, banquet

An official reception is not just a feast. Important issues are resolved here, people find future partners and employees. And how much a person knows and observes banquet etiquette depends on how the opinion of others will develop about him.

Here are some simple table etiquette rules to know and follow:

• You can't put your elbows on the table.
• When eating, do not lean towards the plate, but bring a spoon or fork to your mouth.
• Do not blow on hot food.
• Bread is broken off from a piece little by little. Do not dip a piece of bread in the sauce.
• Pasta, vermicelli, pudding, jelly, fish, meatballs are eaten with a fork.
• Before drinking food, you need to chew and wipe your lips with a napkin.
• Before pouring yourself a drink, they offer it to those sitting nearby.
• You should not leave the banquet before it is over. If there is a good reason, you can leave the feast in between speeches.
• Strangers should introduce themselves to each other.
• Clothing should be formal: for men, a tuxedo or a strict dark suit, for women - a classic dress.
• After eating, the fork and spoon are placed on the plate in parallel.
• At a formal reception or banquet, the discussion of business begins after the meal is over.

Holiday in a cafe, restaurant

If you are invited to a restaurant or cafe, be sure to repeat the rules of table etiquette. Surely, the owners will not want to call someone who does not know how to behave at the table another time.

Here are the basic rules everyone should know:

• You need to sit at the table straight, not leaning on the back of the chair and not hanging over the plate.
• A bag or briefcase is placed near a chair.
• You can start eating when the order has been brought to each guest.
• They do not blow on hot food, but wait until it cools down.
• It is not polite to talk on the phone at the table. If you need to answer an urgent call, you should apologize and leave.
• They put the cut from the common plate on their own.
• If the device is dropped on the floor, you need to ask the waiter to replace it.
• Comments about the quality of food or service are reported to the head waiter. It is rude to complain to the waiter during lunch.
• Naturally, you can not talk with a full mouth and slurp. It's not nice to talk on the phone at the table. Don't worry if you drop cutlery on the floor or accidentally break a glass.

Table etiquette at home

The rules of home dining etiquette are simpler. But this does not mean that you can do whatever you want at the table. Elementary rules of etiquette must be observed both at home and visiting friends and relatives.

• It is supposed to start eating after the signal of the owner of the house.
• You shouldn't talk with your mouth full.
• The younger ones take food after the older ones.
• It's not nice to put your spoon into a common plate.
• Bread is not cut with a knife or bitten, but small pieces are broken off and put in the mouth.
• Watching TV or reading a newspaper while eating is a bad habit.
• It's not nice to comment out loud about the quality of the food.
• You can’t use the toilet at the table (apply makeup, do manicures, etc.).

Rules for the behavior of children at the table

Teaching a child to table etiquette should begin at an early age. At first, it may look like a game. Subsequently, the acquired skills will be useful in adulthood.

The child should know that:

• At the table, you can not swing on a chair, play with food and appliances.
• You can’t reach across the entire table for the desired dish, but you need to ask to be handed over.
• You need to eat silently.
• Do not play with toys or watch cartoons while eating.
• You need to put on a plate as much as you can eat (this applies to older children who put food on the plate themselves).
• You are not supposed to leave the table until after dinner. If the child needs to leave early, he should quietly ask permission from the elders.

Table setting, use of cutlery

A person unfamiliar with the rules of table setting may be horrified by the abundance of cutlery near the plate. It is not surprising to get a little confused when remembering the purpose of each fork and spoon. Proper use of cutlery and a beautiful, aesthetic meal is a whole art. There is even a cutlery language! You can also get acquainted with wine and tea etiquette separately.

Studying the rules of table etiquette will help you understand this science and not get into trouble. You need to know the rules for using a napkin: a cloth napkin is placed on your knees, you should not tie it around your neck. After the end of the feast, the napkin should be placed on the edge of the table near your plate.

The main advice in case of imperfect knowledge of table etiquette is to remain calm and relaxed.

Table conversation and manners

First, you need to know the list of topics that cannot be touched at the table. So it is unacceptable to discuss: diseases, anatomy, intimate matters, income, troubles at work, religion and politics.

In addition, there are general rules for table conversation:

• At the common table they talk about what is interesting and understandable to everyone present.
• It is impossible to speak only with a limited circle of people, ignoring the rest.
• You should not talk too long, you should give the floor to others.
• It is not customary to ask the interlocutor about the age and position in society.
• At large dinners, the hostess starts the conversation, and the guests follow the proposed topic.

According to modern table etiquette, excessive mannerism looks pretentious and inappropriate, for example, a protruding little finger. A benevolent attitude towards waiters also speaks about your culture of behavior.

Features in different countries

In most European countries, French or English etiquette is common. But a number of countries have their own customs, sometimes very unusual for foreigners.

Japan

Here, slurping at the table is not only possible, but necessary. After all, this is how guests show that they really like the food. But sticks stuck in food will cause horror in others. After all, they only do this at funerals. Another feature of Japanese etiquette is that soup is drunk from a bowl over the edge.

Germany

The Germans will never come to someone else's house without a gift. And belching at the table is considered the norm. The saying “What is natural is not ugly” is just about them.

Korea

If you are at lunch with Koreans, watch the pace of food intake. Finishing the meal before everyone else means showing the hosts that you were offered too small a portion.
Also in this country, subordination is strictly observed: the elders by age or by position in society are the first to sit down.

Italy

To ask for salt in an Italian house means to inflict a terrible offense on the owners. Italians are lovers of long gatherings. So, if you are going to visit, expect to spend about 5 hours there.

Spain

Here at the table there is a relaxed atmosphere. You can be late for dinner, put whatever you want on a plate, be active and noisy.

Knowledge of table etiquette will help not to drop yourself in the eyes of others and give the impression of a well-mannered and cultured person. And also not to be in an awkward situation.

Etiquette at the table

General table manners

General rules of conduct or table etiquette are the minimum that every cultured person should know.

Sitting at the table, you should only rest your wrist on its edge. Women are allowed to lean on the table with their elbow for a short period of time.

You can’t roll bread balls, play with cutlery, a glass, roll the edge of the tablecloth into a tube, stretch your legs to the full length under the table and perform other similar actions.

In the process of eating, you should not spread your elbows and bow your head low over a plate. The head is only slightly tilted and a fork or spoon is brought to this height. Blowing on hot food and drinks, "champing", sipping are not welcome.

If you wash down food with any drink, then first swallow what is in your mouth. And before that, it is advisable to wipe your lips with a napkin to avoid traces of greasy stains on the glass.

