How to sit properly at the dinner table. Etiquette at the table for children and adults: eating, table setting and rules of conduct

Rules of conduct at the table:

1. Start eating after the inviting colleague or the main person, the mistress of the house, has done it.

2. Do not swing utensils, spread or rest your elbows on the table while eating. You can put your elbows on the table if the music sounds loud and you need the interlocutor to hear you.

3. Do not wave the napkin, but place it on your knees with the fold towards you. Do not tuck the napkin behind the collar, or between the buttons of a shirt, or in the waistband of trousers. Never use a tissue as a handkerchief. If you leave the table, put a napkin on a chair; when finished eating - on the table, to the left of the appliances.

4. Do not fall apart in a chair, sit straight, keep your elbows longer from the table, if you don’t know where to put your hands, put them on your knees.

5. Chew with your mouth closed, do not talk while chewing.

6. Do not put too much food, chew food thoroughly.

7. Don't spit anything into your palm.

8. The plate to the left of the main one is for bread, the butter must first be put on the bread plate, and not directly from the common one to your piece.

9. Break off bread and buns. Nothing can be dropped anywhere. No need to smear the sauce from the plate with bread.

10. Do not take anything with your hands except bread.

11. Do not blow on hot food or drinks, do not sip. Drink hot food quickly with water. If there is no water, quickly and discreetly remove the hot piece from your mouth with your fingers or spit it on a fork, then place it on the edge of your plate.

12. If you come across poor-quality food, do not swallow, but remove it from your mouth quickly and imperceptibly. Don't spit into a tissue.

13. When finished eating, do not move the plate away from you, just place the cutlery parallel to the plate, the fork with the teeth down, the knife with the convex side to the fork, and the napkin to the left of the plate, without straightening. It is allowed to put a fork and a knife crosswise on a plate.

14. Put the briefcase on the floor, hang the bag on the back of a chair, to your left. Never put papers on the table, keep them in your hands.

15. While eating, do not look at partners for a long time or at close range.

16. Even if the meal takes place in the part of the restaurant where smoking is allowed, it is better to refrain from smoking. If you can, be sure to wait until everything is finished. Never use the saucer as an ashtray.

17. If you spilled something on yourself or on the tablecloth, do not dramatize the situation. You don't have to jump off the table. Put a napkin on the flooded place of the table, blot your clothes with a napkin too. You can ask the waiter to bring more napkins.

18. If you doused your neighbor, you need to quietly apologize and offer to pay for the cleaning. No need to try to wipe your neighbor or neighbor with anything, just offer your napkin.

19. If you drop solid food, you should use a spoon or the tip of your knife to pick up a piece from the tablecloth.

20. If someone leaves the table - do not ask - "where?" If you go out on your own, apologize.

21. Control appliances with your fingers, not your hand. Eat at an average pace. The art is to start and end with everyone together.

22. Butter only the piece of bread that you put in your mouth.

23. Avoid looking around at those sitting at neighboring tables, develop peripheral vision.

24. At the table it is not customary to talk about health, good or bad. If you need to take a pill - take it, no need to explain why and why.

25. Come to the feast at exactly the appointed time. A man should seat a woman, respectively pushing and moving a chair, sit to the LEFT of her, and if the table is small - on the contrary.

26. The biggest miss is picking your teeth with a fork and eating from a knife.

27. How to sit at the table correctly

The correct posture that should be taken at the table means that you need to sit straight, not hunched over, but not as if you “swallowed an arshin”, but slightly leaning back in your chair. Hands, when they are not busy with a knife and fork, can be lowered to your knees - this will help get rid of the bad habit of rolling bread balls, drawing on the tablecloth with a knife, aimlessly moving plates and appliances around the table. Well, if you are such a fidget, you can put brushes on the edge of the table, but not your elbows - this way you will feel less constrained. Try to keep your hands away from your face, and don't twist or touch your hair.

Although we hear from childhood “they don’t put their elbows on the table,” there are times when this is not only acceptable, but simply necessary. For example, in a restaurant, loud music sounds, drowning out your words, and in order for the interlocutor to hear you, you have to move towards him with your whole body. This movement - especially when it comes to a woman - will look much more graceful if you lean your elbows on the table, and not your palms on your knees, as if you suddenly felt great pain. But at home, where there is no need to lean towards the interlocutor in order to say something loudly to him across the table, one should not lean on the table. At a formal dinner, as in a restaurant, you can put your elbows on the table, leaning forward to talk to the person sitting opposite. However, even in these special situations, the elbows are never placed on the table while eating.

A person slouching and lounging in a chair, or swaying on it, looks very ugly - the latter is not only considered a flagrant violation of the rules of good manners, but also poses a serious threat to the legs of the chair.

