Restaurant etiquette: learning how to behave in restaurants correctly. Modern rules of restaurant etiquette

Introduction

We go to a restaurant not only to eat, but also to chat with a partner or friend, on a date with loved ones, on family holidays, etc. a conversation during a meal often depends on the degree of pleasure received and the success of a business meeting. Knowledge of restaurant etiquette will allow you not to spoil the mood for yourself and those present.

Behavior rules

Restaurant selection and table reservation

General rules

When choosing a restaurant, one must take into account not only taste preferences, but also the composition and number of guests, price category and location.

The restaurant, of course, must correspond to the purpose and occasion of the visit. An institution with a calm atmosphere is conducive to a long confidential conversation. Stylish music, such as "live" jazz, is pleasant for connoisseurs and lovers of dancing.

For the first meeting with a girl or a business partner, a restaurant with European cuisine is suitable so that the dishes and the rules for their use do not distract from the main goal - conversations.

Experts believe that it is a quiet establishment that allows gourmets to fully enjoy their meal.

When ordering a table for a banquet, you must personally meet with the head waiter, discuss seating arrangements and meeting guests.

Business lunch

For a business lunch, negotiations, a business meeting, the restaurant is ordered by the inviting party, preferably closer to the partner's office.

You can invite to a business dinner or lunch orally - in person or by phone. The time of the meeting can be discussed by the secretaries.

A fine dining restaurant that requires special attention to dishes is not the best place for a decision-minded meeting.

If the partners are interested in not being disturbed, it is necessary to inform the head waiter about this in advance, when choosing a table, and then the waiter. If you do not like the table, the inviting party negotiates with the head waiter. You should also warn the waiter if you want to talk so that he does not interrupt the conversation by serving dishes.

When choosing a restaurant, it does not hurt to familiarize yourself with the menu and the choice of drinks in advance. Non-alcoholic drinks are enough for a conversation. It is permissible to end a business meeting with a glass of wine.

For a business lunch, a restaurant or cafe offering standard menus is suitable. This will make food selection easier.

When choosing a restaurant, the inviting party should take into account the price category and the contingent visiting the establishment. It should correspond to the level of negotiations.

Date

Be sure to ask about the guest's food preferences. You can offer your choice, but it is incorrect to convince that this is a must-try.

If the girl is a vegetarian, it is necessary to clarify how she feels about the fact that others eat meat, fish, etc. If the girl politely refused without explanation, you should not insist - maybe she is on a diet, but does not want to announce her secret.

If a man invites a lady to an unfamiliar institution for an event, it is recommended to briefly describe what awaits the lady so that she can choose the right outfit.

Discussing the price category of the restaurant is not accepted. When making an invitation, a man should be prepared to pay the total bill. Without warning in advance, it is tactless to demand separate payment of the bill. A man must remember that paying the bill does not impose any obligations on the girl.

Can a woman invite a man to a restaurant? Why not? In this case, it is worth warning the man that she herself is going to pay for two or pay her part of the bill: “I pay the bill, this is my invitation, OK?” A man can make a return invitation or politely insist on his payment: "I accept the invitation, but I'm used to paying myself."

If a woman asks for an invitation, expecting a bill to be paid by a man, the man may or may not agree. At the same time, one should not offend the lady by unwillingness to pay for her - it is better to indicate another reason.

When choosing an expensive restaurant, keep in mind that a lady can choose any dish. Offering to order something cheaper is tactless.

A man orders a table. It also determines its location. There is no heart-to-heart talk near the podium, and it is inconvenient to look at the performance of artists or musicians from the corner.

Friends

A meeting with friends is often organized "about", say, a birthday. At the same time, it would be nice to clarify the choice of dishes, drinks, program.

It is desirable that all meeting participants know in advance about the occasion, program, cuisine and location of the restaurant in order to have time to prepare.

In any case, the cost of food and drinks should be taken into account so that those present can pay without any problems. In the case of an invitation, the costs are usually borne by the inviting party. If the hero of the day is set up so that the guests pay for themselves, this should be warned.

Holiday

It is convenient to celebrate holidays in a restaurant or cafe. The choice of an institution guarantees in this case more than half of the success of the celebration.

Families traveling to the restaurant with children should inquire about the presence of a children's menu, a playroom or a corner.

Those who like to sit longer should clarify the closing time and the serving of hot dishes.

If you do not want to stand in line for the next dish, do not visit restaurants and cafes offering a buffet on holidays. It will most likely be crowded.

An institution in the center or with a special culinary reputation will also be overcrowded.

A visit to a new restaurant offering unusual or national cuisine can be a good continuation of the festive day, but if you don’t like the dish, you can not only stay hungry, but also ruin your mood.

Banquet

In the case of a banquet, especially a crowded one, it is recommended not to limit yourself to ordering a hall or a table by phone, but to visit the institution and talk with the head waiter. If you entrusted the services of organizing a holiday to an agency, it is better to visit the banquet hall yourself. The choice of a restaurant will definitely be influenced by the courtesy of the staff and the atmosphere.

An important role in choosing a hall or restaurant for a banquet is played by the recommendations and image of the institution, as well as the possibility of additional decoration of the hall, services for meeting guests, a place for dancing, and the presence of a microphone.

Feel free to ask questions. Find out if there will be other visitors in the institution. Pay special attention to the little things that are important for your holiday. The floor should not be slippery, the hall should be equipped with air conditioning, the columns should not block the view of guests.

Find out where the guests will undress, where you can put gifts, put flowers. Feel free to ask about safety - false tact can spoil the celebration.

Check out the menu and drinks list. Feel free to ask if you can make a special order and its price.

Find out if there will be cover cards with the names of the guests next to the appliances, and whether the seating plan will be displayed in front of the hall.

If the restaurant offers a musical program, listen to the performers, familiarize yourself with the repertoire. If you invite your speakers, ask about the possibility of connecting musical equipment, as well as a dressing room.

Check the convenience and number of parking spaces, ask if the parking is guarded.

It is worth paying special attention to the qualifications of the staff. The choice of the type of table setting should be entrusted to the restaurant staff, however, the more important the banquet, the more complex the set of served cutlery can be.

Be sure to discuss the possibility of bringing your own alcoholic drinks, as well as the use of unusual effects, candles, etc.

If you know that there are smokers among the guests, take care of the smoking area.

It is acceptable to visit the restaurant in advance on the day of the banquet to see how the staff works, food and drinks are served.

Staff should be addressed with "you". Stay calm and confident - shouting, demanding and rushing is indecent.

Corporate

Corporate events are booked by both large and small firms.

The occasion of the holiday influences the format and venue. The anniversary of the company can be celebrated with a buffet table, for a round date or achievement it is better to organize a banquet, and to encourage employees, you can order a pleasure boat.

Rout

Raut is an event for the business and social elite, usually without dancing. Today, however, they started dancing at the receptions. When organizing a reception, special attention should be paid to the design of the hall, serving, musical accompaniment. The place should correspond to the holiday and look meaningful.

A small restaurant is not the best place for a crowded reception, since the purpose of the reception is communication and guests should be able to move around and communicate in small groups.

Often card games, chamber concerts, drawings and competitions are organized at the reception. You will need a podium to show models. For tasting it is better to take a separate place.

It is also necessary to provide a quiet place where guests can take a break from the noise, for example, a corner with a fireplace.

Particular attention should be paid to the cuisine, the classification and level of the chef, a wide range of snacks and drinks.

Dress code

The dress code is dictated by the reason for coming and the level of the restaurant. It's one thing you went to a restaurant to have a bite, another thing - you went there for a date or a banquet.

Visiting a restaurant in the evening suggests a different style of dress than during the day, but do not forget that the restaurant is primarily a food establishment, and not a club or a disco.

If you are invited, the more beautiful and festive your outfit, the more respect you show to the invitee.

Invitation

The form of an invitation to a restaurant depends on the situation, the composition of the guests and the nature of the event.

A girl for a date, friends for a party, a colleague and relatives can be invited by phone, at a meeting or by letter. You can only invite a very close friend by SMS.

In the invitation, indicate the reason for the meeting so that guests or friends can prepare, choose a gift, flowers, calculate the time, as well as a dress code, a style of celebration, such as a masquerade, etc.

If you have chosen a restaurant that offers vegetarian or dietary options, add a line in the invitation to whom or where you should report your taste preferences. Most often this is the inviting person or organizer.

In the invitation, you can write that you are counting on the presence of the guest, but ask him to confirm the presence.

When organizing a surprise, be sure to warn the guests about this: the holiday is a surprise for the hero of the day, do not divulge the SECRET!

An official reception requires formalities. An invitation to a business lunch is sent either personally or through a secretary.

Friends can pass a verbal invitation to one another. However, it is not accepted to send an invitation through third parties. For example, each guest is invited to a birthday party personally.

The official invitation is written in the third person: "XX is inviting", "XX is inviting", "XX has the pleasure of inviting". When formally inviting a couple, the first name of the husband is indicated. If the partner's name is unknown, "Mr. Queen and his wife" are invited.

The invitation to the tea table is drawn up in the first person. It is customary to send a written invitation by mail, but it is permissible to send it personally, but not through a third party.

The invitation to the banquet should be sent 2-3 weeks before the event - in this case, the guests will have time to respond to the invitation.

If the guests did not respond to the invitation, and it is time for you to place an order, it is permissible to clarify the presence of friends and relatives.

The inviter can name the date of the meeting himself or find out when it is convenient for the invitee.

It is necessary to invite a lady to a restaurant in advance, and not at the time of the meeting.

When making an appointment, specify exactly where you will meet: in the hall at a table, at the entrance, etc.

Wardrobe

Like a theater, a restaurant starts with a hanger - a wardrobe. Here, visitors leave outerwear, caps, hats, umbrellas, bags and shopping bags. These items are not allowed to be brought into the restaurant hall. It is not necessary to change shoes in a restaurant, but ladies often change their shoes - it's more convenient. You can change shoes near the wardrobe, but not in the toilet room.

A lady's handbag is not rented to the wardrobe, but it is better to hand over the case, unless, of course, the contents are very valuable - then it is better to take it with you.

A man takes off his hat and gloves at the entrance to the building. A woman can take off her gloves near the wardrobe and stay in a hat, but not in a cap.

The man first helps the woman take off her coat, and then takes off his outer clothing. It is not necessary to help at a business meeting, but you can offer your services: “Let me court you.” A woman is not obliged to thank for the help, although you can say “thank you” to a colleague. At the same time, the colleague only helps with the coat, but does not hold a scarf or hat for the woman.

The lady may remain indoors wearing a hat at a formal reception, but this rule does not apply to a regular dinner.

If the institution does not have a wardrobe, outerwear is left on hangers at the entrance to the hall. If you can't find a hanger, ask the maître d' where to undress, but don't take your clothes to the table with you.

A jacket or raincoat on the back of a chair is acceptable in fast food establishments or cafes, but not in a restaurant.

Abroad, the same rules apply, but due to the fact that visiting a restaurant is less formal there, sometimes they take a jacket with them, while a woman can stay in a raincoat.

Leave gloves in your pocket or bag - do not take them with you, especially do not put them on the table.

In front of the mirror near the wardrobe, it is permissible to slightly fix your hair, but you should comb your hair, fix makeup and clothes in the toilet room.

Leaving the restaurant, the man helps his companion get dressed, and then dresses himself. Often the cloakroom attendant offers his help.

A man can thank him and, taking clothes from him, help his lady himself. Sometimes the cloakroom attendant helps both the woman and the man. In reputable establishments, such assistance is included in the duties of a cloakroom attendant.

If the cloakroom attendant helped you put on your coat from behind the bar and even brushed your clothes a little, it's logical to give him a tip. If you don't want to pay, take your coat and just say "thank you".

If he took a wet umbrella from your hands, shook it off and put it away, helped take off his coat, and seeing him off, first gave a scarf, then a coat and, finally, an umbrella, it is incorrect to limit yourself to "thank you". You should thank the cloakroom attendant who called you a taxi with a tip.

Tipping a cloakroom attendant abroad is 20–50 cents, rarely $1. In Russian institutions - 50-100 rubles.