It is unethical to top up from a bottle only for yourself. Taking a bottle or a decanter, they first offer it to a neighbor on the table.

Cocktails are drunk in small sips, taking breaks.

Vodka from a small glass is drunk immediately.

Wine, like cocktails, is consumed in small sips from a glass.

Cognac is also drunk in small sips, with a break.

Champagne is allowed either to drink immediately or little by little.

Compotes are usually poured into compote cups. They are not drunk, but eaten with a spoon along with the liquid. If there is cherry or sweet cherry in the compote, then the bones should be carefully spit out into a spoon, and then put on a saucer. In no case should you drink compote from a cup, then eat fruit, the remains of which are put back into the cup - this is a very bad form.

In no case should you sit at the table with a cigarette.

Women's lips painted with lipstick should be wiped with paper, not linen napkins.

Sitting at the table, bread is not cut with a knife, but small pieces are broken off; also do not dip the bread in the sauce.

The use of a knife in the process of eating pasta, vermicelli, noodles, fish, saltwort, omelettes, puddings, jelly and vegetables is excluded. In this case, only a fork is used.

If there is no spoon in the salt shaker, they pick up salt with the tip of their knife, but at the same time clearing it of foreign contaminants.

It is permissible to cut pancakes or pancakes, chopped schnitzel, vegetable cutlets, dumplings with a knife. Alternatively, you can use only a fork.

Small pieces of bread can be buttered from your own plate.

It is allowed to spread a piece of bread with butter and bite off the resulting sandwich, and not cut it off with a knife. At the same time, oil is taken a little from the butter dish on the edge of the plate. Bread spread with butter is not cut with a knife.

A sandwich with ham or cheese is eaten from a plate using a knife and fork.

Sandwiches "buffet", as a rule, are eaten without cutlery. Sometimes such a sandwich turns out to be a whole pyramid, and, of course, it falls apart in the hands, does not fit in the mouth. Such a sandwich should be put on a plate and use a knife and fork. If there are no utensils at hand, use paper napkins.

The sausage casing is separated with a knife and fork on a plate. Dry sausage is eaten with the skin on. Thin-skinned sausages can also be left unpeeled.

It is customary to eat meat with vegetables without letting go of the knife and fork.

A snack (for example, if it is ham) is not put on bread. Ham is eaten with a knife and fork.

For peas, use a fork; at the same time, it is worth remembering that it is not pricked, but recruited on it, like on a shoulder blade.

Scrambled eggs can be eaten with a spoon or fork, depending on the consistency.

A soft-boiled egg is inserted into a special glass, then the edge of the spoon is hit close to the top and removed. If the top does not bounce, then it can be removed with your fingers. The egg is eaten with a spoon.

Chicken in the broth is both the first and second, so the broth is eaten first with a spoon, and then the chicken pieces with a fork and knife.

When eating a pate, separate a piece with a fork. You can spread it on bread only in the family circle.

Soup is eaten without tilting the plate. Just a small amount remains at the bottom. Neither during the meal, nor after it, a spoonful of soup is laid out on the table, but left in a plate.

Broths, soups served in cups are drunk without using a spoon. A spoon is used when they want to get croutons, an egg, pieces of meat from the soup. But if the soup is served in a cup with two ears, then a spoon is used.

Fish, both cold and hot, does not allow a knife. There are special devices for fish. Different types of fish should be consumed accordingly and in different ways. For example, smoked and pickled fish species are quite hard, so it is better to cut them with a knife. If the fish is fried or stewed, a special device is used to separate the fish flesh from the bones. You can use two forks or a special spatula knife, which should be held in the right hand, and the fork in the left. Hold a piece with a fork, separate the bones with a spatula. If two forks are served, then the right one is used to separate the bones, while the left one is sent pieces of fish into the mouth. In extreme cases, if you have only one fork at your disposal, they take it in the right hand, in the left - a piece of bread, which serves to hold a piece of fish, and a fork for separating bones, with its help they bring a piece to the mouth. The fish bone is not spit out of the mouth, but is imperceptibly placed on the fork with the tip of the tongue. If there is a whole fish on your plate, then first the upper part of the fillet is separated from the skeleton, eaten, then the spine and bones are separated, set aside, then the second part is eaten.

Crayfish, crabs, shellfish or lobsters are perfectly acceptable to eat with your hands. If the above dishes are prepared in such a way that they require utensils for their use, then they will be served to you specially - tongs, a lobster fork or a crayfish knife. For example, if you ordered a crab and served it without a shell, that is, with the help of a special fork and knife, it will not be difficult, otherwise you will not need the utensils - it will be more convenient with your hands and will not cause embarrassment to others. In this case, you just have to know how to do it right. In order to clean the crab, you need to firmly hold its head with one hand, and bend the end of the tail with the other. From this, the thin shell of the crab will burst in the middle, after which it can be easily removed and the meat can be eaten without problems.

Crayfish are usually served as a whole on the table. To separate the tail, you need to tilt it slightly to the side, slightly rotating. For the use of all kinds of mollusks, special devices are not required. In extreme cases, you can use a regular fork to remove meat from the shells.

Oysters in restaurants are served already open, and sometimes even separated from the shell, then their use is not particularly difficult. If oysters are served uncut, then there is a special fork for them. With this fork, the meat is easily separated from the shell.

Most restaurants serve lobster ready to eat, all you need is a lobster fork to get the meat out of the claws. You can do without a fork - just suck the meat out of the shell.

For a snack, as a rule, they serve half of the tail of the lobster; ordinary cutlery is suitable for its use. With a fork, you need to remove the meat from half of the shell, and then use it in the usual way, using a knife and fork.

Do not worry about the cleanliness of your hands, after the end of the meal, the waiter will definitely give you a bowl of water in which you can wash your hands, and the specific smell will destroy a piece of lemon floating in the water.

Artichokes are also one of the dishes that is more convenient to eat with your hands. Artichoke leaves are torn off with your fingers, then dipped in the sauce prepared for this and sucked out. The only rule of good manners, which should not be forgotten in this case, is to suck out the pulp, if possible, silently. The hard parts of the artichoke leaves are carefully placed on a waste plate. When you get to the stalk, which should already be eaten with the help of the device, first wash your hands in a bowl of water specially served for this purpose, and then use the fork and knife to eat the stalk.

Green salad is not customary to cut with a knife; if the leaves are too large, then cut them with a fork or carefully wrap the leaves around it.

The bird is eaten with a knife and fork. At the same time, it is not necessary to clean all the bones; a little meat should remain on them.