28. Napkin

Under normal circumstances, when you sit down at the table, you unfold the napkin and place it on your lap, but at a formal dinner, it is customary to wait until the hostess does it first. There is no special wisdom in how to unfold the napkin - you just don’t need to do it with a sharp movement. Taking a napkin from the table, you carefully place it on your lap. If the size of the napkin allows, you can even somehow secure it so that it does not slip to the floor. If not, just unfold it as far as you see fit with both hands.

In no case should a man tuck a napkin behind his collar, or between the buttons of his shirt, or behind the belt of his trousers.

When using a napkin, do not wipe your mouth with it, but slightly blot your lips - it looks much more attractive.

If you have already finished eating or need to get up from the table, place the napkin to your left, and when the plates are cleared, in front of you. It should not be folded again or crumple - let it lie freely, while not taking up too much space. At a dinner party, the hostess, as a sign that the meal is over, puts her napkin on the table, and the guests do the same, but only after the hostess, and not before.

If it is customary in the family to use napkin rings, the napkin should be refolded and threaded through the ring for one or two more uses.

29. When you serve yourself and when you are served

When shifting food onto your plate, you need to be careful and hold the spreading spoon or fork so as not to drop what you are taking on the tablecloth, on the floor, on yourself or on a neighbor.

All dishes served on pieces of toasted bread (toast), except for fried pigeons and quails - mushrooms, asparagus, "sweet meat" - should be taken from the tray along with them, because, firstly, it is easier to transfer everything to your plate , and secondly, a pile of soft toast on a tray is an unattractive sight. And therefore, the toast with everything that is on it is picked up from below with a spoon, held on top with a fork and transferred to your plate, on the edge of which you can then put the bread if you do not want to eat it. When food is taken only with a spoon, you should be especially careful and careful.

Gravy or sauce is poured over meat, potatoes, or rice, while pickles, seasonings, or jelly are placed next to the main course. Olives, radishes, nuts are placed on a snack plate, if there is one, and if not, then on the edge of your plate.

When passing your plate for a bite, leave your fork and knife on it, making sure they don't slip off.

The host arranges the food on plates and passes them to the guests in a counter-clockwise direction: everyone who sits on the right takes a plate from his neighbor on the left and sends it further. If a lady sits to the right of the owner, she leaves the plate for herself, but passes the next one to the guest at the very end of the table. The third goes to the last one on the right, the fourth goes to his neighbor on the left, and so on. When all the guests sitting on the right hand of the owner are served, the plates begin to be passed to those sitting on the left side. Lastly, the owner puts food for himself. When the food is laid out by the hostess, who takes a place at the opposite end of the table, she follows the same order.

The “family style” of the dinner assumes that the host or hostess lays out only meat or another main dish, and trays with the rest of the dishes are thrown around so that everyone can put as much as they want. The trays are also passed counterclockwise. The man does not care for his neighbor on the right, but puts his portion on his plate. He, however, can hold the dish until the lady puts herself food. If a guest sitting at the far end of the table asks for more, and the dish “on the way” is with you, you have the right to say: “Do you mind if I put a little first for myself so that I don’t pass this dish back later?”. In the event that only one serving remains on the dish, this, of course, should not be done.

At family dinners, when the mother knows who likes what and how much she can eat, she puts the food on plates in the kitchen and brings the filled plates to the table herself or with the help of one of the children. This is not allowed in the presence of guests - guests are given the right to choose and serve their own food. Exceptions here are possible only for specially prepared and served dishes like "Benedictine eggs", which must be "put together" in the kitchen.

The maid, serving food to the guests, holds out the dish on the left. If the food is not to your liking, just say, "No, thanks."

30. How to refuse the proposed dish

If you are offered a dish that you are allergic to or that you particularly dislike, you can politely decline: “No, thank you.” However, the rules of good manners recommend taking at least a small piece from each dish and placing what you have not touched on a plate so that it is not noticeable. The old rule of not leaving anything on the plate is outdated today, but the hostess will no doubt be upset if she sees that you put yourself a large portion and did not even touch it, not to mention that it would be simply wasteful. It is not necessary to explain why you refuse food, but if the reason lies in the fact that you have an allergy, or you are on a diet, or the doctor does not recommend it to you, you can, sparing the pride of the hostess, quietly, without attracting the attention of other guests, explain to her , what's the matter.

When refusing a dish offered by a waiter, quietly say "No, thanks" or simply shake your head - this form of refusal is now more common.

At lunch "a la buffet", when there are several dishes to choose from, you can just take what you like best. If the waiters at such a dinner are at the table with appetizers, you only have to point to the dish you like by stretching your plate forward, or say “No thanks” with a smile if they are going to put you not what you wanted.