In a pair of a man - a woman, the man gives a tip, the woman does not take out her wallet. In a group of girls, it’s not worth paying each, it’s enough if one pays.

It is tactless not to give a tip to a rich lady in the evening, and no one expects them from girls in the daytime.

Leaving the restaurant, a lady can put on gloves and a hat already in the room, a man can only go outside.

Greetings

Greeting the entered lady, a well-mannered man will certainly get up. If the lady did not extend her hand for a greeting, you will have to put up with it. Wishing to kiss the lady's hand, the man extends his hand, slightly turning the open palm up, to demonstrate his intention to the woman.

For a kiss, you should bend slightly, but do not pull the lady's hand to her lips. In this case, it is enough just to touch the lips of the hand. Blowing a kiss on your hand is tactless.

It is not customary to place an order before the lady arrives - it is better to order a glass with a drink.

At a business lunch, a meeting with colleagues or a business dinner, the inviter should arrive first. He occupies a table, and when partners appear, he gets up, leaves the table to meet and greets those who have arrived with a handshake. It is tactless to greet people with a handshake across the table, as well as to force newcomers to bypass the table.

The first one should reach out to the senior in status, the head of the delegation or a more familiar colleague. Women do not have privileges in shaking hands in a business setting, they shake hands according to the table of ranks, and not first, as in a secular situation.

If colleagues have already seen each other that day and met at lunch, it’s not worth getting up and shaking hands, a greeting or a nod of the head is enough. Rising from the table, those present express special respect for those who have arrived.

In a friendly company, a meal can be started without waiting for a latecomer. Being late for the start of the meal, you can limit yourself to a general greeting, or, especially if friends have not seen each other for a long time, to say hello to everyone by the hand, or - in the case of a large table - by the hand with neighbors and a nod of the head with those far away.

It is not worth shaking hands with guests who are busy with crayfish or another dish eaten with their hands.

When you are late, it is not customary to interrupt the toast, it is better to quietly take your seat and then apologize.

It is not supposed to greet and extend a hand to a late guest with a full mouth. Chew and say hello.

Performance

Guests who do not know each other must be introduced. This is done by the host of the holiday or one of his relatives or friends.

If any of the guests brought a companion unknown to the hero of the occasion, he himself introduces him to the owner.

With a large number of guests, it is not worth introducing everyone - it is enough to introduce the neighbors on the table, but they can introduce themselves.

General rules: a man is introduced to a woman, a younger one is introduced to an older person, a person occupying a lower position is presented to a more eminent and influential person. A mutual introduction is also possible: “Olga Petrovna is Maria Viktorovna. Maria Viktorovna is Olga Petrovna. I think you'll have something to talk about."

Children and spouse should be introduced to guests, and parents should be introduced to guests. In the case of acquaintance of two couples, a cross handshake should be avoided. Women are the first to reach out to each other. Then women - men. And finally, men. In this case, most often women are to the right of men.

At the time of the introduction, a man can kiss a lady’s hand, but kissing a young person’s hand, for example, an invited daughter, is not worth it, this can confuse her.

If the names of those represented are pronounced, it is not worth repeating them when shaking hands. However, if the presenter has limited himself to explaining: "This is my aunt" or "This is my colleague," you should say your name.

In the classic version, the persons represented should exchange a few neutral phrases, but in an informal setting it is permissible to say that you are glad to meet you and will certainly chat during the evening.

It’s not worth saying that you have heard a lot about relatives or friends of the hero of the day, but a compliment: “Nice to meet you. I'm glad that Sergei has such friends, ”may come in handy.

In a friendly and youth circle, guests are often introduced by name, with the consent of the parties, communication can be started immediately on “you”.

If the guests are already sitting at the table, the meal has begun or toasts have been made, the latecomer either quietly takes his place at the table, greets his neighbors and congratulates the hero of the occasion later, or immediately goes to him. In this case, the host of the celebration either introduces a particularly honored guest to the audience and thanks him for the visit, or accepts congratulations and invites the guest to the table.

In a small company, a latecomer is introduced to the audience. At the same time, it is not worth shaking hands with everyone and introducing guests already sitting at the table. A latecomer should confine himself to a general greeting and a nod of the head. If the visitor walks around those present in a circle for a greeting or a personal introduction, the men rise to shake hands, and the women remain seated. Rising, the men take a napkin laid out on their knees with their left hand.

seating arrangement

Attention should be paid to the seating rules for guests during a festive banquet, wedding, etc. During a particularly solemn event, places are distributed “by rank”. Before entering the hall, a seating chart is set, and guests take their places according to the cover cards with names.

At a gala dinner, the host of the evening or the person in whose honor the celebration is organized usually takes a place at the head of the table. To the right of the owner is the lady of honor.

Although during a friendly dinner, those gathered take places according to their interests, one should adhere to the accepted rules and not plant a husband and wife or several women next to each other. The alternation at the table of men and women will provide an opportunity to look after the ladies and help them.

At a wedding, where relatives of two different families meet at the same table, relatives who have not seen each other for a long time, elderly relatives and young people, special attention should be paid to seating. Husbands and wives should not be planted next to each other. It is better to plant relatives from two families mixed up - this way they will get to know each other faster. Young people should be seated closer to the dance floor and sound amplifiers.

On a date, psychologists recommend sitting not opposite each other, but side by side in order to be closer. However, on first dates at a small table, it is better to sit face to face - it is easier to carry on a conversation, maintain an eye and keep a personal distance.

The company should pay attention to topics of interest to everyone, and not talk in person.

From the menu A La Carte in an official situation or at a meeting with unfamiliar people, it is better to make a classic choice: one dish from different categories. You shouldn't surprise your date with an unusual choice on a first date or partners during a business meeting, just as you shouldn't tell them about your diet. Restaurant rules do not prohibit choosing any dishes, for example, two starters and no hot dishes. In this case, you should warn the waiter when it is better to serve them, for example, one of the appetizers at the same time as the hot one for the companion.

Today, a general scheme for serving dishes has been formed: cold appetizers, first course (soup), hot appetizers, second hot dishes - fish, second hot dishes - meat, dessert - a sweet dish, cheese, fresh fruit, coffee. However, any of the categories can be skipped.

If the companions choose dishes from different categories, it is worth warning the waiter that the dishes can be served at the same time, otherwise the dish of each next category will be served only after the previous one has been eaten.

If the dishes on the menu are unknown or you are in doubt about how they will be served, it is acceptable to ask the waiter for details. At a meeting with business partners, it is more convenient to choose well-known dishes. Particular attention should be paid to dishes of unusual, haute and national cuisine.

In a pair of a man - a woman, a question is asked to the waiter by a man, at a meeting of business partners - the host of the evening, that is, the inviting party.

If you are invited, you should not choose the most expensive and cheapest dishes. It is tactless to count on paying for expensive dishes, while ordering the cheapest one can offend the invitee.

When choosing a menu, you should take into account the age and taste inclinations of the guests. The hosts of the holiday will look at their best if they carefully consider the menu.

Do not get carried away with rare dishes, unless you have organized a banquet with gourmet cuisine. The menu should correspond to the general tastes and level of guests.

Do not try to "feed" the guests - the holiday should be remembered not only by the treat.

Lack of food will also ruin your mood. Everything is good in moderation!

For children, provide a special menu. If you know that there are vegetarians among the guests, order some special dishes for them.

Beverages

Choice

The choice of drinks depends on the composition of the audience and the situation. So, on a date, especially the first one, you should not order strong drinks. The best attributes of a date are wine, champagne, cocktails or soft drinks. Beer on a date is acceptable if the lady likes this drink. But it is better to order beer in a friendly company or in a family circle.

During a date, family or friendly party, everyone chooses a drink for themselves or, by agreement, one sort of wine or a bottle of champagne. It is not worth insisting on your tastes. Choosing a variety of champagne, you should support the choice of a lady. The inviting party should not limit the choice of invitees.

If visitors have doubts about the selection of wine for a dish, you should ask the waiter for advice. Or make a classic order: red wine with meat, and white with chicken and fish.

The waiter is informed about wine or other drink of a certain brand or year of production. An establishment where the desired drink is not available offers a similar taste or is available.

Whether to take into account the advice of a waiter or a sommelier is a personal matter of the client.

A business meeting both in the daytime and in the evening does not involve ordering alcohol. At the end of the negotiations, it is permissible to order a glass of wine. The inviting party offers: "Let me treat you", "Let me offer a glass of wine." Asking which drink the partner prefers is not supposed to. It is better to make an offer: “Let me offer whiskey”, - then the partner will be able to express his wishes in response: “I will not refuse” or “I prefer ...”

Tasting

Tasting allows you to evaluate the quality of the wine: whether it smells of mold, whether there are crumbs from the cork. During the tasting, you are not supposed to ask for another bottle if you have chosen the wrong wine. A mistake in choosing a semi-dry or sweet variety is not a reason to open a new bottle. You will have to make a new order, paying extra.

Experts can also evaluate the taste and aroma of a well-known wine of a certain year or vintage, compliance with storage and serving rules.

If you've never tasted wine before, don't pretend to be a connoisseur by sniffing your glass. It is better to behave naturally and appreciate the taste of the drink.

Toast

Toasts - toasts and eulogies - an ancient custom, originally associated with the offering of sacrifices to the gods.

Word toast came to us from English: toast- a feasting wish. There is an opinion that in medieval England, dried bread was dipped into a glass of wine and whiskey. (toast) to add taste and aroma to the drink. While waiting for the bread to get wet, the British told each other parables and legends. According to another assumption, the word toast associated with the English custom of the first half of the 19th century to put a glass of drink with a toasted slice of bread in front of the speaker.

Toast is an indispensable attribute of a feast. Topics, text, intonation of the toast are chosen depending on the situation. A little home rehearsal will help to feel confident and at ease during the speech. In order not to stray, it is permissible to arrange the text of the toast in the form of a postcard or a congratulatory address and read it.

The person to whom the toast is addressed usually makes a return speech - the exceptions are especially important people. All wishes can be answered with one toast.

On a date in a restaurant, the man usually makes the toast first, but if the woman has taken the initiative in her own hands, you should not interrupt.

At official receptions, the toast is pronounced in a solemn form and includes a greeting to the guest of honor, a wish to the assembled guests of prosperity and happiness, and assurances of the parties in the reciprocity of friendly feelings.

The guest of honor pronounces a response toast with an expression of gratitude for the hospitality rendered and expresses interest in the meeting.

Drinks that are combined with toasts addressed to a respected person, the president, a crowned person, as well as in honor of the leadership or newlyweds, are usually drunk to the bottom, expressing their respect.

To refuse to raise a glass in someone's honor is to show disrespect. Even if you are a non-drinker, you should pretend that you are ready to drain the glass and at least sip the drink.

It is not customary to clink glasses at official breakfasts, lunches and dinners. You should raise the glass with other guests a little higher and keep eye contact. If the glasses are in contact, then the men hold the glasses lower than the glasses of the ladies.

Depending on the type of reception, toasts are made either after dessert, when champagne is served, or 10–15 minutes after the start of the reception.

It is not supposed to make toasts more than once every 10-15 minutes.

The person to whom the toast is addressed should wait, raising the glass, until all the guests have drunk, and only then take a sip of the drink.

The first toast is addressed to the hero of the occasion or a high-ranking leader. At a reception in honor of a distinguished guest, the guest makes the following toast of thanks.

If there is a toastmaster at the table, the host of the celebration gives him the floor to lead the feast after the first toast.

The toastmaster (master of the feast) determines the order in which those present will speak. The most honored or senior guests are the first to toast.

Toasts and toasts at a dinner party in honor of noble persons are pronounced standing up.

The man in whose honor a toast is made, addressed personally to him, must stand up and listen while standing. Women can't get up.

If a man speaks on behalf of the assembled men, then all the men stand up with raised glasses, joining what was said.

During the toast, the guests stop eating and talking. Drinking from a glass before the end of the speech is not supposed to.

The speaker raises his glass first. If the person making the toast began his speech without taking a glass, then the rest listen to the wishes without glasses in their hands, raising them only at the end of the speech.

Remember: a toast is not raised or drunk - it is pronounced. They drink drinks and raise their glasses.