If the potatoes are served whole, they should not be crushed on a plate.

Spaghetti is eaten with a fork and spoon. The spoon is held in the left hand. The edge of the spoon is lowered into the plate, spaghetti is wrapped around the fork in the recess of the spoon. Wrap a little pasta on a fork, separate this portion from the rest with a spoon.

Chopped cutlets or meatballs are not cut with a knife, but they are eaten, separating small pieces with a fork, and in this case it is quite acceptable to hold the fork in the right hand.

An exception, perhaps, may be such a dish as “Kiev cutlets”. The peculiarity of this dish is that there is butter inside the cutlet, and the cutlet itself is covered with a fairly hard crust of breadcrumbs. To prevent oil from splashing in your face or on your clothes, you need to carefully pierce the cutlet crust with a fork, and cut off a small piece with a knife in your right hand.

Sweet dough is eaten with special forks. If there are none, then you can use a spoon.

Dry cakes, gingerbread, gingerbread can be taken with your hands.

Drying and crackers can be dipped in tea or milk, only being in the family circle.

If you are offered apples or pears at some reception, you should know that it is customary to eat them using a knife and fork. First, the fruit is divided into four parts, then each quarter is put on a fork and, in turn, peeled with a knife, which must be very sharp. Each peeled piece is eaten from the plate with a knife and fork.

It is permissible to peel the fruit in the hand, but they should be eaten on a plate with a knife and fork.

The peach is cut on a plate, the pit is removed, then the skin is removed using a knife and fork, and with their help they are eaten, cut into pieces.

Bananas are peeled and eaten with a knife and fork, cut into slices.

In an orange, the peel is cut crosswise, removed and divided into slices.

Oranges and tangerines are not peeled in a spiral.

Grapes are usually eaten whole.

Plums are broken with fingers, the bones are placed on a plate.

Melon is eaten only with a spoon, a knife is not used.

A piece of watermelon should be put on a plate, cut off a piece with a knife and, freeing it from seeds, send it to the mouth on a fork.

After eating, the knife and fork are folded in a plate parallel to each other, handles to the right side. When it is assumed that the same appliances will be used when taking the next dish, they are placed on the table.

Eating is not just satisfying hunger, it is an action in which everything is painted, everything proceeds according to its own aesthetic laws. To break them is to spoil the appetite of others and show oneself in the most unfavorable light.

At first glance, it may seem strange, but it is the ability to properly hold a spoon and fork, to eat aesthetically and beautifully, that can bring considerable benefits in social life, when solving business issues. Conversely, the inability to behave at the table can adversely affect a person's business career.

Family dinners

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are held, if possible, at strictly fixed times. If you can’t have breakfast or lunch with the whole family because of the work of your parents, then by dinner time you need to make an effort so that all family members gather at the table.

The same can be said about Sundays. For children, joint dinners, if they are also beautifully furnished, are always a holiday. In turn, parents have the opportunity not only to communicate with children, but also unobtrusively teach them another lesson in behavior at the table, teaching them the rules of decency and good manners by their own example.

How to behave over morning tea or coffee

Children should sit down at the table cleanly and neatly dressed, washed and carefully combed. Naturally, this can be achieved only if the parents themselves strictly observe these rules. This is not so difficult to achieve, the children will already feel the solemnity of the situation by the appearance of those around them. An ordinary breakfast will turn into a small holiday for them.

During breakfast, parents should immediately stop squabbling between children, teasing, and other manifestations of noise.

It is better to give bread to small ones so that there are no disputes between them. It is important to do this for several reasons. Firstly, a quarrel at the table spoils the whole breakfast atmosphere. Secondly, it grossly contradicts the norms of upbringing, etiquette. Thirdly, the dispute started in the morning very often continues in one form or another between children after breakfast, determining the nature of the whole day. You can name other reasons, but one of the three already listed is enough.

It is considered bad form to blow on tea so that it cools down, as well as drinking it from a saucer. Therefore, tea, coffee or milk should be served at a temperature that does not require refrigeration.

When stirring sugar in a glass or cup with a spoon, do it silently, do not rattle the spoon against the glass.

It is not permissible to soak crackers in a glass of boiling water, throw pieces of bread into it.

The necessary portion of oil is placed on a separate plate in front of each and from there it is spread on bread.

Drink tea or coffee without making noises that are unpleasant to your hearing.

Don't talk loudly at the table.

Chew food with your mouth closed.

Don't talk with your mouth full.

Sit straight at the table, do not lean on the back of the chair.

The lack of well-known etiquette skills acquired in childhood subsequently instills self-doubt in a young man or girl, fear of doing something wrong at a party at the table. As a result, the naturalness of behavior is lost, and the visitor (or host) loses a lot in the eyes of others.

Even at a table where the norms of behavior are significantly reduced and high rules of etiquette are not observed, a person who grabs the best pieces from all plates indiscriminately, chews food greedily makes an unpleasant impression on the others, causes ironic glances or ridicule from neighbors at the table.

It will be difficult for such a person to achieve great success at work. Inability to behave most often manifests itself in small things. One small oversight is usually overlooked, several are paid attention to; many small mistakes testify to bad education, inability to behave in society with all the ensuing consequences.

How to behave at the dinner table

A person who is not familiar with the norms of etiquette and who has entered a decent society for the first time will have to endure many unpleasant minutes and condescending smiles during the entire dinner.

Really, how to behave? What to do with a napkin? How to take this or that food from the dish? How to use a knife and fork and what to do if there is not one but several forks? In order not to lose face, he carefully looks at the actions of his neighbors and repeats them.

At the same time, he has to answer numerous questions, engage his neighbors in conversation or take care of them by putting one or another dish on their plate. It is not easier for a girl either, although she can try to hide the flaws of her upbringing behind a mask of natural shyness.

Nevertheless, you will not envy both the young man and the girl at these moments. It seems to them that all the eyes of those around them are directed precisely at them, and often this is the case. From this, the hands become stiff, the stone lies on the heart.

The main thing, perhaps, in such cases is not to get confused, not to lose confidence and remain yourself. A person who has lost confidence makes one mistake after another, answers questions inappropriately, blushes, withdraws into himself, looks gloomy. And in the end, we can assume that an important exam in life has failed completely.

The hosts will think ten times before inviting such a guest to dinner again. And the young man himself is unlikely to dare to repeat the experienced horror. After such a failure, many, as they say, lose their face.