31. Cutlery

You should never think about what kind of fork and knife to eat this or that dish. Everything is very simple: they start with the cutlery located farthest from the plate, and with each change of dishes they take those knives and forks that are closest to it. This question comes up again and again, and the answer is always the same. There is, however, one exception - in the event that the table is set incorrectly and the order of the cutlery is confused, take a fork and knife that are suitable for the dish you are going to eat. For example, an oyster fork lies closer to the plate than a regular fork, but this does not mean at all that you should use a regular shrimp cocktail fork and eat the main course with a small oyster fork. In all other cases, the order remains the same: start with the farthest device and, proceeding to each next dish, take the fork and knife that are closer to the plate.

When you have finished eating the main course, place the fork and knife on the plate in parallel - so that their handles protrude slightly from the edge of the plate, diagonally from left to right and from top to bottom. It is also customary to put a dessert spoon and fork. When the dessert is served in a vase with a high leg or in a deep vase on a separate plate, the spoon is placed on this plate. If the vase is small and wide, the spoon can be left in it or placed on a plate.

How to use a knife and fork

How to properly handle a knife and fork is best shown through illustrations. By carefully examining the drawings, you will understand how best to use cutlery to cut a bird, and how to bring food to your mouth more conveniently and gracefully.

In America, it is customary to eat "zigzag": the fork is shifted from the left hand to the right after a piece of meat or poultry is cut off. This manner is quite correct, but, in my opinion, too complicated, and loses compared to the "European" style, when the knife remains in the right hand and the fork in the left, since this is both simpler and more elegant. Although some people think that it is snobbish to perceive a "foreign" manner, I do not see anything wrong with adopting a more practical custom.

32. How to help yourself with food

Bread crust is the best way to help with eating. A knife is also suitable for this purpose - provided that you use it correctly. The knife should be held in the left hand in the same position in which you hold it in the right when cutting food, and put the pieces on the fork with its tip. This movement is natural, and therefore quite acceptable.

33. Getting out of predicaments at the table

- Food that is too hot or of poor quality

If, after putting food in your mouth, you feel that it is too hot, drink it down quickly with water. Only when there are no drinks, you can get rid of the sky-burning piece by quickly and imperceptibly pulling it out of your mouth with your fingers or spitting it on a fork, and then placing it on the edge of the plate. The same should be done with spoiled food. If the taste of an oyster or some other shellfish seemed suspicious to you, do not swallow them, but remove them from your mouth - quickly and as imperceptibly as possible. However, spitting something into the corner of a napkin is unnecessary and unacceptable.

- When you choke on meat or bone

Although each of us has heard that a piece of food that got “in the wrong throat” led to someone's death, in fact, most often the situation of a choked person is far from being so tragic. If a sip of water doesn't help, try coughing with a tissue over your mouth. Remove the stuck piece of food or fish bone from your mouth with your fingers and place it on the edge of your plate. If you feel like you need to induce a longer coughing fit, excuse yourself and get up from the table.

However, when you are choking heavily, do not hesitate to call for help. The trouble is that a person in this position is not able to speak, cough, and generally make any sounds whatsoever. Therefore, by any means attract attention to yourself and remember that there is no time for good manners. Try to remain calm and act quickly - this can save your life.

- If you cough, sneeze or want to blow your nose

To perform one of these actions - if it does not take too long - it is not at all necessary to get up from the table. In extreme cases, you can apologize, go to another room and deal with a cough or an uncontrollable sneeze there. When you feel a cough coming on, cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and if you do not have a handkerchief or time to get it, with a napkin. In the most extreme case, just your palm will do - it's better than nothing. You should never blow your nose on a tissue. If there was nothing suitable at hand, apologize and hurry to the bathroom.

- If there is a pebble, hair or insect in the plate

If something inedible is caught in food, the only way out is to get rid of it, and as discreetly as possible. Remove the foreign object from your mouth with your fingertips and place it on the edge of your plate. When this "something" - a hair in butter, a worm on a lettuce leaf, a fly in the soup - you noticed even before the foreign object got into your mouth, try to remove it without attracting attention to yourself and continue eating. If the impression turned out to be too strong and completely discouraged your appetite, just put the plate away so as not to embarrass the hostess. In a restaurant, on the contrary, you not only can, but you must point out to the waiter that the dish was served in a substandard form and demand a replacement. However, an observant and attentive hostess, noticing that you have stopped eating and guessing what's the matter, will make sure that you bring another portion.

- If food is stuck in the teeth

You can’t use a toothpick at the table and it’s completely unacceptable to remove a piece of food stuck in your teeth with your fingers. If it causes pain, apologize, get up from the table and go to the bathroom. Or wait for a pause, say, a change of dishes and, leaving the dining room, ask for a toothpick.

The same should be done when a piece of food is stuck in a denture. You should apologize and, going to the bathroom, rinse it.