Proclaiming a toast with a cocktail is not customary, it is permissible with whiskey, punch, beer, dessert wine or port.

Tamada should remember: toasting is a voluntary matter. Not everyone has the eloquence or the courage to speak in public. To persuade, and even more so to demand from the neighbors on the table to make a speech, is tactless.

It is not customary to force people to drink alcohol.

The optimal time for one toast is three minutes. Do not torment guests with too long, confusing speech.

Fans of active gestures while making a speech should be especially careful - gestures distract from words, and their hands are busy with a glass.

Order

After the choice of dishes by those present, the order is announced by the inviting party or each for himself. On a date, a man makes an order. If the girl has any questions, it is supposed to convey them through a satellite, and not contact the waiter directly. This rule is often violated by modern women.

When ordering, you should first name the choice of the guest or companion, then your own.

Even knowing the tastes of a companion, you should not place an order before his arrival - it is better to order a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and wait.

In the circle of family and friends, of course, it is convenient to order any, even the most rare or complex dish, even if you do not know exactly how it should be consumed. Surprising partners in a business setting is not recommended. During a business dinner, it is better to make a classic order: a cold appetizer and a hot dish.

If you are going to talk, you should warn the waiter when it is best to serve starters and hot dishes.

If you are invited, pay attention to the price category of the dish - can the person who invited you pay for it?

On a date, it is permissible to clarify whether a man is ready to pay for an expensive dish: “Do you think I should order this?” A man will either offer you to make any choice and try, or find a reason to change the order.

If the restaurant does not have the menu dish you have chosen, ask the waiter what to replace it with. Angrily leaving the restaurant is tactless. The inviting party should not apologize to the partner - you can order another dish for a business dinner. But you should apologize to the girl and offer to choose another dish or go to another restaurant.

It's not easy to change an order, so think first, then order.

If you mistakenly ordered two appetizers and no hot dish, in response to the waiter's clarification, calmly inform that you want to order exactly this combination.

Devices

Knowing how to use cutlery, you will feel confident at the table, this will allow you to enjoy your meal to the maximum and demonstrate good manners.

If you are unfamiliar with the dish and uncertain about the use of appliances, practice before you go to a banquet, to a restaurant of national cuisine, on a date or an important meeting.

Appliances for the main hot dish are called "canteens". This is a well-known meat or fish knife, fork and spoon.

Appliances differ depending on the dish to which they are served. Appetizers are served with appetizers and some hot dishes such as scrambled eggs and pancakes. The snack knife is shorter than usual, its length is equal to the diameter of the snack plate.

Knives are served with the tip towards the plate, and the forks with the tines up. The ends of the instrument handles should visually be in one straight line.

For dessert, there is a small dessert spoon, a small knife and a three-pronged fork. A dessert knife and fork is used if cake, pie, melon, watermelon, and cheeses are served.

A dessert spoon is served with sweet dishes: ice cream, pudding, etc. A flat spoon similar to a spatula can be brought to ice cream.

Fruit is served with a fruit knife and a two-pronged fork.

If there are already appliances on the table at the time of seating, they should not be touched. If you order a dish that requires other utensils, they will be brought, and the extra ones will be removed. If there are still too many appliances left, for each next dish, you should take the last appliance, farthest from the plate.

The cutlery to the right of the plate is taken and held during the meal with the right hand, and to the left - with the left. Even if you are left-handed, you are not supposed to change devices in places. The exception is the so-called soft dishes, such as vegetables or scrambled eggs, as well as minced meat dishes that are not customary to cut with a knife (cutlets, meatballs) or dumplings. In this case, it is permissible to take the fork in the right hand and eat only with the fork.

Europeans eat meat, gradually cutting off parts from a large piece with a knife and fork. Americans, on the other hand, first cut the meat into pieces, and then shift the fork to the right hand.

Dessert and fruit cutlery is often placed parallel to one another behind the dinner plate. The dessert device is taken with the hand in which direction the handle is located.

The butter knife is located on the edge of the plate of bread, parallel or perpendicular to the edge of the table.

During a banquet with service or seating in a circle, a different type of wine is served with each new dish, while the glasses are changed. One device with spices is served for two guests.

Any national dish is permissible to eat with a knife and fork. If only chopsticks are served, you can ask the waiter to bring a regular utensil. There is no need to apologize for incompetence. If you find yourself at the table with a partner from this country, you can discuss with him the features of using the devices, but you should not say that these devices are inconvenient.

It is not supposed to bend over the plate. A fork or spoon should be brought to the mouth.

The used cutlery must not touch the tablecloth. If there is a pause in the meal, the knife and fork should be rested on the edge of the plate with the prongs down.

After finishing the meal, the knife and fork are placed parallel to each other - like clock hands showing 17.20.

Napkin

A linen napkin as an element of table setting is placed on a snack plate in front of each guest. Usually the napkin is starched and originally folded.

The ability or inability to use a napkin immediately distinguishes the guest. Regardless of the solemnity of the dinner, it is not supposed to remove the napkin from the plate in advance, as well as put it aside or place the menu on the snack plate.

While waiting for the dishes to be served, you should not wind the napkin around your finger, straighten it, play, look at the patterns. When they begin to deliver dishes, the napkin must be unfolded and placed on your knees. Do not fasten the napkin on the chest or neck, even if you are afraid for a suit or dress.

The napkin folds in half, but not exactly in half - it is better that the lower part is longer than the upper one: then the dirt will not get on the clothes, but only on the bottom layer of the napkin.

A napkin lying on your knees is designed to wipe your fingertips at the end of a meal. When eating, use paper napkins. Linen napkins do not remove lipstick from the lips and do not wipe the mouth by lifting the napkin from the knees.

If the napkin falls, the waiter brings a new one. If the waiter does not notice the fallen napkin himself, a clean napkin should be asked for.

After finishing the meal, you should first use a napkin and only then leave the table.

Leaving the table, the napkin is left on the table, to the right of the plate. It is wrong to leave a napkin on the seat or back of a chair, and even more so put it on a plate.

It is not supposed to fold the napkin along the arrows, as it was originally, even if you did not use it much.

Conversation

The restaurant combines dining with socializing. Classic rule: three pieces - a replica. The theme is determined by the situation and the composition of the guests. However, medical topics, politics and controversy are considered taboo.

During a date or a friendly party, questions that need to be answered are best asked when serving appetizers and dessert. At a business meeting, the conversation can be either after ordering and before serving dishes, or after dessert. Business conversations should not be interrupted.

During the story, do not brandish a knife and fork. Speak so that the other person can hear you, but not so loudly as to attract the attention of visitors at the next table. It is not supposed to laugh at the whole hall, even if you are gathered in a friendly male or female company.

Placement at the table plays an important role in the communication process. Sitting side by side encourages a friendly environment, but during a business meeting or first dates, it's best to sit facing each other to maintain eye contact and maintain distance.

The number of topics for communication at solemn events is limited. The conversation is with all the guests. If there are many guests, small groups or neighbors communicate with each other. It is important that no one is left alone, so whispering or touching on personal topics is not supposed to.

Keep up the conversation and express attention with your eyes, facial expressions, and a slight forward lean.

During the serving of dishes or cleaning dishes, an important conversation is interrupted.

Swearing, sorting things out at the table is not worth it. The anecdote will undoubtedly amuse those present, but it is better to tell it while waiting for the dish, but not during the meal, so as not to laugh with your mouth full. At a family dinner, you should not persuade the child to finish the portion. It is better to do upbringing at home, and order his favorite food in a restaurant. If the child is dirty, do not rush to publicly scold him.

Basics of Behavior

Politeness, the desire to spend a pleasant evening at a delicious meal in a pleasant company - this is the basis of the rules of conduct in a restaurant.

You should move closer to the table at a distance of one palm. It is not supposed to put your elbows on the table, fall apart on a chair, cross your legs and bend low to the plate. Slightly leaning back in a chair is permissible only when changing dishes.

The free hand during eating should not be lowered under the table on your knees.

Sometimes in a crowded restaurant you can be seated at someone else's table. In this case, it is not necessary to get acquainted - it is enough to say hello. It is also permissible to wish the neighbors a good appetite. Leaving the table, you should politely say goodbye. Try to ignore their conversation, carry on with your conversation. It is not customary to ask random neighbors for advice on the choice of drink or dish, even if their plates contain exactly what you want to order.

You can attract the attention of the waiter with a wave of your hand or a nod. It is tactless to call the waiter by shouting, snapping your finger, and even more so by knocking the cutlery on the plate.

Talking on the phone at a table is bad manners. If possible, do not be distracted by calls or, after apologizing to those present, ask to call you back later. If this is an urgent call, you should leave the table, apologizing again.

Before heading from the table to the bathroom, apologize to your companion and let them know that you will be back quickly: “Sorry, I won’t be long.” If there are several people at the table, permission is conditionally asked from all those present: “With your permission, I will be absent for a while.” At the same time, neither the owners nor other guests are required to give permission.

During a date, you can ask your partner where the toilet is: “I would like to powder my nose, do you know where?” Asking others is not accepted - it is better to check with the staff.

If you are sick, then accepting an invitation is not always tactful. If you have a cold and cough, you should retire from the table. Running out of the table each time is inconvenient, so sneeze and cough as inconspicuously as possible. But blowing your nose at the table is indecent, even as an exception. It doesn't hurt to apologize to your neighbors, tactfully adding that you didn't mean to miss the event. Covering your mouth with a napkin, as well as blowing your nose into it, bad manners.

It is not customary to use toothpicks at the table, even if they are on the table - it is better to use them by taking them to the toilet room.

If you met acquaintances in a restaurant, it is enough to greet each other with a nod. If a friend comes to your table to shake hands or have a short conversation, both the man and the woman should stand up. You should introduce the approached person to your companions only if you invite him to sit at your table. It is tactless to sit down at a table without an invitation - as well as to ask for an introduction or introduce yourself until you are invited and introduced.

At a business meeting, using communication tools like a tablet is acceptable, but not during a meal. It is not supposed to place a laptop on the table while waiting for the dishes to be served.

The behavior of the company should not annoy others. It is not supposed to speak loudly, shouting over each other, as well as frivolously getting to know each other and distracting people at the next table.

Particular attention should be paid to children. Do not teach your child to use a knife and fork if he has not learned it at home, or publicly scold the child for mistakes, dirty mouth or clothes. A child is the same restaurant visitor as an adult. If his napkin or fork has fallen, the waiter will serve a new one - do not climb under the table for them.

If you are the target of harassment, ask the waiter to handle the incident.

The first person to offer to leave the restaurant is the one who invited. On a date, the initiative belongs to the man, but this does not mean that the woman cannot offer to finish the dinner.

men

Men should not forget about the rules of gallantry: move a chair to the lady, monitor the filling of her glass, transfer the lady’s order and her questions to the waiter, offer dishes, conduct and maintain a conversation.

Men are not supposed to take their places at the table until the ladies are seated.

In the presence of women, men should carefully monitor vocabulary and topics of conversation. Do not get carried away with male topics, the conversation should be interesting to everyone.

If a man smokes, he should apologize by going to the smoking room. Smoking at the table is not worth it, even if you were offered an ashtray.

Many establishments do not allow smoking, so you should check with the lady if she agrees to visit a restaurant that allows smoking.

Yes mom

Pomade leaves marks on the glass or cutlery. Before starting a meal, it is recommended to blot your mouth with a paper napkin and put it aside. Scrubbing your lips is not worth it, just like using a woven napkin that is placed on your knees. It is not supposed to take out a mirror at the table - in which case you can visit the toilet room.

Bracelets, especially large ones, often interfere during the meal. It is better to raise them higher so as not to rattle on the table.

Handbag regardless of size, it is better to place it on the back of the chair, on a special hook on the edge of the table or on the back of the chair seat. On the table, for its part, it is permissible to put only a small clutch bag. For an evening reception, they take a miniature suede or leather handbag or clutch. For an informal meeting, you can take a small handbag with short handles or a short strap.

Diet is considered a tactful reason for refusing a private invitation to a restaurant, and there is no need to explain the reason. At a festive banquet, a lady on a diet should choose the available dishes herself. You can order vegetarian food.