Therefore, it is important to remain yourself at the table, not to be ashamed of your mistakes, but also try not to show them. And at the same time try to show in all its brilliance those qualities, thanks to which you ended up in an unusual environment for yourself - among people who are more significant and more educated. Such captivating behavior of yours will smooth out all the roughness, your flaws will soon be forgotten.

And one more piece of advice: before an important visit, read a book about etiquette (at least this one); of course, you won’t remember everything at once, but you will have much less reasons to blush at the table.

How to properly use a knife and fork

The fork is held in the left hand, the knife in the right.

The knife and fork are held in your hands all the time while you are eating a dish that requires their simultaneous use. Putting them alternately on the table is unacceptable.

When cutting meat or other food, hold the fork in an inclined position, at an angle. With its perpendicular arrangement, the fork can slide along the plate, making an extremely unpleasant rattle. But this is not the worst. Much worse when the contents of the plate scatter in all directions. The tablecloth, their own clothes and the clothes of neighbors get dirty. Trouble, and what! If this happened, only one thing can be advised: after apologizing to the victims and the hostess, try to endure a small embarrassment in cold blood, with imperturbable calmness. Thus, you will avoid ridicule and ironic remarks.

The knife serves at the table for internal use only. Taking salt from a salt shaker with a knife or cutting bread is unacceptable. By the way, salt is taken only with a special spoon, and bread at the table is not cut, but broken. Cut it before and serve it on the table already sliced.

They cut with a knife - they don’t eat from it. This is not only unaesthetic, but also dangerous. You can not only hurt your tongue or lips, any careless movement of a neighbor can cause much more misfortune.

Fruits are served with special knives - not steel. Steel impairs the taste of fruits.

How to use a spoon

It is customary to hold the spoon with the first three fingers, with the big one at the top.

Do not take a lot of soup on a spoon - it will drain over the edge. Wrap yourself and the tablecloth.

The spoon also serves to cool the soup. They do not blow on it, but stir it with a spoon.

If it becomes necessary to tilt the plate to eat the remnants of the soup, then do it away from you. Accordingly, the nature of the movement of the spoon changes. If you tilt the plate towards you, then retrain. Otherwise, at a party, when everything has to be done in accordance with etiquette, your movements will lose their naturalness and ease.

In order to eat the first dish without making unaesthetic sounds, you need to bring the end of the spoon to your mouth, and not its side.

Proper use of a knife, fork and spoon is not a trifle, but an important part of etiquette. You can understand this only when you yourself learn how to use cutlery correctly and naturally, and when you see after that the inept, constrained actions of your neighbor on the table.

The fact is that the lack of skills in the proper use of these objects are immediately evident, instantly characterizing the degree of upbringing of a person.

Is it right to put the best piece to a child

The desire of a mother to put a better piece to her child is quite understandable and understandable. But this should be done in such a way that he does not have thoughts about his exclusivity. Any attempt to demand something should be nipped in the bud, you can only politely ask.

It is very important from childhood to teach children to be content with what they are given, and not to choose what is better and tastier on the table. For him, the thought should become a law: the mother gives what is needed, and it simply cannot be otherwise.

What conversations are appropriate at the family table

Only adults participate in the conversation at the family table. The younger ones sit quietly and listen silently.

The topic of conversation depends on the mood, education, interests of the speakers. It is only important not to forget that the conversation is conducted in the presence of children, who should not hear everything. Although this side of special concerns does not cause.

The topic of conversations between husband and wife, as a rule, is limited to family matters, discussion of current problems, upcoming purchases and expenses, and various kinds of incidents. It is even useful for children to listen to such conversations.

Aperitif

Aperitif (fr. aperitif) is a weak alcoholic drink that is consumed before meals to quench thirst and stimulate appetite. Olives, lemon slices, almonds and other nuts are often served as appetizers as appetizers. Soft drinks, juices and wine and vodka products are used as aperitifs. From soft drinks - mineral water, as well as carbonated, soda and plain chilled water. The best juices for an aperitif are: lemon, orange, grapefruit, pomegranate, tomato, birch, grape (from unsweetened grape varieties). The most common drink used as an aperitif is vermouth.

Aperitifs are divided into three groups: single, combined and mixed.

single called an aperitif, consisting of only one drink (for example, only one vermouth or one type of juice or mineral water is served).

Combined aperitif consists of several drinks served at the same time (for example, mineral water, juices and wine).

Mixed aperitifs consist of specially prepared mixtures of various drinks (for example, cocktails).

Before the start of the banquet, during the gathering of guests, it is customary to offer them an aperitif. Aperitifs are served on small trays covered with napkins.

At receptions, aperitifs are served by waiters. If you are talking with a lady, ask her what she wants to drink and serve her the appropriate drink, only then choose an aperitif for yourself. Offer also a snack (lemons, almonds) available on the tray. The empty glass should be placed on a specially designated table or on a table with cigarettes.

Often, receptions end with the serving of cocktails and aperitifs, and then coffee is offered to guests.

Banquet

Banquet (French banquet) - a solemn dinner party or dinner, arranged in honor of someone, something. Depending on the form of service, the following types of banquets are distinguished: a banquet at a table with full service, a banquet at a table with partial service, a buffet banquet, a combined banquet, a cocktail banquet, a tea banquet.

Banquet at the table with full service

This type of banquet is a celebration where participants sit at a beautifully set table, and waiters serve food and drinks. No snacks, meals or drinks are placed on the table.

The banquet is held on official visits of officials, foreign representatives and delegations, during international meetings and symposiums, conferences, exhibitions, etc.

Full service banquet table setting begins with the arrangement of tables and covering them with a tablecloth.

It should be remembered that a snow-white, well-ironed and properly spread tablecloth gives the table a special solemnity.

If banquet tables are made up of dining polished restaurant tables for 4-6 people, then they are first covered with cloth, which absorbs noise, absorbs moisture and gives stability to serving items. Then the table is served with small dinner plates at a distance of 0.8–1.0 m from each other. The plates are arranged starting from the center of the table, first on one side, then on the other, and make sure that the plates stand strictly one against the other. Snack bars are placed on small dinner plates, and pie plates are placed on the left at a distance of 10–15 cm.

Then cutlery is laid out at a distance of 0.5 cm to the right of the small table plate: a table knife, to the right of it 0.5 cm is a fish knife, then, if the menu has soup, a tablespoon or dessert spoon and a snack knife. On the left side of the small dinner plate put a dinner fork, then to the left of the fish and snack forks. Next, dessert (or fruit) knives, forks and spoons are laid out. Glasses, glasses, wine glasses are arranged in a certain order. Beautifully folded napkins are placed on snack plates. Devices with spices are installed in pairs, one device for two guests. Moreover, the devices are placed at the level of glass (crystal) dishes, between serving items of nearby guests. Banquet tables are decorated with flowers, national flags of the countries whose participants are at the table. Small cards indicating the surname, name, patronymic of the banquet participant are placed either next to the glass (to the left of it), or behind a small dinner plate and a fruit utensil.