- If you drop or spill something

When it comes to solid food, you should use a clean spoon or the blade of your knife to pick up a piece from the tablecloth, for example, jelly, a slice of cucumber, etc. If there is a stain on the tablecloth, moisten the corner of your napkin with water from a glass and try to wipe it off. Apologize to the owners, who, in turn, should not draw attention to this incident, so as not to aggravate your embarrassment.

If you spill wine or water at a formal dinner or in a restaurant, calmly call the waiter and ask him to bring a napkin to cover the stain. At a family dinner where there are no servants, try to wipe off the stain with a napkin or sponge and, in general, help the hostess get rid of it as best you can.

What not to do at the table

Although I'm much more comfortable telling you what to do in certain circumstances, sometimes it's necessary to focus on what you should never do. Below are the most important rules regarding what not to do at the table. When you hold a spoon or fork in one hand while eating, do not wrap your other hand around the plate. When you finish your meal, don't push your plate away from you. She must remain in her place until the waiter or maid removes her from the table. If the dinner was held without servants, you can take and carry an empty plate to the kitchen yourself. Do not lean back in your chair, declaring out loud: "That's it, I've had enough!", Or: "I can't take it anymore!" The fact that you have finished eating should be evidenced by the fork and knife placed on the plate in an appropriate way. Never drink anything until you have chewed and swallowed the food. It is allowed to drink coffee, holding a small piece of toasted bread in your mouth - so small that it is imperceptible to others. However, it is still better not to combine food and drink. Do not wipe down your appliance in a restaurant. If you have doubts about the cleanliness of the knife and fork, call the waiter, show him the cutlery and ask for a replacement. Women need to ensure that traces of lipstick do not remain on a napkin, on the rim of a glass, on a fork or spoon, and therefore you should not abuse cosmetics before dinner. When bringing a cup to your mouth, do not put your little finger away - it looks pretentious. Never leave a spoon in a cup: not only is it ugly, but it can also lead to an accident. Don't swing your fork or spoon around during a lively conversation, especially when there's leftover food on them. Most often this is done with ice cream, but the fact that it is too cold cannot serve as an excuse in this case. It is better to take a smaller spoonful, but swallow this portion immediately. Do not immediately cut everything that lies in front of you on a plate - this is an unappetizing sight. Do not put a lot of mashed potatoes or peas on a fork that has already been pierced with meat. In other words, try never to fill your mouth with any food.

Having familiarized yourself with the rules of etiquette at the table, you will always feel in your place while eating, not only at a party, but also at business receptions and in a restaurant. The key to success will be your confidence and knowledge. We all know, without further ado, that ethical behavior at the table is a must:

1. Don't be late when invited to lunch, breakfast, dinner, tea.
2. Do not sit at the table until the ladies sit down or until the host or hostess invites you to take a seat.
3. Do not offer the lady, when you accompany her to the table, your left hand. A man should always offer his right hand to a lady.
4. Do not forget that the lady sitting next to you, especially on your right hand, has the right to your attention. The lady sitting next to you should be occupied, whether you are introduced to her or not.
5. Do not introduce after the guests have sat down at the table.
6. Don't sit too close to the table or too far away from it.
7. Don't tuck a napkin behind your collar or spread it across your chest. The napkin should be placed on your knees.
8. Don't eat soup off the end of a spoon.
9. Don't bend over your plate. Stay as straight as possible.
10. Don't reach over someone else's plate if you want to get something.
11. Do not take bread with a fork, take it with your hand.
12. Do not bite from a whole piece of bread.
13. Don't butter a whole piece of bread. Break the bread into pieces and spread them.
14. Don't crumble bread into soup.
15. Do not eat from a knife and never put a knife to your mouth.
16. Don't fork with a knife. Take on the fork as much as it can fit on it.
17. Don't eat too fast.
18. Do not fill your mouth with a lot of writing.
19. Do not spread your elbows, they should be pressed to your sides.
20. Don't put your elbows on the table.
21. Don't raise your glass or glass too high.
22. Don't eat with a spoon what you can eat with a fork.
23. Do not try to scoop up the last spoonful of soup, eat the last piece of meat, etc.
24. Don't serve your own plate asking for a second helping. Better not to ask for a second portion at all.
25. Don't spit bones and stuff on your plate. The bones should be removed from the mouth on a fork brought to the lips, and then placed on a plate. Fruit pits should be removed discreetly onto a spoon.
26. Do not play with a napkin, fork and other table accessories.
27. Don't wipe your face with a tissue. The napkin can only be lightly rubbed over the lips.
28. Do not turn your back on another if you intend to talk to a neighbor.
29. Do not talk to another guest through a neighbor.
30. Don't talk with your mouth full.
31. Do not recline or fall apart in a chair. Try to always be calm.
32. Don't drop your knife or fork.
33. Do not be embarrassed if you still dropped the cutlery, ask for another, not attaching importance to what happened.
34. Do not use a toothpick at the table if it is not necessary. At the very least, do it discreetly.
35. Do not treat the guest incessantly.
36. Don't drink too much wine.
37. Don't finish your meal first, being the host or hostess. Wait until the guests finish eating. This is especially important when the last course is served.
38. Do not ask for a second cup of tea or coffee until all the guests have received the first one.
39. Do not criticize what is served to the table.
40. Do not refuse any dish, referring to the fact that you do not like it or that it is harmful to you. It is best to refuse without giving reasons.
41. Do not talk about your illnesses.
42. Don't put a teaspoon in a glass or cup. After stirring tea or coffee, put a spoon on a saucer.
43. Don't fold your napkin after you've eaten. The napkin should be casually placed on the table.
44. Do not forget to get up from the table after the women got up. Remain standing until they leave the room, and then you can sit down again.
45. Do not read letters or documents at the table