Hair, makeup, lipstick And powder corrected in the restroom. It is not customary to take out a mirror at the table and look at yourself in the mirrors of the interior or in the wardrobe.

Bill payment

Paying the bill is important. Doubts about the size of the tip, lack of agreement about who will pay for the party will spoil the impression.

To avoid embarrassment, it is convenient if everyone knows in advance who exactly pays.

Usually the host pays. The girl has the right to count on the payment of the bill by the man who invited her on a date, but you can clarify the plans of the young man.

If a girl does not agree to be paid for, she should openly declare: "I will pay for myself." If there are friendly relations between a young man and a girl, the bill can be paid "in a friendly way", that is, equally or each separately for his order.

It is tactless to ask who will pay at the time of familiarization with the menu and the choice of dishes.

Colleagues and business partners should not take part in paying the bill, it is better to make a return invitation.

Lunch with colleagues assumes that everyone pays for himself.

If those present pay separately, you should warn the waiter about this - he will write out several invoices.

Usually the waiter hands the bill to the man or person who made the order. Only in case of financial difficulties of a man, a woman can take over the payment of the bill.

If the bill is paid by a woman, the man can either receive the required amount from her in advance, or give her the bill brought by the waiter. You can also warn the waiter, and he will immediately give the bill to the lady.

Various forms of behavior of waiters are practiced. Some, having offered a bill, leave and return for payment, while others wait at the table. If there is a need for customers to discuss who pays, it is acceptable to tell the waiter that you will call him later.

Tips

Should I pay the waiter a tip - a small amount over the bill, as a token of gratitude for the quality service?

Tips are voluntary gratitude from the client, and the decision to leave them is your own business.

It is worth leaving a tip only if you are satisfied with the service and cuisine. The waiter is worthy of gratitude if he quickly completed the order, patiently and politely answered questions, quickly responded and you are satisfied with his service.

The expression “to tip” appeared in Russia in the 19th century, when the expression “they go to drink tea together” meant good, friendly relations between people and was more significant than, for example, “to give for vodka”. The explanatory dictionary of Dmitry Ushakov interprets the expression "for tea" as "a reward for small services in excess of salary."

In Europe, a tip is called tips. According to legend, in the 30s of the 18th century, the high society of England often spent their afternoons in the so-called "tea gardens". There were boxes on the tables with the inscription "T.I.P.S." ("To Insure Prompt Service") - "for quick service." Dropping a coin, the visitor quickly received hot tea.

Tipping should be given special attention. Too small a tip will upset a helpful waiter, too much will surprise. We are unlikely to refuse a big tip, but in most European countries a larger amount than is customary is inappropriate and may even offend.

In European institutions, visitors leave about 10% of the bill - as in modern Russia. However, the size of the tip often depends on the type of establishment and the unwritten rules that have developed among frequent visitors.

In a restaurant where the average bill is about 1000 rubles, a tip of 10% is accepted, if more than 3000 rubles, then most guests leave a tip of 500 rubles for two guests.

When paying off a bill of 300-350 rubles, it is enough to leave 20-30 rubles or nothing. It will not be a mistake to bring the invoice amount to the nearest "round number". In an evening institution with a bill of 900 rubles, the waiter will most likely get 100 rubles.

In our country, service personnel receive the largest tips in Moscow. If you like the service, then wherever you are, leave 10% of the bill.

If you don't like the service, leave a few small coins on the saucer to express your dissatisfaction.

In some establishments, tips may be included in the bill. In this case, an entry will appear in the menu: “tips included in the cost of service” (Eng. tips included, fr. service compris, German trinkgeld inberifen). In this case, you do not need to leave something extra. When ordering a banquet, service tips are often included in the bill.

Sometimes on the bill you can see the phrase: "Reward to the waiter is welcome, but always at your discretion." Act on your own!

If the inscription on the bill calls for a tip to evaluate the work of the waiters or the client is ready to thank for good service, but pays with a credit card, the tip is left in cash after the payment is made or the check is signed.

The tip is decided by the client. In a friendly company, it is permissible to discuss the issue of tips, but it is not customary to clarify the opinion of business partners, as well as the invited lady.

Friends or colleagues who pay the bill equally discuss and share tips. In the case of paying separate bills, everyone decides for himself.

It is tactless to flaunt an excessive tip in front of a lady. Leaving a large amount on a tip in front of a lady, be prepared to spend money on her, otherwise you will cause resentment.

Cocktail

"Cocktail" - the most common form of reception. A cocktail is organized during meetings with prominent foreign statesmen or cultural figures, on the days of conferences or symposiums, when meeting and seeing off delegations, etc. A cocktail is sometimes held before an official lunch or dinner.

A cocktail can be organized in honor of a birthday or in honor of an important event, for example, the launch of a new product line, the opening of a branch, an award, etc.

The purpose of the cocktail is informal communication with partners, establishing contacts and connections.

At a cocktail party, it is not necessary to get to know and communicate with everyone, but you should greet the hosts of the reception. The conversation is not supposed to touch on personal or secret topics so that everyone present can join the conversation.

It is permissible to introduce yourself, but you should not introduce yourself to persons of a higher rank, of advanced age.

The cocktail lasts about two hours. In invitations to a cocktail, the time is often indicated not only for the beginning, but also for the end. Guests can come and go from the cocktail party at any time. A business or official reception is supposed to leave according to subordination, not earlier than honorary and higher-ranking guests.

It is also not supposed to leave a corporate cocktail before the management - just like appearing after the bosses.

This type of reception takes its name from the main drink served that evening, but other alcoholic drinks may also be served.

The cocktail starts between 17 and 19 hours, is an evening, but not officially solemn. A cocktail is often chosen with a large number of guests. High (due to the fact that the event is held standing) tables are placed near the walls, columns. Guests may be offered several tables to sit at.

Snacks that are easy to take with wooden or plastic skewers, mini-forks or chopsticks are served by waiters or displayed on a cocktail table and are small "one bite" dishes: canapé sandwiches, small sandwiches, tartlets with salads or caviar, nuts and fruits .

Hot snacks can also be served, for example, small meatballs, kebabs.

For dessert, cookies or cakes are served. Coffee is offered at the end of the reception.

Drinks are served by waiters. They can also be ordered from the buffet bar. A napkin served with a cocktail should be wrapped around the glass. In the first 15 minutes, guests can be offered soft drinks, juices, mineral water, then - strong and at the end of the reception - again non-alcoholic.

The dress code is set in the invitation by the word "cocktail". Clothing for men - a suit of both dark and light colors. For women - a cocktail dress, a light trouser suit. Cocktail dress - short to medium length, often plain, but for less formal events, a bright and elegant dress in silk, satin and chiffon with short sleeves or sleeveless is acceptable. In the latter case, the dress is often complemented by a shawl or jacket.

The restaurant has a separate room for cocktails.

The cocktail is served with a straw. It is not supposed to strain the drink from the glass to the last drop - it is better to take a new glass. You should not, however, abuse alcoholic cocktails. During the reception, it is important to maintain the reputation and appearance. The classic norm is one cocktail per evening.

buffet

Buffet - evening reception, which is held from 17.00 to 19.00.

The name of the technique comes from the French word fourchette(fork). Dishes are placed on the table, and guests scoop snacks into their plates with forks.

Guests are met by the hosts or organizers of the event. Greeters do not have to be near the entrance. You can come to the buffet at any time, it is enough to meet the guests at the entrance to the hall at the indicated start time of the reception - then the guests themselves will greet the hosts during the evening. It is convenient if the head waiter or a restaurant employee will indicate the hall to the guests.

Unlike a cocktail, a buffet usually serves fewer drinks, but more snacks.

Plates are placed at the beginning of the buffet table. The food is first transferred to a plate and only then eaten. Used dishes are left on the table or put on special trays. The number of approaches to the table is not limited. Each time you should take a new plate.

Cold and hot appetizers are served at the buffet. The menu usually offers 12-16 items of cold appetizers and dishes and 1-3 items of hot appetizers. Hot appetizers are brought in on trays by waiters approximately 30 minutes after the start of the banquet. Near the tray with hot snacks, plates and cutlery are placed: forks or skewers.

Cheeses are served before dessert. At the end of the reception - champagne, ice cream and coffee. Dessert and champagne are carried by the waiters, offering each guest. Dessert is brought into the hall 15 minutes after hot appetizers.

You should not put on a plate and mix meat and fish snacks, especially dessert. Even small snacks are supposed to be taken with a device located on a dish, but not with your hand.

Hot snacks are transferred to a plate, which is held in the left hand. Each new piece is taken with a new skewer, it's not worth saving.

You should not put a glass on a plate - neither when you go to the table, nor when you take the dishes.

If mushrooms are served in cocotte makers, you should take the cocotte maker by the handle with a papillot put on it with your left hand so as not to burn yourself, and with your right hand - a spoon and bread.

You should not rush to take champagne at the same time as dessert. The glass should be taken after the empty bowl or dessert plate is removed.

The dress code for the event is specified on the invitation and is usually the same as for the cocktail party.

Buffet

Buffet (or buffet) is one of the most democratic ways of serving. Dishes are placed on the table, and guests collect portions on their plates - as if the ancestors of modern Scandinavians were treating themselves. Drinks are served by waiters to order.

The buffet is good for informal receptions. To make it festive, you can decorate the table with flowers.

Usually the buffet is not specified in the invitation. The dress code specified in the invitation is determined by the occasion of the event.

Some restaurants offer a buffet not only to order, but also on certain days.

When choosing food, it is not supposed to mix cold and hot food. The number of approaches and portions is usually not limited. For the first approach to the table, an invitation follows, for example, after a short welcome speech.

Each time, approaching the table for food, you should take a new plate, napkin and cutlery. Do not dial too much, it is better to approach again.

It is customary to place the sauce or seasoning at the top right of the plate, and leave the upper left corner for the bones from olives or fish.

The used plate and cutlery stacked on it in parallel should be left on the table - the waiter will remove them.

It is worth distinguishing between a buffet as a form of serving guests in the evening and breakfast at a hotel. During breakfast, one plate is often used.

Service Rules

Serving meals

The waiter will undoubtedly take care of the serving of dishes in the restaurant. However, knowing the rules of submission will help you feel confident and avoid any kind of embarrassment.

If at the time of seating the table is already served, you should not touch the cutlery ahead of time, straighten the napkin or rearrange the glasses.

Usually, dishes are served on the table in the order they are offered on the menu and the order in which they are ordered. Having chosen several dishes of the same category, you should tell the waiter when it is best to serve them.

It is acceptable to ask for the children's menu to be brought faster, especially if the establishment has a play corner.

In a friendly company or family circle, you can change the serving sequence by warning the waiter.

During the banquet, it is not supposed to change the sequence of serving on an individual order. On a date, especially on the first one, it is also better to stick to the established rules.

If for some personal reasons you still decide to change the order of serving, inform the waiter about it.

A guest can skip serving a particular dish. You cannot return to a missed dish, but you can make an additional order in a friendly company.

There are three main methods of serving dishes: French (carry-out), English (using a serving table) and Russian (on a common table).

Most establishments use the French method. In this case, the waiter brings the finished dish. Ready, portioned dishes are served on the right. During a banquet with seating in a circle, some dishes are laid out on the plates of guests from a large dish by the waiter. The dishes laid out on plates are served from the left side.

Sometimes guests collect their portion themselves from the dish brought by the waiter. At the same time, the waiter approaches the guest on the left and holds the dish in his left hand. If a salad or other garnish sticks to the indentation of a spoon, it is enough to scrape the spoon with a sliding motion of the fork.

When serving dishes, the temperature regime must be observed. It is advisable to serve hot dishes on heated plates, caviar - in a caviar bowl, in which a glass rosette and ice are placed. The temperature of cold appetizers - up to 14 °C, hot - 75 °C, soups - 75–90 °C, hot meat and fish dishes - 65–75 °C.

Hot appetizers are usually served in the container they were cooked in, such as a cocotte maker. Cocotte makers are placed on a pie plate.

Most restaurants of European cuisine offer a wide range of second courses of fish, meat, poultry, vegetables in boiled, fried, stewed, baked and other types.

The order of serving second courses: fish, then meat and poultry dishes, then vegetable, egg, dairy.