Beautifully designed banquet menu blanks are placed behind a pie plate. The menu contains a list of all snacks, dishes, drinks, as well as the reason for the event. For foreign guests, there must be a translation of the names of dishes and drinks into their native language.

Ashtrays at an official banquet are put on the tables only at the time of serving coffee.

Banquet at the table with partial service

Banquet at the table with partial service - the most common type of banquet for friendly meetings, family celebrations, anniversaries and weddings. The placement of guests at the table, as a rule, is arbitrary, however, places for guests of honor and the organizer of the banquet are provided in the center of the table. The banquet table is served strictly according to the menu with dinner plates, cutlery, glass and crystal, napkins. In addition, cold dishes and snacks, drinks and vases of fruit, spices are placed on the table 30–40 minutes before the arrival of guests, and the table is decorated with flowers.

A banquet at a table with partial service lasts 1.5–2 hours (except for New Year's Eve and weddings, which last much longer).

The banquet menu usually includes a large assortment of cold dishes, snacks and various drinks. If a banquet at a table with partial service is held at lunchtime, then the first course is added to the menu - soup.

Usually, for every 3–3.5 m of table length, which corresponds to 4–5 people sitting at the table on each side, all cold dishes, snacks and drinks indicated on the menu are arranged. If the table is longer and the number of participants is greater, then for the next 3–3.5 m of the table, the number of dishes, snacks and drinks is repeated, etc.

Dishes and snacks in dishes on legs or with high sides (vases, salad bowls) are placed closer to the center of the table, and with low sides (dishes, trays) - closer to the serving items, while alternating snacks from fish, meat and poultry.

Dishes with dishes and snacks are arranged in one or two rows, depending on the width of the table, the number of snacks and the size of the dishes. Butter is placed next to caviar, sauces - next to the dishes they accompany. Vases with fruits and flowers are set along the axis of the table, and the distance between them (in the center) is used to arrange drinks. Bottles with drinks are labeled to the guests sitting at the table. Some of the bottles (especially corked ones) can be uncorked beforehand. Bottles closed with crown caps (water, beer, juices, kvass, etc.) are uncorked 5 minutes before inviting guests to the table. Like snacks, drinks are placed along the entire length of the table so that each guest can get any of them of their choice and pour into a glass.

After drinks, bread is laid out on patty plates for each guest (wheat and rye). Then, after a thorough check (preferably in the presence of the customer) of the readiness of the banquet table and attendants, all participants in the banquet are invited to the banquet hall to the table.

Banquet buffet

The name "banquet-buffet" comes from the French "a la buffet", which means "on a fork". The main cutlery during a meal is a snack fork.

A banquet buffet is usually organized in cases where a large number of guests need to be received in a relatively limited time (1–1.5 hours) (this can be an official reception, anniversary, family celebration or other festive event). Guests have a free choice of seats in the hall. Guests themselves choose dishes and drinks placed on the table, eat and drink, standing at the buffet table or near it. At any time, they can leave the banquet without waiting for it to end.

Banquet tables are set in the hall in the form of a rectangle or in the form of the letters “P”, “T” and “W”, but so that the distance between the tables and from the tables to the walls of the hall is sufficient (1.5 m) for the free movement of guests . Near the walls or in the corners of the hall there are small round or square tables covered with tablecloths, on which they put cigarettes, ashtrays, matches and flowers in tall vases, paper napkins.

The banquet-buffet menu consists mainly of snacks, the assortment of which is much wider than the menus of other banquets. Sometimes the buffet menu includes second hot dishes (for example, saddle of lamb, pig or Turkey, roasted whole, etc.), which are served as a hot appetizer. The meat is pre-cut into small slices, then the carcass is shaped again. This dish is eaten using a snack plate and snack utensils. All snacks are prepared (cut) in small portions so that it is convenient to eat them standing up with a single fork.

buffet table setting

Buffet tables are covered with banquet tablecloths so that their ends hang down equally from all sides of the table, at a distance of 5-10 cm from the floor. The corners of each tablecloth are turned inward from the end sides, the ends are fastened to the sides, forming a right angle.

There are two options for serving a buffet table: one-sided and two-sided. In the first option, the table is served only on one side, usually using it for guests of honor and the banquet organizer. The table is installed perpendicular to the main table at a distance of 1.0–1.5 m or one side to the wall. Bilateral serving is carried out from two sides of the table. The buffet table covered with a tablecloth is first served with glass (crystal): wine glasses, stacks, lafite, rhine and vodka glasses. As a rule, a piece of glass (crystal) is kept on auxiliary tables and exposed as needed.

Two-sided serving of the buffet table is the most appropriate. The arrangement of glass (crystal) in this case is carried out in one of the following ways: in two rows, in groups, in a herringbone pattern, in a snake.

Glass serving in two rows start with the arrangement of wine glasses. At the ends of the table, in its center, at a distance of 15–20 cm from the end, wine glasses of 9-11-17-21 pieces are placed in a triangle. With a table length of more than 7 m, wine glasses can also be placed in the middle in two symmetrical triangles of 7–9 pieces. The space between them (25–30 cm) serves to accommodate bottles of mineral and fruit waters.

The glasses are placed along the center of the table in two rows, the distance between which is 20–25 cm, and between the glasses - 1.5–2 cm. and larger (rhineway). The alternation of glasses in both rows should be the same. Therefore, at first they put one row of glasses, and the second is aligned along it.

Jugs with juices are placed at the ends of the table in front of wine glasses, so glasses for juices are placed in groups near the jugs.

Table setting with glass (crystal) in groups they start by arranging a group of wine glasses along the edges of the table, then at an angle of 30–45 degrees to the axis of the table they place groups of glasses (vodka, rhine wine, lafitte) parallel to each other at a distance of 50–60 cm between the groups. If the length of the table is more than 7 m, then an additional group of wine glasses is installed in the center of the table.

At serving snake wine glasses and glasses are placed along the entire table, while observing the general principle - higher glasses are placed in the center of the table, low glasses are closer to the edge.