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 a 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 precisely 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 to 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 that began in the morning very often continues in one form or another between the 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 respected, a person who indiscriminately grabs the best pieces from all plates, 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 little acquainted 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 more significant and more educated people. 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 the little 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 relearn. 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 dining 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 with 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 meals 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, piglet 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, 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 appetizers;

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 in front of 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 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 an 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 carafes (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 reds, 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.

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Table behavior? If you are called to the table, do not be late, do not keep yourself waiting.? Don't start eating until everyone is at the table.? Don't move too close to the table, but don't sit too far away from it either. Do not lean back in your chair, do not fall apart on it.?

If there are no strict requirements for a business suit lately, then table manners, on the contrary, are becoming more and more important. Little has changed over time: good manners are extremely important for any businessman if he wants to impress his business associates. Everyone needs to know the rules of conduct at the table, as this shows the general level of culture and ethics.

At the same time, it is necessary to be aware of the scope of the significance of the rules of etiquette at the table: chewing with an open mouth is a gross violation of etiquette, while the use of the “wrong” fork may not even be noticed.

In any case, it is better not to forget the rules of behavior at the table.

1. Napkin.

• Lay the napkin in your lap some time after everyone is seated at the table. In addition, you must wait for the owner to do it first. At the same time, the napkin does not need to be shaken to unfold, it is better to do it quietly and calmly. In high-end restaurants, the napkin is unfolded and placed on the waiter's lap.
• Do not tuck the tissue in the collar, belt, or between the buttons of a shirt or blouse.
• Before you take a sip of a drink from a glass, wipe your lips with a napkin so as not to leave greasy marks on the glass.
• If you need to leave and leave the table, leave the napkin on the back of the chair, having previously folded it.
• Place the napkin to the left of the plate when you finish your meal.
• If a napkin falls on the floor, ask for another instead of placing a dirty one on your lap.

2. Bread.

• Bread taken from the common basket, put on your plate, designed for this. You do not need to break off part of the bread for yourself, and put the rest back in the basket: if you took the bread, this is your food.
• Do not cut the bread in your plate with a knife, break off pieces from it.

3. Devices.

• If you are not left-handed, hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left hand.
• Between meals or conversation breaks, put your knife and fork on your plate. They should be placed on the plate as a whole, do not put them so that one edge rests on the plate, the other on the table.
• Do not lift cutlery high above the plate and do not gesture with them.
• Do not point at the interlocutor with cutlery, especially a knife.

4. First courses.

• Do not tilt the plate towards you or away from you, as splashes may fall on either the tablecloth or your clothes.
• After you've finished your first meal, leave the spoon in the bowl it was served on. If the dish was served in a soup bowl, place the spoon on the dish underneath.

5. Seasonings and sauces.

• Don't salt or pepper your food before you've tasted it. In this way, you will compliment the chef of the restaurant, as you will show respect for the prepared (and therefore, the appropriate recipe and with the right proportions of spices) food.
• If you are asked to pass a salt shaker, pass it by holding it as a base, paired with a pepper shaker if it is next to the salt shaker. These items are always served together, even if only one of them was requested.
• If you use a common open salt shaker, salt should only be taken from it with a clean spoon or knife.
• If the sauce is served in a common dish, scoop it up with a serving spoon and place it on the edge of your plate. Never soak your food directly in a common saucepan.

6. Handling dishes and dishes.

• Always pass the dish from left to right - counterclockwise.
• If you took a plate with sliced ​​​​pieces of food (for example, bread), first pass it to your neighbors on the table, wait until it returns to you, and then take it yourself.
• Eat everything that is served on a plate with cutlery, even if people at home are used to eating it with their hands.
• No need to help the waiter by raising a glass, cup or plate in order for him to fill it. Do this only if he asks you to.
• Put empty sugar bags, plastic containers of milk or cream on the edge of your plate.