Most often, 3-4 dishes are ordered: a cold or hot appetizer, a first course, a hot fish or meat dish, and a dessert. Usually a cold appetizer is served before the soup, and a hot appetizer is served after it, but variations are also possible.

A dinner of five or more courses is served on special occasions. At the same time, after the hot meat there is a vegetable dish or both cold and hot snacks are ordered.

The English method involves serving dishes on a serving table and portioning in front of visitors. The dish is conveniently located on the left side of the serving table, and the plates are on the right. The waiters put the food on the plates in the following order: main product, side dish, sauce, greens. The plate is served from the right side and with the right hand.

The waiters tend to make the portions the same; if someone gets a little more side dish or a smaller piece, it is not supposed to be indicated.

The Russian serving method is convenient for a group of friends. Cold and hot snacks and dishes are placed on the common table, and guests serve themselves. It is not supposed to take food from a common dish with your fork. It is customary to take a portion from a common dish from above or from the edge, and not to choose better pieces.

Sauces can be served individually for each guest. They are placed on the left hand of the guest.

At the time of serving dishes, drinks, changing appliances, guests should not help the waiter. If it is inconvenient for the waiter to approach the guest from the left, he can also approach from the right. The main task of service is the convenience and comfort of guests.

Some restaurants bring bread and butter before serving.

For fish snacks include caviar (granular, pressed, chum salmon), fish (salted, aspic, boiled, stuffed, marinated, smoked, fish salads), seafood (crabs, lobsters, shrimps, crayfish, oysters, etc.).

Meat snacks: meat (boiled, aspic), sausages, smoked meats, meat salads, boiled and aspic poultry, game and poultry salads.

Vegetable snacks: vegetable and mushroom salads, pickles, olives or olives.

Soups: transparent, puree-like, milky, cold.

Hot dishes often offered in sections: fish, meat, poultry, vegetables.

Often the menu is served by a sommelier to immediately offer an aperitif and help in choosing drinks.

The menu is served to the guest open on the first page. It's not worth reaching out to him. If there are several equal guests at the table, then the menu will be served first to the one who is sitting farthest from the waiter. In another case, the rule is used: children - women - men - by seniority. In the women's team, no distinction is made between women by age.

Noticing cigarettes or a lighter on the table, the waiter brings an ashtray along with the menu or explains where you can smoke.

During an official event, dishes are served "by rank": first, more important, honored guests, then women and the owner of the table.

Snacks are served on the table within 10 minutes after ordering. The first and second hot dishes appear on the table within 15 minutes after the order, if the time was not specified additionally. Desserts, coffee and tea - within 10 minutes after ordering.

Do not rush to start the meal as soon as you have a plate of food in front of you - you should wait until the plates appear in front of all the guests.

Immediately after serving, you can start eating only soup.

The next dish is not served until all participants in the meal have finished the previous one. It is not worth delaying the meal and holding up the entire table.

Used dishes are removed from the right side, as soon as the guests are ready, regardless of rank.

The end of the meal is indicated by the arrangement of the cutlery: the knife and fork are placed on the plate with their handles parallel, even if there is still food left on the plate. The soup spoon is left in the bowl.

In no case should you help the waiter clear the table, even if you came to the restaurant with your family and children.

You should not put plates one into another, especially glasses on an empty plate or move plates to the edge of the table, demonstrating the end of the meal.

Do not put used paper napkins in a glass or glass.

The waiter should ask the guest if it's time to clear something from the table. If you have not finished your meal, and the waiter has started cleaning, you should stop him.

When clearing the dishes, the waiter usually moves around the table in a clockwise direction. Glasses and glasses are removed with the right hand to the right of the guest.

Do not call the waiter who is cleaning the dishes from the next table. Taking dirty plates from the table, the waiter must immediately take them away so as not to stop and put dirty dishes on someone else's table. It is enough to give a sign, and the waiter will return to your table.

A dessert card is served when all guests have finished their meal and the plates are removed after the hot dish.

The waiter should clarify whether it is time / whether the dish can be served. Sometimes the waiter warns the guest that the dish will be served when ready.

From time to time, the waiter asks the visitors if they like everything, if they want something else. A short “yes, thank you” answer is enough. Admire or criticize the kitchen is not worth it.

It is permissible to ask for a replacement dish only if the cooking standards are not met or the dish is served half-baked or sloppy. If the dish did not like the taste, it is not supposed to demand a replacement.

If the dish is not served with sauce, do not ask for mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise. Even if visitors are accustomed to such food at home, it is better to eat the proposed menu in a restaurant.

If smoking is still allowed, then in the case when one person smokes at the table, the ashtray is changed after each cigarette. There are two ashtrays for four or more guests. Cigarettes and matches are served to visitors on the left.

The serving of coffee announces the end of the meal. Coffee and tea are served with sugar, sometimes with lemon. After stirring the sugar, the spoon should be removed and put on a saucer.

The account is served on the left side.

Serving drinks

Drinks are an important part of a meal. If the restaurant has a sommelier, he will be the first to approach visitors, present a card and offer to help with the choice. The waiter can also offer the most suitable drink for the selected dish.

Glasses must match the chosen drink. A red wine glass is more rounded than a white glass, and a champagne glass should be narrow. The shape of the glass emphasizes the taste. So, in a more rounded glass, the visitor will feel the aroma of red wine better, and a champagne glass narrowed to the top contributes to the formation of bubbles.

Sometimes, in addition to the main price list, a wine list can be served, dividing them into white table wines, red table wines, sparkling and dessert wines, or a cocktail list.

Before the arrival of visitors, waiters are allowed to carry glasses in their hands, turning them upside down. However, in the presence of guests, glasses are always served on a tray. When serving a glass to guests, the waiter holds it at the main or by the leg.

If the table is served with one glass, it is located 2.5 cm above the table knife. Several glasses are placed in one line in the order of their use, starting from the right.

There is a rule for coordinating the serving of dishes and drinks. Working together, the sommelier and the waiter coordinate the serving.

Before serving the menu, visitors are offered an aperitif - a drink that stimulates the appetite.

If guests have not expressed any special wishes, then aperitifs are served within 4-5 minutes after their order. Drinks must be served within 5 minutes of ordering.

In the case of serving an aperitif before the invitation to the banquet hall, first bring hot drinks, then cold soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. Wine glasses and glasses are placed on a tray on a napkin. It will be convenient for guests if the glasses are located at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Tall glasses are placed in the center of the tray, low glasses are placed closer to the edge.

Most often, juices, vermouth with ice, cocktails, and wines are served as an aperitif. The most popular aperitif is champagne.

Etiquette rules suggest no more than one glass of aperitif.

Do not pounce on nuts and snacks served with an aperitif - other dishes will soon follow.

Non-alcoholic drinks can be served with all meals except ice cream and fruit.

Since wine is an accompaniment to the meal, the sommelier offers a wine list after the order is accepted.

Wines are served before the corresponding dish: white before red, dry before sweet, young before old. However, the visitor can choose his own sequence and combination of wines.

An exception may be the serving of certain wines to dishes presented in advance as part of the program of the evening. The degree of drinks during the meal goes up.

Drinks are served poured into glasses, or they are poured at the table. It is not supposed to pour an effervescent drink in advance, for example, champagne.

For each new drink, a clean glass is served. Each guest is offered a glass for soft drinks, it is placed on the right.

The next drink is served after the used glasses are removed.

To remove glasses and bottles from the table is supposed to be on the right side of the client with the right hand. But glasses for soft drinks in a jug or bottle are not removed until the end of the meal.

The visitor making the order is the first to taste the drink. If he approved the drink and did not ask someone else at the table to try, such as his lady, the drink is poured to the others.

Carbonated drinks and aperitifs are not tasted.

Glasses for the last drink are removed after the bill is paid and the visitors leave. Therefore, after finishing the meal and not intending to make the next order, you should ask for the bill, but do not wait until the glasses are removed.

When seating guests in a circle, the waiter pours wine and other drinks in a circle - on the right side of each seated person. It is not supposed to help the waiter, leaning to the side, to raise and bring the glass to the bottle.

A bottle of wine or champagne is uncorked by a waiter. However, a man in the company of a lady or a male company can take the initiative of bottling. In this case, the first round is poured by the waiter, and then it must be said that then you serve yourself. Not having received such instructions, the waiter will monitor whether the glasses are filled.

If drinks are served in glasses, they are placed on the right hand of the guest, at an angle of 45 °, in descending order of the height of the glasses.

Before the dessert, the sommelier or the waiter can remind you about the possibility of ordering dessert wines. Dessert wines are classified as sweet and serve as an addition to a sweet dish.

Digestives, i.e. alcoholic drinks served after a meal: liquor, cognac, whiskey, are ordered before coffee is served. The digestif is served with coffee.

It is not allowed to bring alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks to the restaurant. Exceptions are "Bring Your Own Liquors" restaurants that are not licensed to sell liquor.

Water for washing hands

Some restaurants serve a bowl of water for hand washing at the beginning of the meal. Water is also served with shrimp, crayfish and some other dishes, such as chicken or seafood.

Asking for water to wash your hands is not supposed to: if this is not accepted in the institution, you will be refused.

A vase filled with water by a third or half is served on a flat plate to each visitor.

A slice of lemon, a few rose petals or flower buds, and flavored oil can be added to the water.

In water, slightly moisten your fingers by rubbing them together. Dipping the entire brush into the vase or washing the whole hand is not supposed to.

A napkin is provided for drying your hands, do not use your table napkin!

hot towel

In restaurants of national cuisine, a towel is often served before meals. If the towel is hot, do not throw it on the table, blow it - just unfold it and it will cool down.

National cuisines

Knowledge of the peculiarities of the use of certain dishes and their combinations, the ability to use cutlery and awareness of the rules of conduct will make visiting a national restaurant pleasant and the meal more delicious.

Japanese food

Japanese cuisine is known for a wide range of numerous seafood, special rules for decorating, serving and serving dishes, and traditional ceremonies.

Feed Features

Japanese cuisine is characterized by the seasonality of the use of products. During the cooking process, minimal processing of products, their naturalness is preferable. Particular attention is paid to fresh products. Raw fish is often offered in Japanese cuisine. If you don't like it, feel free to ask if fish is used in the preparation of the dish.

By tradition, all ordered dishes are served at the same time, alternate serving is not accepted.

European restaurants often offer menu cards with pictures depicting the food. If you are not sure that you will pronounce the name correctly, it is permissible to place an order by the number of the dish or by pointing to the picture.

Most Japanese food is eaten with hashi sticks. For soup and some dishes, spoons are used. Visitors who do not own hashi can ask for familiar appliances. Learning how to work hashi is better at home, and not at a date and a business meeting.

Khashi come in different shapes and sizes, distinguish between female, male and children's forms. Khasi is made from various types of trees, bones. In restaurants, visitors are offered disposable wooden or less often plastic hashi. It is not supposed to give hashi to another.

Before eating, Japanese restaurants often serve a wet towel - oshibori - to wipe the face and hands. It can be served hot in winter and chilled in summer.

Usually oshibori is served on a special stand or plate. In some restaurants, the waiter waits for the customers to wipe their hands and return the oshibori, in others, the oshibori is served for the entire meal, and it remains on the plate.

During a business or formal lunch, assorted snacks: sushi, rolls, pieces of fish or meat - can be served on a common dish. The guests put the hashi snacks on their plate. Eating from a common dish, as well as taking a common dish in hand to choose snacks, is not allowed.

At the end of the meal, black or green tea is served with desserts, most of which are made from rice or bean dough and are low in calories.

The traditional Japanese table is lower than the European one; people sit on the floor behind it: in an official position on their heels, straightening the body, or - in the case of an informal meeting - legs crossed in front of them.

Rules of conduct at the table

Eating in Japan is closely surrounded by ceremonies and traditions. So, before the start of the meal, I must say itadakimas!, i.e. I accept with gratitude or I will taste it with pleasure.

Since all dishes are served at the same time, it is permissible to taste different dishes first and then proceed to eat.

Sushi can be eaten in turn by variety and interspersed. However, it is better to start with those wrapped in nori seaweed. Wet rice softens the seaweed, and the roll can fall apart.