At Serving crystal herringbone wine glasses of 4–6 pieces are placed along the longitudinal axis of the table at a distance of 60–80 cm in the center, then at an angle of 45 degrees on either side to the edge of the table, Rhine wine, lafitte and vodka glasses are placed in triangles of 3 pieces.

If the length of the table is more than 7 m, then up to its middle, the direction of the glasses at an angle of 45 degrees is done on one side of the table, and on the other half in the opposite direction.

Snack and dessert plates are required for serving a buffet table. The number of plates for a banquet is determined on the basis of: snack bars - 1-2 pieces, dessert - 1 plate for each guest.

Snack plates are placed on both sides along the table in stacks of 6-10 pieces at a distance of 2 cm from the edge of the table. The distance from the ends of the table and between the stacks of plates is 1.5–2 m. Dessert plates in stacks of 3–4 pieces are placed a little to the right in front of the snack bars, closer to the glasses. When arranging snack and dessert plates, it should be remembered that the emblems (monograms, stamps) on the plate must be strictly on the side opposite to the guest.

Then the buffet table is served with cutlery: snack knives and forks, fruit cutlery. To serve a banquet, the number of devices is determined based on one person: snack forks - 1.5–2 pcs.; snack knives - 0.5–1 pc.; dessert knives (fruit) - 0.3–0.5 pcs. There are two options for serving a buffet table with appetizers:

1st option: forks, according to the number of snack plates (6–8 pcs.), Are placed on the edge (point to the plate) to the left of each stack of plates, and snack knives (3–4 pcs.) To the right of the plates.

2nd option: snack forks are placed on the edge to the right of snack knives, with the tip to the plate. The most common in restaurants is the first option for serving a banquet-buffet. The number of fruit knives and forks is equal to the number of dessert plates (3–4 pieces). The distance between the edge of the plates and the first knife and fork should be 1.5–2 cm.

Pepper shakers and salt shakers (preferably open type) are placed directly on the table behind plates of bread. Spoons for spices are placed in each pepper and salt shaker with the handle to the right. Linen napkins folded in quarters and then folded in half behind each stack of snack plates.

Banquet cocktail

A cocktail banquet is organized when serving participants in international symposiums, conferences, congresses, meetings and other meetings. At a cocktail banquet, you can receive a large number of guests in a relatively small room. There is a business cocktail banquet lasting 40–50 minutes, which is organized at intervals (breaks) at meetings, congresses, symposiums, and a cocktail banquet for the purpose of rest lasting up to 1.5–2 hours, usually held at the end of meetings, sometimes in an open air.

Characteristic features of the cocktail banquet: all guests drink and eat while standing; banquet tables are not set up, in the hall near the walls or in the corners they put small tables on which they put cigarettes, matches, put vases with paper napkins, flowers; plates and cutlery are not served to each guest; guests use skewers instead of forks; waiters offer snacks and drinks to guests on trays; trays are placed on several utility tables to collect used dishes.

A bar counter is installed in the banquet hall.

The banquet-cocktail menu consists of small portions of appetizers: cold appetizers - sandwiches (canapés) with grained sturgeon and salmon caviar, salmon (chum salmon, salmon), sturgeon, ham, sausage, cheese, tartlets with pate, salad; from hot appetizers - sausages, kebab, meatballs, pieces of fish in dough, pieces of shish kebab; from dessert - ice cream, jelly, cream, fruits, nuts, etc.

From hot drinks they offer coffee, tea, from cold - juices, water (mineral and fruit), cocktails.

At the cocktail banquet, the following sequence is expected:

Aperitif followed by cold appetizers;

Hot snack;

Hot drinks (coffee, tea).

Banquet tea

Banquet tea is held in the afternoon, usually at 16-18 hours. The banquet lasts no more than two hours.

A round, oval or rectangular table and chairs (armchairs) are placed in the center of the banquet hall. Along the walls there are sofas, armchairs, and between them there are 1-2 small tables covered with colored tablecloths for flowers, cigarettes, ashtrays and matches.

The banquet-tea menu consists of flour confectionery (cakes, pastries, sweet pies, cookies), chocolates, chocolate, jam, honey, sugar, fruits, milk or cream, etc. The banquet menu sometimes includes 1-2 sweet dishes - jelly, mousse, cream, ice cream, etc.

Banquet tea looks much more solemn when tea is poured from a samovar. The samovar on a tray is placed on the edge of the tea table or separately on a side table covered with a tablecloth. To the left of the samovar there is a second tray, covered with a napkin, with tea cups, saucers and teaspoons. Teapots are placed on a tray in front of the samovar to the right.

On a tea table covered with a colored tablecloth, a dessert plate is placed opposite each guest seat, dessert knives and forks are laid out to the right and left of it, and if there is fruit on the menu, a fruit device (behind the dessert plate), then dessert knives are laid out to the right and left of the plate and forks.

On especially solemn occasions, champagne glasses are placed in front of the dessert plates. The tea table is not served with glasses, since it is not customary to serve either mineral or fruit water to the banquet. After that, linen napkins are laid out on dessert plates. Then, sweet dishes, various flour confectionery products are placed on the table (30–40 minutes before the start of the banquet). A sweet pie or cake is pre-cut into portions. All sweet dishes, except for wrapped sweets and fruits, are served with special devices for unfolding (shovels, forks, tongs, etc.). Rosettes are placed in stacks of 5-6 pieces at each vase with jam, honey or jam.

They follow a certain sequence of serving dishes and products: first they offer sweet dishes, then they serve tea with flour confectionery and the last - fruits, nuts, sweets.

A cup of tea should be brought to the guest with the right hand on the right and placed in front of him, to the right of the dessert knife, with the handle to the left of the guest.

When serving a sweet dish, instead of a dessert plate and cutlery, each guest is first placed with a pie plate covered with a carved paper napkin, with a dessert spoon (the handle is turned to the right of the guest). A bowl with a sweet dish is placed on a plate. The waiter then removes the used dishes, replacing them with a dessert plate and cutlery. Sweet dishes (except ice cream) can be placed on the table before the arrival of guests (10-15 minutes).

Coffee can be included in the tea banquet menu. In this case, coffee cups with saucers and coffee spoons are also placed on the tray with tea cups, and a coffee pot with hot coffee next to the teapots.

Combined banquet

A combo banquet usually consists of two to three banquets—for example, a buffet banquet and a full-service table banquet. For such a banquet, two adjacent halls are required. First, guests are invited to the first hall with a laid buffet table (tables), which offers cold snacks and drinks. Then, after 30-40 minutes, they are invited to another hall, prepared for a banquet at a table with full service. After guests take their places at the table, they are offered lunch or dinner (depending on the time of day). Service begins with hot appetizers. Then soup is served (if it is lunch), the second hot course, dessert and coffee (or tea).