7. Seafood.

• Seafood (shrimp, crabs) is often eaten with the hands. This approach is suitable for a friendly dinner or lunch.
• If you must squeeze a lemon onto a seafood platter, cover it with your hand so that it does not splash on others or in your eyes.
• After eating with your hands, do not forget to rinse your hands in the dishes brought for this.
• Rinse your hands properly after eating seafood: dip your fingers in the water, each hand separately, and dry with your napkin.

8. Maintaining a conversation.

• Do not speak until you have chewed and swallowed a piece of food.
• Always be aware of who is contacting you.
• Do not interrupt the speaker.
• Avoid ambiguous conversations about politics, religion or money.

9. Coffee and tea.

• Do not hold a cup of coffee or tea with both hands, hold it by the ear.
• Do not blow on tea or coffee if it is hot, wait until the temperature is acceptable to you.
• If you spilled tea or coffee on a saucer, do not wipe it with a napkin, ask them to bring you another one.
• Do not dip cookies, cake, etc. into the cup.

10. General rules.

• It is strictly forbidden to splash, champ, put large portions on a plate, prick large pieces on a fork, eat too quickly.
• Sit at the table calmly and straight.
• Hands should always be kept on the table, and not under it.
• You can not rest your elbows on the table.
• Don't tap your fingers on the edge of the table.
• You can not cross your legs under the table, both feet should be calmly on the floor.
• You can't take off your shoes under the table.

Knowing these rules, you will be able to show tact and respect both to the owner of the home table, and to show the level of culture in a top-class restaurant. Do not forget that the correct behavior during meals indicates your attitude towards partners.

You were invited to dinner - there are a lot of unfamiliar objects on the table. How to use them correctly so that others do not think that you are poorly educated. You can learn the rules of etiquette at the table in a short period of time. It is also easy to learn the rules of table setting and instill good table manners in your child.

Tell

Having familiarized yourself with the rules of etiquette at the table, you will always feel in your place while eating, not only at a party, but also at business receptions and in a restaurant. The key to success will be your confidence and knowledge. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the rules of conduct at the table and try to immediately put into practice the studied material.

As soon as you find yourself at a party, cafe or restaurant, people immediately pay attention to your behavior. How you behave at the table, whether you know how to use the devices correctly - this will help to draw a certain conclusion and understand whether you are a cultured and educated person, or you still have a lot to learn.

Table etiquette culture

Let's start with the main thing - with the general rules. Have you noticed how you sit? The back should be straight. You need to sit not on the very edge of the chair, but in such a way that you feel comfortable. Sitting, bend your elbows so that they are level with the appliances. When there is nowhere to put their hands, they are placed on their knees. In this position, it is convenient to wait for the dish to be served. If you are visiting, then you need to wait until the host of the feast offers to start the meal. It is not necessary to wait for late guests.

Table etiquette says - when the table is large, it is impossible to reach all the dishes, so you need to take only those that can be reached with an outstretched hand. It is impossible to bend over a neighbor and interfere with him. In the event that you wish to take a distant dish, then you can ask the guest who is convenient to serve it to do this. Don't forget to politely thank the person for the help.

According to the rules of etiquette at the table, before the start of the meal, the host must make sure that the table is fully laid.

How food should be served:

1. According to the rules of table etiquette, dishes are served across the table from the left to the right.
2. One person can hold the dish, and the second can fill the plate.
3. If the dish is too heavy and inconvenient to hold on weight, then it can be put on the table.
4. The tureen must be passed with the protruding part forward to the guest.
5. When the food on the dish needs to be cut, then according to the rules of etiquette at the table, the person who holds the dish must wait until the neighbor cuts off and puts the food on his plate with common utensils.

Table setting etiquette

Regardless of the organization of the event, you need to set the table according to all the rules. First you need to try to make each guest feel at the table freely. Try to seat guests so that there is a small gap between the chairs.

Now about the most important thing - how to properly set the table. There are many ways to serve: for different times of the day and individual occasions. In addition, the ways of table setting in different countries differ and depend on the customs and culture of the population. We will consider the classic type of serving.

The basis of serving is a tablecloth. More often choose a cloth of light and white color. According to the rules of serving, the corners of the canvas should cover the legs of the table (square or rectangular). The tablecloth should not fall below the level of the seat, a maximum of 25-30 centimeters.

You need to spread the fabric cloth freely at the table, lifting and shaking it from the ends so that air forms between the fabric and the table - this will make it easier to distribute the tablecloth on the surface. You can not pull the canvas by the corners and stretch it.