It is not worth inviting a partner to a Japanese restaurant for a business conversation - the atmosphere is not conducive to work, but for closer communication, the development of contacts - it is quite acceptable.

Should I invite a girl on a first date to a Japanese restaurant? If both of you are not fans of this particular cuisine, you should not: it is difficult to make a choice, and the inability to use hashi will confuse the girl.

Speaking of hashi. During a break in food, hashi is placed across the plate opposite the plate, on a special narrow stand, with sharp ends to the left. It is not worth putting them on a plate either during a pause in food or at the end of a meal. After finishing the meal, the hashi is left on the stand. Hasi is not supposed to wave, point them, call the waiter. Hashi, clenched in a fist, is perceived by the Japanese as a threat. Hasi is not supposed to be licked. It is also not customary to prick food on them.

After eating a dish served in a bowl with a lid, the bowl is closed with a lid, which is a sign for the waiter.

Japanese restaurants offer a wide selection of familiar drinks, but it is traditional to order green tea or sake with Japanese dishes.

It is customary to drink tea in small sips between sushi, and sake - warm, before the start of the meal.

You are not supposed to pour your own drinks. It is better if the table neighbors fill each other's glasses. However, the younger must pour to the elder if the elder has an empty glass or glass. If the drink is poured for you, move the glass to the pourer, expressing respect.

The Japanese feast does not involve toasting, but you can touch glasses and say "kampai!" (to the dregs!).

Rice in Japan is treated with the same respect as bread. They eat rice from a cup, without shifting it to another plate as a side dish. In this case, the cup should be held in the left hand at chest level.

In Japanese tradition, it is customary to raise a cup of soup, rice or sauce, tea during the tea ceremony to chest level, demonstrating in this way what you feel with your heart.

Lunch often begins with a small portion of rice, followed by soup. If the soup is not served with a spoon, then you should drink the broth and eat the dressing with the help of hashi. A cup of broth is raised to chest level. However, it is permissible to ask for a spoon.

Sushi is eaten whole; it is acceptable to separate them with hashi, but do not bite into pieces.

A plate with sauce, in which each piece is dipped, is supposed to be held with the left hand in weight. Soy sauce is poured on a plate for dipping sushi, but not in rice, even if it is unleavened.

Traditionally, the guest continues to eat until his bowl runs out of rice. Rice is supposed to be eaten to the last grain.

The tea ceremony (“tyanoyu”) is a special way of brewing and a stylized custom of drinking tea. Taking part in the tea ceremony, one should follow all the proposed customs. The ceremony may take a long time, but it is not customary to interrupt or shorten it.

The conversation during the ceremony does not touch on the topics of money, politics and illness. Better to talk about poetry and philosophy.

At the end of the meal, you should express gratitude for the delicious treat.

Dishes and condiments

Sushi (sushi)

Sushi - an appetizer of rice and fish or seafood - is the most popular of Japanese dishes. There are several types of sushi: nigiri and rolls or maki.

Sushi is served with pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce.

Rolls

Rolls - small rolls twisted in a nori sheet - consist of a filling (vegetables, a small piece of fish or other seafood) and rice. Rolls are usually rolled upside down. If the leaf is twisted in rice, then such rolls are called nori-maki.

Rolls vary in size. Futomaki are large rolls and hosomaki are small ones.

Rolls are not bitten off, but put in the mouth as a whole. If you can't eat hashi rolls, ask for a fork. Women are not allowed to take sushi with their hands. Men can take sushi by hand, but it is better to use the device. It is not supposed to prick rolls on hashi - it is better to ask for a fork.

Do not dip the whole roll into the sauce - it is enough to moisten it without touching the sauce with rice.

Sashimi (sashimi)

Sashimi is pieces of raw sea fish fillets. Since thick or thin slices of fish will not allow you to enjoy the taste of fish, it is better to cut the fish into slices for a professional.

Nigiri

Nigiri is a rice ball or ball topped with a piece of fish.

Wasabi

Wasabi is a spicy green condiment. Wasabi is also called "Japanese horseradish". Both horseradish and wasabi belong to the same family. The rhizomes of the plant are used to make the spice.

Wasabi has a special taste, so be careful: try it with food first and decide whether to take more.

Ginger

Pickled ginger is used with sushi to spice up and refresh the taste, and as a disinfectant for raw fish.

Ginger is served with sushi along with other seasonings such as wasabi and soy sauce. A small piece is enough. Ginger can also be consumed with rice.

Nori

"Nori" refers to various types of red edible algae, as well as products made from them. Nori is slightly paper-like and is considered the most popular sea vegetable in Japan, containing many beneficial elements.

When making sushi, the culinary product is wrapped in nori.

European cuisine

General rules

The classic rules of behavior at the European table: everything that can be eaten with a knife and fork is not supposed to be touched; if the dish can be eaten with a fork, do not pick up a spoon. Leaving food half-eaten is not forbidden.

If the guest does not want to take the dish a second time, it is enough to put the knife and fork nearby, on the right, with sharp ends inside the plate, and the waiter will replace the cutlery for the next dish.

European cuisine dishes are served not only in European restaurants, but also often in national cuisine establishments - in case the guest prefers more familiar food. In the menu card, such dishes in national cuisine restaurants are located at the end of the list or are served in a separate menu. The waiter will help clarify this issue.

Dishes and use

Sandwich

Sandwiches, sandwiches with bread, baguette, Italian ciabatta bread are served for lunch, breakfast. At a breakfast buffet, sandwiches are eaten with a knife and fork, cutting off small pieces. At the buffet table, butter is spread on bread lying on a plate, and not in the palm of your hand, holding the bread with two fingers of your left hand. Sausage or cheese is put with a fork. From the finished sandwich cut into pieces.

Kokot

Kokot (from fr. cocotte- chicken) is cooked in a metal ladle with a long handle - a cocotte maker. Many people know this dish as julienne.

This type of snack is served warm, in a cocotte bowl, on a plate or placed on a napkin.

The handle of the cocotte maker is directed to the left. A hot handle is wrapped with a napkin. They eat coconut with a small spoon.

Meat

Meat is eaten in different ways depending on the method of preparation. For a piece of pork or beef, a medium-sized sharp, serrated knife is served.

It is supposed to cut off small parts from a piece, holding the cut piece with a fork.

It is not customary to cut meat for the future - only a piece for eating. However, according to American etiquette, the entire piece of meat is immediately cut into pieces.

Minced meat: cutlets, zrazy, small pieces of goulash or roast - eat with a fork without a knife.

Pieces of barbecue are removed one by one from the skewer with a knife and fork.

Meat on the bone is served with a paper papillot put on the bone. Holding a piece by the bone, you should cut the meat. A plate for bones can be served on the table on the left side.

Usually meat is eaten with a fork and knife, but smoked ribs in a friendly company are permissible to eat with your hands.

Bird

The bird is eaten with a fork and knife. Do not pick up and gnaw the bone - it is better to leave some meat on it.

The exceptions are smoked wings and game (partridges and hazel grouse): in this case, a vase of water is served for rinsing hands and napkins.

The legs of the bird should be wrapped in a napkin. If the legs are not wrapped, it is acceptable to use a paper napkin.

Fish

The waiter serves the fish with a fish utensil consisting of a wide spatula-shaped knife and a fish fork with short prongs.

Rarely, if there is no fish knife, two regular or fish forks will be served. The fork in the right hand will act as a knife.

It is also permissible to eat fish with one fork, while the fork is taken in the right hand.

Cutting fish, regardless of the method of preparation - fried, baked, boiled or smoked - is not supposed to. A special fish knife is convenient for separating the fillet from the bones.

When ordering soft, baked and boiled fish, portions are held with the tip of a knife and separated with a fork. If the fillet is too soft and crumbles, it is permissible to turn the fork with the prongs up and place the fillet pieces on it with a knife.

If the fish is served whole, then the upper part of the skin is first removed, the fillet is separated from the skeleton and eaten, then the bones are removed and the lower part of the fillet is eaten.

A circle or slice of lemon on a plate with fish is not only a decoration. Fish can be sprinkled with lemon juice. Lemon juice is squeezed with the convex side of the fork, not by hand.

Smoked fish in public should not be cleaned by hand (at home - please!) - only with a knife and fork. First, the skin is separated, then the flesh is removed from the bones piece by piece.

The bones should be placed with a fork on the edge of the plate or on a special plate.

Salad

Salad is a cold appetizer. On the table, the salad is served in portions in deep or shallow dishes or in a common salad bowl. In this case, the salad is transferred to a plate with a special spoon.

Portioned salad is eaten from a serving plate. However, in the case of a banquet and a more complex serving, when the salad plate was placed not on the snack plate, but in front and to the right of it, it is supposed to transfer the portion to the snack plate.

Green salad

A green salad served with the main course on a serving plate should be eaten from this plate, and not transferred to the main one.

It is not customary to cut large leaves of leafy green lettuce with a knife. Once upon a time, salads were always taken only with a fork, as knives blackened from contact with vegetables. Today, cutlery is made of stainless steel, so feel free to use a knife. Hold the fork in your left hand with the convex side up. Eating from the concave side of the fork, if the fork is in the left hand, is not accepted.

If the salad is eaten only with a fork, then it should be held in the right hand. In this case, use the concave side of the fork.

Sauce

The sauce can be part of the dish or ordered separately. When choosing a sauce, experts recommend paying attention to the spices in its composition.

Some dishes are seasoned with sauce before serving. The unseasoned sauce is served in a special gravy boat.

The gravy boat is often served on a special tray or on a saucer covered with a napkin. It is not supposed to be placed on a tablecloth.

More often sauces are served for each guest individually. The gravy boat is located to the left of the bread plate. The spout of the gravy boat is directed to the right side. A sauce spoon is also served on a saucer or tray.

Guests dispose of individual gravy boats on their own. The sauce from the common gravy boat is poured by the waiter - do not rush to take the gravy boat and pass it to the companions in a circle.

It is believed that the sauce should be eaten with the main course. If there is still too much sauce, it is not supposed to be used as a side dish, eat up with a spoon, dip bread into it - you will have to leave the excess on the plate.

The sauce spilled on the tablecloth is enough to get wet with a napkin.

Potato

Potatoes, vegetables, as well as any soft food, should not be cut with a knife, it is enough to divide into pieces with a fork. It is permissible to slightly trim the fried potato crust.

Asparagus

Asparagus is a popular cold appetizer. The period of its use and fresh serving is from the second half of April to the first days of June.

Cut the asparagus from the bottom. Asparagus is a fibrous product and difficult to cut across. Therefore, the asparagus is cut lengthwise into strips and wrapped around a fork.

Usually, asparagus is served with a knife and fork, although it can be eaten with one fork. In England, it is customary to eat asparagus by holding the firm tip of the plant and dipping it into the sauce.

Soup

Soups are hot and cold, and according to the method of preparation they are divided into broth, soup with dressing and puree soup.

Soup is the only dish that, even at a dinner party, is allowed to be eaten immediately after serving, without waiting for all the guests to be served. You don't have to apologize to your neighbors.

It is not supposed to blow on the soup so that it cools down faster, it is permissible to stir slightly with a spoon.

You should not tilt the plate either towards you or away from you. Leave some soup half-eaten.

Do not fill the spoon to the brim, especially wipe the bottom of the spoon with a piece of bread.

If a large piece of meat or chicken is served in the soup, it should be eaten with utensils after the broth and dressing.

Meatballs, dumplings and pieces of meat should be eaten whole or cut into pieces with a spoon, not a knife.

It is believed that if the broth is served in a cup with handles, then the spoon is used only to eat pieces of meat or toast, while the broth is drunk like tea. In practice, this rule is often neglected, using a more familiar spoon.

At the end of the meal, the spoon remains in the plate.

Cheese

Cheeses are served at the end of a complex lunch or as an independent second course between appetizers and dessert. During a festive or gala dinner, cheese may be served before coffee instead of dessert. Cheese can also be served as a light snack with wine.

Cheese is served with wine, cognac, champagne and beer. When choosing a wine to pair with cheese, keep in mind that white wines go better with cheese than red ones. Aged wines go well with mature cheeses. It is also known the rule of combining wine and cheese according to their place of origin. So, French cheese goes better with French wine.