Hot appetizers can be served at the buffet table, then the table service begins with hot dishes.

A combo banquet can also be arranged from a cocktail banquet and a full service table banquet.

A banquet is often organized at a full or partial service table, where coffee (and sometimes dessert) is served in another room. Coffee is served with chocolate, flour confectionery (cake, pastry), appropriate drinks and tobacco products.

Dishes

Hot dishes such as omelettes, pancakes, casseroles, etc. are eaten with a dessert fork held in the right hand. Fruit dumplings - with a knife and fork, cereals - with a dessert spoon. Cakes, pastries and other pastries are eaten with a pastry fork held in the right hand. For puddings, creams and jellies, coffee spoons are served on the table. Pies, buns stuffed with cream or jam are eaten by holding them in the hand.

In some countries (for example, in France, famous for its cuisine), cheese and fruit are usually served instead of sweets for dessert. Hard cheeses are cut with a knife and eaten with a dessert fork. Soft cheeses (such as processed cheese) are spread with a knife on bread and butter. Cheese served with syrup, fruit or yogurt is eaten with a coffee spoon.

It is customary to eat fruits with a device, fruits with small bones are eaten with hands. Bones or grains are not spit out directly on the plate, but are placed on it with a fork or spoon.

Apples and pears are cut with a knife into four parts, peeled and removed from the core. Then they are eaten by hand or with an appliance. They also eat peaches and apricots, you should not bite off the whole fruit.

Bananas can be eaten with a knife and fork, but are usually eaten by hand and peeled.

Garden and forest berries are eaten with a spoon.

The orange is taken in the left hand and the peel is cut along it to the pulp. Then it is cleaned and divided into slices, which are eaten with the hands.

Currants and grapes are plucked from the bunch with fingers. All fresh fruit must be thoroughly washed before serving.

After lunch it is desirable to offer and serve good, strong coffee. It should be remembered that a spoonful of coffee is only stirred, after which it is immediately placed on a saucer. Do not leave a spoon in the cup. Lump sugar is taken from the sugar bowl with special tweezers.

Wine

In the old days, no true gentleman could ignore such important characteristics as the place where the grapes from which the wine was made, the temperature of the wines and the order in which they were served to the table grew. He always had his own wine cellar and strictly monitored each bottle, trying to ensure ideal storage conditions. He was knowledgeable enough not to let his butler dust off a bottle of old Château Mouton Rothschild, or to forbid him to wrap it in a napkin, thus hiding the bottle's pedigree from interested guests. This was especially true for red wines. With such a gentleman, aged wines were kept in a horizontal position at the appropriate temperature and were never taken out of their cells until the very moment they were served.

The wine could be poured into beautiful transparent glass decanters (only very carefully; first loosen the cork, but in no case pull it out with a sharp movement), trying not to disturb the sediment that had gathered at the bottom. It was possible to pour wine directly from the bottle, placing it in a special wine basket, thanks to which the bottle was located almost horizontally and the sediment did not rise. The easiest way to deal with sediment in red wine is to put the bottles on the dining table a few hours before dinner so that all the sediment sinks to the bottom. Red table wines should “breathe” a little before drinking. Therefore, they must be opened an hour before lunch.

What are the wines

Table wines. These are wines that are served with various dishes during dinner. Red wines range from blood-red, thick burgundies (infinitely varied), thinner ruby ​​reds, sour-tart burgundies to shame-drenched rosés that are surprisingly light compared to all the others. Red wines are served at room temperature or slightly warmed. Rosé wines are always cool, so they are especially pleasant in hot weather. Of all the myriad varieties of red wines, although they mostly bear French names, of course, not all are truly Burgundy. They are called so only because of their color.

Dry red wines. These are wines with a low sugar content (red Chianti, Berber, etc.). They are best served with main courses, although recently sweet red wines and even some of the sweet sauternes have become increasingly popular as table wines. For people who know the true meaning of food and wine will tell you that sweet wine, served before or during dinner, interrupts the appetite, while dry wine is intended just to excite the appetite and set off the taste of food.

Dry white wines. It is considered quite acceptable to serve one type of dry white wine throughout the dinner, even with meat. But if you follow the rules, then during a formal dinner it is customary to serve sherry with soup, dry white wine (for example, Rhine wine or Chablis) with fish, chicken, brains, sweet bread, sea delicacies, and dry red or sparkling Burgundy with meat , duck, goose or game.

Breakfast with one sort of wine goes well if Alsatian, Moselle or white Chianti, Riesling, Traminer, white table wines are served.

Sweet red wines. Sweet red wines are served between courses and with dessert. These include, above all, port wine (which goes well with nuts and cheese), sweet sherry (which is so often underestimated), nutmeg and Madeira.

Sweet white wines. Sweet white wines include malaga, semi-dry champagne, Portuguese white port from Operto (little known but very refined), tokay, and an American dessert wine from California.

And, of course, there are a great many excellent home-made wines, which the owners will certainly want to introduce to their guests, who, of course, will enjoy demonstrating their culinary skills.

Wine selection. Wines are excellent, but they are terrible. The same can be said about imported wines, even those imported from countries with ancient winemaking traditions. Apparently, some kind of tasting should be arranged to decide which wines suit you best, based on your needs, taste and financial possibilities.

Staying always elegant is a real art. The ability to eat beautifully is useful to any modern person who likes to leave a favorable impression. Knowing the rules of behavior and table etiquette will help you gain confidence and look decent.

The situations may vary. Settings that apply in one company or culture are definitely not appropriate for other circumstances. In parallel, there are rules of conduct at a friendly table and clear instructions for business meetings over lunch. It is not enough to simply use a fork and knife, you need to control yourself in any situation. Etiquette at the aristocratic festive table is absolutely inapplicable on a hike or a roadside diner. It is important to see the situation, to feel the situation, to understand others.

Table etiquette changes in different cultures, circumstances, companies. Somewhere, the ability to flawlessly dispose of several dozen knives, spoons, forks or other utensils will not come in handy at all. What does not exist in table etiquette is blind obedience to each item - you need self-control and a clear understanding of your actions. A sense of proportion will tell you how to behave. The rules must be observed wisely: for etiquette, one does not need to have manners at the common table, which are characteristic of a prim lady of the royal court.