Napkins play a role in table setting. They can be chosen to match the tablecloth or in a contrasting color.

Cloth napkins (linen or cotton) are used for special occasions, and paper napkins are used for every day. A napkin is placed on a plate rolled up for each guest. A paper napkin is allowed to be placed under the plate on the right side.

Table etiquette. Serving cutlery

When setting the table with cutlery, you need to take into account the number of dishes and their type, and think in advance what kind of dishes you will need. For example, if there are dishes on the table that are customary to eat without cutlery, then you need to put napkins or put a container of water.

How to properly set the table:

1. Look at the table and mentally divide it into separate zones, taking into account the fact that 80 centimeters of length should be allocated for each person. Place a serving plate - this shallow, large-diameter plate serves as a coaster. The next one is put on it - with food. Puree soup is served in a soup bowl, and the broth is served in a special bowl.
2. To the left of the serving plate is a bread plate (pie). Next to it is a container with water and lemon slices for rinsing hands if food is eaten with your hands.
3. Basic cutlery: forks, spoons and knives are laid out on the right and left sides of the plate. The knife is on the right, and the fork is on the left. When dessert is listed on the menu, then the spoon is placed over the plate.
4. For ice cream, put a teaspoon.
5. Four glasses of wine and water can be placed on the table at the same time.

Table setting rules for etiquette:

Dinner table etiquette

The design of the table is of great importance. The mood and appetite of family members and guests will depend on how well the table is served.

Dinner table setting:

1. The table is covered with a tablecloth and a snack plate is placed on it. To her left is a pie shop.
2. Two forks are placed between the plates: dining and snack, cloves up. On the right is a knife. The blades are located towards the plate.
3. One glass is placed behind the snack plate, and a napkin is placed on the plate itself. You don't need to unpack it completely.
4. A vase of flowers is placed in the middle of the table.
5. When the hostess serves the table, the serving is allowed to be supplemented with cutlery.
6. The soup is served in special bowls to the right of the seated person. At a festive dinner, preheated soup is poured into a tureen and placed next to the hostess.
7. If a fruit compote with seeds is served for dessert, then you need to put a bowl on a saucer.
8. Coffee and tea for all family members are served in a coffee pot, cups and saucers are placed on the table in advance. If the drink is immediately poured into cups, then they are served on a tray along with saucers and spoons.
9. Sugar is served in a separate sugar bowl along with a spoon.

The day before the proposed feast, review your dishes - they must be clean.

Table etiquette lessons

You need to sit at the table slightly leaning forward. Sit on the entire seat of the chair.

When a person sits at a table, then only brushes can be placed on it, and it is better to press the elbows to the body.

Table etiquette says you can't chew with your mouth open. When you chew food, it is undesirable to talk, there is no need to rush either.

The remains of food between the teeth are taken out with toothpicks, but only in the restroom. If you come across cartilage, then the contents are removed, lowered onto a spoon and transferred to a plate.

According to the rules of table etiquette, the napkin can be removed from the plate when dishes are served. She is turned on her knees. After eating, wipe hands and mouth with a napkin. They do not crush it - they carefully place it on the table. A paper napkin can be wrinkled and put on a plate.

Table etiquette rules:

• the fork is held in the left hand, and the knife in the right;
• when using one fork, it is held in the right hand;
• while chewing food, cutlery is placed on a plate.

Etiquette at the table photo:

Table etiquette: briefly

1. Bread must be broken off by hand.
2. Oil is taken with a fork.
3. Fish bones are separated with a special knife, and meat with a fork.
4. Soft cheeses are allowed to spread on a slice of bread. Hard cheeses are placed with a fork on a plate.
5. The broth is eaten with a spoon, meat and croutons are caught with a spoon. First, the broth is eaten, and then the pieces of meat.
6. Porridge is eaten with a dessert spoon.
7. A piece is cut off from a piece of meat and brought to the mouth together with a side dish.
8. Pasta is eaten with a fork. Spaghetti is lowered into the middle of the plate and lifted up to separate a small portion. Spaghetti is wound on a fork and eaten immediately.
9. The soup is not eaten to the end, and the spoon must remain in the plate all the time.
10. The kebab is removed from the skewer and put on a plate.
11. Watermelon slices are eaten with a fork.
12. Cherries and pitted cherries are taken by the twigs. The bones are first spit into a fist, and then discreetly sent to a plate.
13. If tea is poured into a glass, then you can leave the spoon, and if it is into a cup, you need to get it. The pieces of sugar do not stir much, but wait until they dissolve.

Etiquette at the table in pictures

Festive table etiquette:

Restaurant etiquette

Have you decided to go to a restaurant? Then you just need to familiarize yourself with the rules of etiquette in advance.