In a restaurant, advice on pairing cheese with drinks should be given by the sommelier. During a date or a festive feast, it is better to order drinks by the glass so that everyone can choose their own drink for cheese.

As an appetizer for drinks, cheese can be served with bread or in the form of mini-sandwiches with a special skewer stuck into a piece.

At banquets, cheese is most often served as a cheese plate (or cheese plate) formed from five or more types of cheese. A round hardwood board is often used as a plate. Cheeses are arranged clockwise on the plate, starting with cheeses with a delicate and mild taste (cottage cheese and soft varieties) to harder and sharper ones. The softest variety of cheese is on the plate at the 6 o'clock position.

As a main dish, the cheese plate consists of large pieces of different varieties, and everyone independently cuts himself from one or another piece.

Taking cheese with your hands from a cheese plate and from your own is unacceptable - cheese is taken with a fork.

It is customary to decorate cheese platter with fruits. Each variety is combined with "its" fruit. The best combination for blue cheese is grapes, for soft cheeses - pears. Walnuts and almonds are served with any type of cheese and are often placed next to hard cheeses on a plate.

There are a lot of different establishments offering a quick bite, a leisurely lunch in a relaxing environment or a romantic dinner, you can choose a place for every taste. And to visit the restaurant was pleasant and without ridiculous consequences, you need to know a few simple rules of etiquette.

Start
It is better to call the restaurant in advance: find out the price level, get an idea about the cuisine and dishes from the menu. Reserving a table is also helpful.
Clothing must correspond to the level of the establishment. Some restaurants have a strict dress code, so dress appropriately for the type of establishment.
A woman should enter the restaurant first, while a man should gallantly open the doors. But about halfway through, the man must get ahead of her and lead her to a free table. Usually in restaurants there is a dressing room, clothes and bulky bags should be left there. If a table is not booked in advance, it is better to use the maitre d' service. The most convenient places are usually considered: near the wall - facing the hall, in the middle of the hall - facing the entrance, with a view of the landscape outside the window, of the musicians, with a good view of the hall. The man accompanying the lady must give the latter a more comfortable seat at the table. You need to sit down at the table after the lady has sat down. If you met acquaintances in a restaurant, then you should not sit down at their table if they do not invite you.

Ordering meals
According to the rules of etiquette, a man is in charge of choosing the menu. At the same time, he must offer his companion the choice of one or another dish indicated on the menu.
According to modern rules, a woman can place an order herself or give this right to a man.
It is customary to order at least three dishes in a restaurant. Start with cold appetizers or salad. Then soup or main course. The choice of dessert should be made only after the main course has been eaten.
If you find it difficult to choose, you can ask the waiter for advice. He can recommend a "dish of the day", tell in more detail about the dishes from the menu. A sommelier will help with the wines.
It goes without saying that the restaurant begins to eat when all the guests are served food. Ladies are usually served first. An indicator of good service is, if possible, the simultaneous serving of the dish to all guests.

Napkin
Often the napkin causes alertness. So what should be done with it? The answer is simple - unfold it, fold it in half and put it on your knees. The purpose of the napkin is to keep clothes from accidental splashes, drops of fat, crumbs. Fingers accidentally soiled while eating are also wiped with the top half of the napkin without removing it from the knees. If the napkin accidentally fell on the floor, do not pick it up and put it back, ask the waiter for a clean one. At the end of the meal, the napkin does not need to be folded, just carefully place it to the right of your plate. Never tuck a napkin into the collar. It is also considered bad manners to remove her lipstick.

Devices
Several forks and knives next to a plate should not cause panic. Here the rule is the simplest: start with the cutlery located farthest from the plate, and with each change of dishes, take those knives and forks that lie closest to it. Normal serving provides no more than three forks and the same number of knives. Closest to the plate is a meat dish knife. Snack knives and forks are smaller than him. Often dessert cutlery and a bread knife are placed on top in front of the plate. In the pauses between meals, the knife and fork are placed on the dish as they were held: the knife with the handle to the right, the fork with the handle to the left. If you put the fork and knife in parallel (so that their handles protrude slightly from the edge of the plate), this will be a sign to the waiter that you have completed the dish.

food
It is necessary to eat in a certain order: vegetables - fish delicacies - meat gastronomy. If there is both fish and meat on the table, then you need to start with fish.
Soup. We scoop from ourselves with a spoon. We don’t put it on the table either during or after eating - it always rests in a plate. Even if the soup is very tasty, restrain yourself, do not tilt your plate to eat the last drops.
Broths. They are served in cups - broths. From a broth pot with one handle, the contents can be drunk like tea, and from a cup with two handles, you should eat with a spoon.
Fish. A special knife is served with the fish, resembling a spatula in shape. They separate and push back the fillet pieces, and also choose the bones. If, nevertheless, the bone gets into your mouth, you can push it out with your tongue onto a fork or remove it gracefully with your fingers and put it on a special plate (if one is served) or on the edge of your own. To overcome a fish served whole, the following sequence of actions is necessary: if the skin is inedible or scales remain on it, carefully remove it from tail to head, then eat the fillet from the upper side, then the back, and, finally, turning the carcass over, proceed to the second side.
An exception to the general rule is pickled or salted herring, hot or cold smoked fish, eel - they are eaten with a knife and fork.
Game. Many are embarrassed to order chicken or other game, because they do not know how to eat it according to etiquette. It's not all that difficult. The meat is cut as far as possible with a knife, after which the bones can be taken by hand and gnawed. The waiter should bring a plate of acidified water to wash his hands.
Meat. From the served meat, carefully cut off piece by piece, holding the fork in the left hand, and the knife in the right. The "American" version is also possible, when the whole piece is immediately cut into many small ones, then the knife is put aside, the fork is shifted to the right hand, and they start eating. But it is believed that with this option, the meat cools faster, and you will not be able to fully enjoy and feel its taste.
Vegetables. Vegetables are eaten with a fork, helping yourself with a knife. Peas and corn are collected in the recess of the fork. Olives and pitted olives can be taken by hand if there is no special spoon. Gracefully spit the bone onto a fork and place on a plate. It is also not forbidden to take asparagus and artichokes, large cherry tomatoes with your hands. Meals served in pots are not laid out on plates.
Spaghetti. We hold the spoon in our left hand. We lower the edge of the spoon into the plate, wrap the spaghetti on the fork, rotating it in the deepening of the spoon. Cut off the excess with a spoon. It is possible to do without a spoon. Then dip the prongs of the fork into the pasta and wind the desired portion. We draw the hanging part into the mouth, trying to do it as quietly as possible.
Bread. Bread and butter plates are always placed to the left of your main plate. Bread is taken with hands, not with a fork - and during the meal they break off a small piece. You shouldn't hold a whole piece in your hand. If there is a common butter dish on the table, take the right amount from it on your bread plate and spread it on a broken piece of bread.

Beverages
While you are waiting for your order, you can order an aperitif. Depending on what you will be drinking, the waiter will offer you the drinks they have available. If it is wine, then in some restaurants they may bring you an unopened bottle of wine so that you can evaluate it and make a choice. The visitor carefully examines the label, then the waiter pours a small amount of wine into a glass, the customer takes a sip to taste the wine. Only after receiving the approval mark for the quality of wine or other alcoholic beverage, the employee of the restaurant hall fills the glasses. It is worth noting that this ritual is conditional. Therefore, it is considered not quite decent to refuse the ordered alcohol, excluding only cases of providing poor-quality goods. A badly chilled drink can also serve as a reason for refusing the ordered wine. In the event that the drink is served in tall glasses and with a straw, then there is no need to drink it to the end. The gurgling sound made at the same time can only interfere with a pleasant conversation.

Service
In upscale restaurants, visitors are served by a waiter. He shifts the food from the common dish to the plate of everyone sitting at the table and pours wine. In a good establishment, it is considered bad manners to pour your own wine. The waiters themselves will fill the empty glass. Empty plates should be placed on the right side of the table. Food is served on the left side. Alcoholic drinks are also poured from the right side. Using the service of a waiter, every time you need to thank him. In restaurant etiquette, it is customary to observe temporary pauses between dishes. Usually it is 10-15 minutes. Therefore, if the meat was brought to you before you finished the soup, you can safely ask to send this dish to the kitchen.
Appeal to the waiter "girl", "garcon", "waiter" are unacceptable. Therefore, if for some reason the waiter did not introduce himself (although he should), do not hesitate to ask his name yourself. The work of a waiter is hard physically and mentally. You can not humiliate the waiter, or be indignant without an obvious reason - his work is already not sugar. It is also possible that it was not his fault that the order had to wait a long time.

A man pays for a lady who invites for a guest. In the presence of a lady, it is indecent to discuss the bill or argue. The only thing - you can fix a random error.
Tipping has become a good old tradition in restaurants all over the world. All over the world they are treated calmly. However, "to give or not to give", the client must decide only for himself. The waiter is obliged to give him an invoice and count the change, and the client already takes it or, on the contrary, makes it clear that he leaves the money. Unlike Europe, we do not always adhere to the tradition of tipping at a rate of 10% of the bill, most often the amount is simply rounded up. They do not tip if the guest is dissatisfied with the restaurant, if he does not want to spoil his mood and make a fuss, this is a good way to correctly show the restaurant his dissatisfaction.
By the way, the expression "tip" is originally Russian. Throughout Great Rus', it became a custom to ask for “tea, for tea” at every opportunity, and there were few places left where, in the old way, they asked for “vodka”. The expression “for vodka” was replaced by a more delicate request “for tea”, and the saying “nowadays even a drunkard does not ask for vodka, but everything for tea” has developed. Most likely, the request for tea spread among the coachmen, and then moved on to other working strata of Russian society.
Giving tips to coachmen became the duty of a traveler and, as it were, constituted one of the links of Russian customary law, it was so ingrained that it was even established by law for people traveling on official business and not paying runs to give an increase to coachmen. Refusal of this was recognized as something unnatural and incredible.
After the coachmen, tea handouts became a habit among the servants of hotels, restaurants, taverns, etc., and then passed to other lower strata of the population. All those employed for some service also received a tip as a normal addition to the agreed wage, as well as people who provide fleeting services, such as porters, footmen, messengers, porters, etc. The term "tip" has become common throughout Russia.
In others, the etymology of "tip" is quite different. For example, tips in French are called "pourboire" (pourboire - literally: "to drink"). In Greek, tips are called “philodorima”, which means “friendly gift”. In eastern countries "bakshish".

The woman gives a sign to the beginning of the meal, she also finishes it, rising from the table. Leaving the restaurant, the man goes first to the door, but not allowing the lady, as it were, to catch up with him. He goes, slightly turning to the lady, opens the door in front of her and lets her go ahead (the gentleman always goes through the revolving door first, waiting for the lady at the exit); in the wardrobe, the man first helps the lady get dressed, and only then puts on his coat.

Come on time

If you have made a reservation, you can be late for a maximum of 15 minutes. Traffic jams, frost, heat, complex styling, a knot on a tie should be taken into account only by you, but not by the restaurant workers. If you missed your time, and there are no more free tables, then this is not a reason for a scandal. Real ladies and gentlemen will always find a way to negotiate. Others will be shown the door.

Watch your kids

Children, of course, are the flowers of life, especially for loving parents who accustom their children to findining in every possible way. But when your offspring from the flora turn into wildly screaming and running under the feet of the waiter, it will be perfectly fair to ask you to leave the catering area. And do not expect that cartoons on a tablet with sound turned on throughout Ivanovskaya will solve problems with a child's hyperactivity. Headphones are a must. Dinner guests, busy waiters and cooks have absolutely no obligation to love your ill-mannered children, even if you have heard that they do in Japan, Italy or Mars (in fact they do not).

Be polite to waiters

Service in a restaurant is not a form of slavery. The waiter is at work, which is to make your stay in the establishment as pleasant as possible. He takes the order, communicates between the guest and the chef, brings the dishes and cleans the dirty dishes, and can even cheer you up with a smile or a compliment. But he is not your psychoanalyst, not a whipping boy, not a slave and not a toy. In his direction, you do not need to hiss, click or snap your fingers. If you, say, urgently need to change appliances, make eye contact. Cursory vocabulary, cheeky gestures, disdain and flirting are best left outside the restaurant, even if your hottest is late. You will be surprised, but your waiter also goes to restaurants in his free time, and travels abroad on vacation.