How to behave at the table in a formal setting

Table etiquette at official receptions is individual for different countries. General rules will help you enjoy food confidently and it is far from always necessary to be able to use a fork and knife. It is very important to show respect for the people around you. The basic rules of correct behavior at the table are necessary initially for the manifestation of one's attitude towards others.

For eating at the table for official meetings, the rules of etiquette provide for some formalities:

• Posture. A flat back allows you to look confident, palms are at a convenient distance for using a fork and knife. You can't lean on the table. It is possible for women to lean on one elbow for a short time. A man should not touch the edges of the table during the whole meal.
• Do not lean too far towards the plate and spread your elbows.
• No need to reach for your favorite dish across the entire table. You can politely ask for food to be handed over.
• Dishes at the table are passed from left to right.
• Eat at a leisurely pace, in small portions.
• It is not customary to blow on hot dishes. You can wait a bit for the food to cool down on its own.
• Eating should be done quietly so as not to spoil others.
• Before taking a sip of water or a drink, it is worth swallowing all the food and blotting your lips with a napkin so as not to stain the rim of the glass.
• Sitting down at the table with a cigarette means demonstrating your disrespect for others.
• It's not nice to tilt the soup bowl, you can just leave some liquid at the bottom. After eating, put the spoon on the plate.
• If you need to move away from the table, you should inform those present about it.
• Etiquette for modern rules of conduct suggests the need to show respect at the table to the hosts of the evening. Their home-cooked specialties are a must-try. You should start eating only after the owners.
• Don't pick at your plate, put aside the best bits, or show that you don't like the food.
• It is ugly to share a glass with a neighbor, to take food from his plate even with a close acquaintance.

Cutlery and napkins

Table etiquette provides for some. There are two ways to handle a knife and fork: classical And American. According to the first, the knife and fork should be held in the hands until the dish is eaten. In the American way, it is allowed to put an unnecessary knife on a plate.

Used utensils should not be placed on the table so as not to stain the tablecloth. They should be left on the plate. The crossed fork and knife signal to the waiter that the guest has not finished with the dish yet. To change the plate, you need to put the devices in parallel.

The fork and knife should be used silently, avoiding grinding. It is ugly when pieces of food or splashes fly around. Chicken Kiev or other "dangerous" dishes should be carefully pierced with a fork so that the juice flows out. It is unacceptable to eat with a knife. It is intended only for cutting the dish.

Cutlery is common and individual. Shared utensils are designed to put dishes on a plate, and are located to the right of the dish in which the food was served. The spoon is designed to scoop up food, and the fork to support the selected piece of food. After use, they are left in a common plate for the next guest.

Table etiquette provides some rules for using napkins:

• The linen napkin should be on your knees. It should be deployed silently.
• You should not put a napkin on the table, tie it around your neck and generally place it somewhere above your knees.
• After eating or before each sip from the glass, wipe oily lips.
• Ladies with painted lips should use disposable paper napkins.
• If you need to go out, leave the napkin on the chair. After the end of the evening, it should be put on the edge of the table next to your plate.
• It is unacceptable to wipe the served cutlery with a napkin. This is a hint of the uncleanliness of the owners.

Table conversations and manners

The rules of conduct at the table involve communication between the participants in the meal. Do not hide from guests, it looks impolite. Good manners according to the rules of etiquette is, first of all, an attempt by your presence to create a calm environment for eating. It is worth being attentive to the neighbors. You need to make sure that the people sitting next to you do not need to convey anything and do not forget to keep the conversation going.

The culture of behavior at the table implies a certain etiquette of communication during meals. Difficult conversations, quarrels, showdown should be postponed for another occasion. When eating at a common table, you must follow the correct rules of conduct. The conversation should be relaxed, easy, showing respect for the participants.

• It is unacceptable to read a book, get a phone or tablet at the table. Painting is also not recommended.
• If children participate in the meal, it is necessary to explain to them how to behave at the table, and what etiquette is. The younger members of the meal should only speak if asked. It is impossible to interfere in the conversation of adults, be capricious, play with food. It is unacceptable for children to be present when discussing topics that are not intended for them. It is worth remembering the little participants in the feast when talking about personal relationships, emotional conversations.
• A good tone at a dinner party or dinner implies certain rules of etiquette when talking. It is necessary to look directly into the eyes when talking. Looking away is impolite.
• The protruding little finger is no longer very consistent with modern etiquette and is a sign of affectation. This is a relic of those times when it was considered aesthetic to take food with the index, middle and thumb, setting aside the rest.
• Separately, it can be said about the attitude towards the waiters. A truly cultured person can be seen in communication with the staff. Petty nit-picking, raising your voice, and even more so scandals with waiters, speak of a guest's poor upbringing. If a dirty appliance or an insufficiently hot dish is served, you can report this in a calm tone without dropping your dignity.
• After the meal is over, praise the chef. If you don't like the food, you can always find something positive.

The drinks

Etiquette at the table is also important in consumption. The glass should be held by the leg with your fingers so as not to stain the shiny walls with greasy fingers. So you can enjoy the taste of the drink without changing its temperature. Wine glass must be filled to half. These are not only the rules of table etiquette - empty space allows you to fully enjoy the aroma of grapes. At receptions, drinks are served on trays by waiters. The glass is held in the hands until it is empty. To get rid of empty dishes, you can use a special table.

A cup of coffee should be held by the handle with two fingers. This will help you avoid getting burned by the hot drink. At the tea table, it is also worth remembering what cultural behavior and table etiquette are. You can’t blow on a hot drink, you need to drink silently. It is worth stirring the tea without touching the edge of the cup with a spoon, so as not to make unnecessary sounds. If the drink spilled on the saucer, you must ask the waiter to replace the dishes.

The peculiarity of table etiquette when drinking alcohol is in its obligatory attention to the interlocutors. Topping up a drink in a glass only for yourself is a bad form. You must first ask the neighbors if they need more or another alcohol.

Additional rules of etiquette

• Smoking at the table is allowed only in the absence of children and objections from the rest of the participants in the meal. Do not smoke before meals or while neighbors are eating. This makes it difficult to enjoy the flavor of the dish. You need to wait until the end of lunch or dinner.
• Refusal of a dish (diet, allergies or the presence of certain beliefs) is possible with a polite explanation of the reason.
• Food between the teeth can cause some discomfort. It should be removed away from prying eyes. You should apologize and go to the toilet.
• Lipstick on glasses, cutlery is a bad taste. Before eating, wipe your lips with a paper towel.
• Handbags, briefcases, umbrellas on the table can not be folded. If possible, they should be hung on the back of a chair or placed next to you on the floor.