So the man enters first. If the visitors are both women and men, then the one who will pay for the dinner should enter first. In the case when the porter meets you at the entrance to the restaurant, the woman should enter first.

If a meeting with a woman is scheduled in the institution, then the man comes first 5 minutes before the appointed time. He undresses and finds out where his table is. Then you can return to the hall, meet the lady and help her undress.

If a table is booked for several people, then it is allowed to wait 20 minutes for latecomers. After that, you can go to the table.

In the event that a man accompanies a woman, he must give her the right to choose a seat at the table, for example, facing the stage. Seats facing the hall and the entrance are considered convenient. The man should sit opposite or to the left of the lady. If there are two men, then the woman sits between them.

According to the rules of etiquette at the table, the man chooses the menu himself. It is allowed to offer a woman a choice of several selected dishes. She should not choose very expensive and cheap dishes. The phrase: “Order what you yourself will eat” will also be inappropriate.

According to the rules of etiquette at the table in a restaurant, you cannot laugh and talk loudly, as well as lean your elbows on the table. In addition, at the table you can not use a comb, wipe your face with napkins, examine dishes with interest and wipe them. Do not vigorously blow on hot food.

After the ordered dishes are served, you can start eating. If you do not like something in the food, then you can invite the waiter and ask him to replace the dish.

Both men and women are allowed to order alcoholic drinks. The wine can be tasted and after a nod of approval the waiter will fill the glasses. A restaurant visitor has every right to refuse an insufficiently chilled drink.

During and after the meal, cutlery is folded according to non-verbal communication with the waiter:

According to the rules of etiquette, it is forbidden to smoke indoors.

By the end of the meal, you need to decide who will pay for the reception. A man is allowed to pay for a lady if she doesn't mind. By the way, now you will not surprise anyone with the fact that a woman pays herself. She should discuss this with the man in advance.

When paying, you need to look at the check and put the money inside a special booklet or on a plate. Tipping is 10-15 percent of the amount.

Etiquette at the table for children

How to teach your child the rules of table etiquette? Start at an early age. Just when the baby turns a year old - it's time to start. First, it is enough to show the baby how the mother behaves at the table, so that he tries to imitate.

Meal preparation

The kid should know that the main thing in preparing for food is clean hands. When the baby is still small, mom helps him wash his hands. Only after that is it allowed to sit down at the table. Two-year-olds no longer need to be forced to wash their hands, this should happen automatically, on a subconscious level. If the child is lazy, then parents should often remind the child of the simple rules of hygiene.

Boys from an early age should be taught to be a gentleman, and dad should be an example.

The baby should be seated on a special chair that moves closer to the table. It is desirable for the child to be on the same level with the parents. He should sit on the left side of the mother so that in any situation she can help the baby.
Try to teach the baby to eat together at certain hours. The kid must learn that if food is put on the table, then you can’t pounce on it, you need to wait for permission and after the magic words “bon appetit”, start eating. Also, you can’t grab pieces while mom sets the table. This should be stopped immediately, but not with shouts, but in a calm tone to tell that this is not necessary.

When the baby is sitting at the table, a cloth napkin is placed on his knees, and a paper napkin is placed under the plate. If the child is very small, then they put on a protective bib, but they still put a napkin on their feet. You can wipe your cheeks, mouth and dirty hands with a paper towel.

How to teach your child to use appliances

A child under three years old is given a spoon in his hands, and after three years, you can teach your baby to use a fork. You shouldn't leave your child alone.

A five-year-old child is introduced to the rules of etiquette at the table gradually. Just at this age, you can master a new object - a knife. To make the acquaintance successful, give your child an individual set with bright pens. He will quickly learn to use the devices.

About table manners

Often mothers repeat: “You can’t play with food!”, “Don’t talk with your mouth full!”, “Don’t spin!”.
From an early age, you need to teach your child simple rules of etiquette at the table:

• they don’t play at the table, they don’t sing and they don’t shout;
• do not talk with a full mouth;
• do not dig in the plate with your hands;
• you can not spit out food;
• what is on the plate - you need to eat it completely;
• dirty hands and mouth are wiped with a napkin;
• after the meal is over, say "Thank you";
• no need to leave the table until all family members have finished. You can leave only if adults allow.

We teach crumbs etiquette at the table

A good example for a child is his parents. Children quickly absorb the behavior of others, and if it is customary in the family to make noise at the table, take food with their hands, then the child will behave this way. You can avoid this behavior - teach your baby table etiquette in the form of a game. You can plant your favorite toys nearby and, together with your child, “teach” them the rules of etiquette at the table.

In addition, it is advisable to serve food to the child in different dishes and tell what each appliance is for. An older child can be asked to help arrange the appliances. Do not yell at the baby, so he will step back and will not want to continue learning table etiquette.

Etiquette at the table - video