Hide your phone

Learn to have fun offline. First, turn off the sound. A freshly downloaded ringtone with a sound flushed in the toilet of water entertains only you, but not those around you. Second, keep your phone in your bag or pocket, at least until you feel the urge to take a picture of the dish that struck you. However, Instagram is also not the most good reason to get your phone during dinner with friends. It is unlikely that they will be pleased to see you point your finger at the screen instead of communicating with them. And, of course, do not talk on the phone when your order is taken. It's just rudeness.

Learn how to use a tissue paper

A cloth napkin is a must-have item in any classic restaurant. And also - an indicator of your upbringing, cleaner than language skills or the ability to waltz. So learn to finally use it. The napkin should always lie on your knees and only on your knees. You don’t need to tuck it in the collar of a shirt or the neck of a sweater, this is bad manners. If you need to leave the table for an urgent reason, leave it on the chair. And when lunch or dinner is over, carefully place it to the left of the plate. Remember, this is not a handkerchief, not a makeup remover, and certainly not a pocket for collecting used toothpicks. You should brush your teeth and fix your makeup in the toilet, not at the table.

Learn to handle a knife and fork

Knife in the right, fork in the left - we learned this in kindergarten. We are a cultural nation. But the rest of the rules are given to us with difficulty. Remember: do not hold the knife like it is a pencil. Tilt it at an angle, so it is more convenient to cut food. If you have already started a meal, but you need to be distracted and free your hands, then it is better to leave the cutlery within the plate. Fold them into a house so that the waiter does not think that you are finished. When you have really eaten, the fork and knife should be placed parallel to each other on the plate. If a dinner or dinner party involves a series of servings for different devices, you need to start with the pair farthest from your plate.

Do not pour white wine into a glass from which you drank red

Drinks have their own rituals. Dishes for water and wine are always placed to the right of your plate. As they say, eat with your left, drink with your right. When the waiter pours you wine (red in a larger glass, white in a smaller glass), please do not touch the glass to help him. And you should not pour yourself white into a glass from where you drank red, even if you really want to, and even more so pour the wine you didn’t like into a neighbor’s glass (even with his consent). By the way, when raising a toast, always look into the eyes of your neighbor, and not at your glass. Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of a good long relationship?

Respect food

The food on your plate was not born in a restaurant kitchen. She has come a long way and once grew, blossomed, swam or ran. Treat her with respect. Order only as much as you can eat. Do not ask for ketchup or mayonnaise in an author's and haute cuisine restaurant. Do not blow on the dish, be patient until it cools down. Do not salt or pepper it before tasting it. Don't pretend to be a seasoned restaurant reviewer ("Marco cooked better lobster....") tired of an endless string of Michelin stars. And, of course, you shouldn't publicly compare restaurant food with your mom's cooking. Mom is always better, no options.

Watch your elbows

Aristocrats taught their children to sit properly at the table, forcing them to press books with their elbows to their bodies. This is still relevant! Your elbows should not touch the neighbors either on the left or on the right; they cannot be placed on the table either. And yes, try not to talk with your mouth full.

Objectively evaluate the work of the boss

Leave lengthy arguments in the spirit of “not my tartare”, “ceviche did not surprise you” and “the rabbit did not hook you” to yourself. Only specific comments will help the restaurant: overcooked, overfrozen, oversalted, served stale. Adequate criticism, on the case, addressed to responsible employees, is a hundred times more effective than an offline scandal or online squabbles.

It is believed that etiquette was invented, not only so that snobs could lift their chins by choosing the right fork for fish. They did this so that people would not experience inconvenience.

Modern etiquette: Rules to know and not to forget

Here is a couple in love at the entrance to the cafe and crumples: either the girl is torn to grab the handle, then the guy awkwardly pushes the glass with his hand, then the girl dives under his arm like a dolphin, and he, bending, crawls in after him. This awkwardness would not have happened if both knew for sure: the young man opens the door to the girl while she is waiting nearby.

But are all the other rules really necessary, or are some of them hopelessly outdated? Let's figure it out.

"Do not start eating until the waiters have finished serving the dishes and until all the guests have sat down at the table."

Well, let's say, at the banquet on the occasion of the 60th anniversary, this really needs to be remembered. It would be foolish to sit in front of everyone at the table and start cutting yourself up as soon as possible.

However, in modern realities, most often gatherings with friends take place in an informal atmosphere, and even for birthdays, everyone gathers as best they can. And here it’s stupid, on the contrary, it would be for everyone to wait for Vasya and Lucy, who are always late.

But to start grabbing something from a plate, which the waiter has just set and to which the sauce and cutlery have not yet been reported, is really ugly.

By the way, you should also not salt or pepper the dish before you have tried it, because this gesture will be perceived by the cook as an insult. Well, if the chef, of course, sees ...

This is true for the most lavish reception, where people still bother with serving their ten courses.

But in fact, in restaurants, the trend to simplify serving has long been gaining momentum. For example, in Scandinavian Björn, everything that can be served on stone and wooden boards is served on boards. In bars, in general, half of the menu is tapas (snack for the company), and you have to eat tapas with your hands. Burgers, chicken wings...

Moreover, it is rare that a modern restaurant has a large assortment of forks, most often a trinity: a knife, a fork, a spoon ... Everything is wrapped in a napkin and placed on each table, regardless of what the guest decides to order.

"Don't put anything on the table that isn't food."

And there really is nothing to add. It concerns girls first of all. They are very fond of laying out mirrors near the plate, lipstick, or not just putting a bag on the countertop, but a whole trunk with all the essentials. Men, in turn, lay out packs of cigarettes, car keys, wallets ...

This is all you need to keep to yourself. And phones too. Yes, yes, everyone knows that you are a business person and the Prime Minister can call you at any moment, but let this call disturb you from your jacket pocket. It’s difficult, of course, that’s how it is and not knowing if your subscribers like the photo with the salad, but what can you do.

If you have breakfast, lunch or dinner alone, looking at your phone or reading a book over coffee is quite normal.

Do you know what item can still be put on the table? A small elegant cocktail handbag for women. Only this one.

Also, the bag cannot be placed on your knees or on your chair, but it can be hung on the back of a chair or placed on the floor if there is no special chair (these are often offered in restaurants). The briefcase is also placed on the floor. This is just as important to remember as the fact that the umbrella is always dried closed.

"You should not rub wooden sticks against each other, put them on a bowl, point them at food or move this food on a plate."

When the Japanese see the Russians wielding sticks, they are overtaken by a pre-infarction state. It is, of course, great that we have learned not only to grab sushi sticks, but also to dip them in soy sauce. But in order to show a certain level of knowledge of Japanese cuisine, much more needs to be learned.

For example, a well-mannered Japanese always holds the chopsticks down with the ends with which he takes food. He really does not show them to the beauty he likes at the next table, he does not put them on a bowl with sauce, because this is a gross violation of etiquette.

Don't stick your chopsticks vertically into your food. In East Asia, this is how they designate an offering to the dead.

Do not put cutlery on the table after you have started eating. After that, they can only be put on a plate.

And don't pass food with chopsticks. This is actually a Japanese funeral ritual.

"Don't forget to tip. Tip must be at least ten percent (20 percent in the US) of the order."

Everything happens in life. Sometimes you have to ask the waiter to exchange a bill in order to leave him for tea. Sometimes guests can walk to the nearest ATM. But this is all within the bounds of decency.

But if you did not leave a tip, it means that you categorically did not like the service. This is your form of protest of sorts.

And the trifle is also not worth leaving. Not only because a trifle is still suitable only for tea at a gas station. But also because, first of all, it will be inconvenient for you when the waiter vertically takes the folder with the check and from there, coins fall loudly, like from Pinocchio. It also happens that the waiter, coldly thanking, returns the coins to the guest.

Who pays?

And here the most interesting begins. Etiquette has a lot of vintage rules about this. Most of them are outdated, but it's still interesting to remember them.

And the inviter pays. That is, there is a huge difference between the wording "let's go to a restaurant" and "I invite you to a restaurant" even for people of the same sex. In addition, it is believed that a woman can pay herself if she met a man right in a restaurant (but if alcoholic drinks were drunk, the gentleman should pay for them).

But all this in the 21st century, of course, is observed less and less frequently. But the last rule in modern realities has not been canceled: the question of "who pays" must be resolved before the arrival of the waiter, with him - mauvais ton.

When going to a restaurant, take care of your appearance. Even if the institution is quite democratic, you should not appear there in sportswear. In any case, you must look neat. When you go to dinner in a fashionable place, or a suit.

At the entrance you should be met by the head waiter and taken to a free or pre-booked table. The first lady sits down, she first makes an order. The norms of etiquette allow a woman to entrust the choice of dishes and drinks for herself to a companion. You can also consult with the waiter for food and wine.

Behavior at the table must be impeccable. Watch how you sit. Don't lean on the chair, take your elbows off the table, and don't lean low on your plate. Keep your posture, but make sure that your posture is not tense. A bag or briefcase should not be placed on a table or held on your lap. Place your hand luggage on the floor next to your chair.

In a restaurant, watch how you sit. Don't lean on the chair. Photo: thinkstockphotos.com

Eating should be taken when each guest has his dish placed in front of him. If you ordered a cut for everyone, take a piece from a common plate and put it on your own. You should not cut pieces of meat with the end of a fork, there is a knife for this. Do not immediately divide the portion into small parts, but cut off a piece each time. Pasta should be eaten with a fork, while helping with a specially brought spoon. Before drinking from your glass, blot your mouth with a tissue.

It is not customary in a restaurant to blow on food if it is still too hot. Wait for your dish to cool down. Naturally, you can not talk with a full mouth and slurp. It's not nice to talk on the phone at the table. Don't worry if you drop cutlery on the floor or accidentally break a glass.

It is not customary in a restaurant to blow on food if it is still too hot. Photo: thinkstockphotos.com

If you dislike a dish so much that you cannot swallow a piece put in your mouth, discreetly put a napkin to your lips and spit it out. Defiantly discussing the poor quality of the dish or making complaints to the waiter is not accepted, this is a sign of poor education. Please contact the maitre d' with a note. The napkin should be placed on your knees. At the end of the meal, leave it to the right of the plate. If you need a waiter, in no case do not shout across the hall. Make eye contact with him and invite him with a nod or a raised hand. Treat him as an equal. The arrogant behavior with the wait staff and the dismissive tone is terrible.

Eat slowly. If you came to a restaurant with a company, your goal is not only to satisfy your hunger, but also to communicate. Therefore, do not rush and participate in the general conversation. If you meet acquaintances by chance, do not try to talk to them through the aisle or table. Sit down with them for a while or go out to the lobby together.

When the bill arrives, it is rude to discuss in front of the waiter who should pay and how much to tip. There are several patterns of behavior in a restaurant: either the one who invited pays for everyone, or everyone pays the bill equally, or they ask the waiter in advance to bring different bills for each person or couple. If you pay by check with a bank card, you can leave a tip in cash.

Restaurant etiquette: learning how to behave in restaurants correctly. Modern rules of restaurant etiquette

Introduction

Behavior rules

Restaurant selection and table reservation

General rules

Business lunch

Date

Friends

Holiday

Banquet

Corporate

Rout

Dress code

Invitation

Wardrobe

Greetings

Performance

seating arrangement

Menu

Beverages

Choice

Tasting

Toast

Order

Devices

Napkin

Conversation

Basics of Behavior

men

Yes mom

Bill payment

Tips

Cocktail

buffet

Buffet

Service Rules

Serving meals

Serving drinks

Water for washing hands

hot towel

National cuisines

Japanese food

Feed Features

Rules of conduct at the table

Dishes and condiments

Sushi (sushi)

Rolls

Sashimi (sashimi)

Nigiri

Wasabi

Ginger

Nori

European cuisine

General rules

Dishes and use

Sandwich

Kokot

Meat

Bird

Fish

Salad

Green salad

Sauce

Potato

Asparagus

Soup

Cheese

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