How to behave at the table or how to create a beautiful impression of yourself. Rules of conduct at the table: etiquette

Everyone should follow the rules of etiquette in a restaurant in order to make a good impression of themselves.

Compliance with the rules of etiquette will help you have a great evening, and leave a good impression on others about yourself. Don't know how to behave in a restaurant? Relax and enjoy. But don't forget about etiquette.

• We all love to have lunch and dinner at home. But sometimes such constancy bothers, and you want to go to an expensive restaurant, taste real culinary masterpieces.
• Often ladies are invited to the restaurant by their fans, grooms or husbands. How to make a good impression of yourself? What should you say to the waiter, and what can you ask him?
• It often seems to us that nothing can spoil the rest, destroy the holiday atmosphere. But a lot depends on behavior. If everything is done correctly, good memories of the holiday will remain.

It is better to book a table in advance, but if the decision to go to a restaurant was spontaneous, you should resolve all issues with the administrator. Do not immediately go into the hall and take the first free seat. After all, perhaps the table is already booked by other guests.

The administrator is usually located at his desk near the entrance. If he is not there, then you need to wait, he can deal with visitors who came before you.

So, the administrator invited you to a table. Now the question arises: how to behave in a restaurant, how to communicate with a waiter? Etiquette and rules of conduct:

• Relax and keep at ease. Remove excess stress, enjoy the evening. Pleasant atmosphere, Beautiful design hall, gallant waiters, beautiful outfit - all this makes you want to be the hero of the evening. Spend time with pleasure.
• Start eating with everyone. If food has been brought to you, but other people from your company have not yet, you do not need to immediately grab a fork and knife and use them for their intended purpose. You can warn the waiter in advance to bring the dishes at the same time.
• Consider the specifics of the restaurant, forget about your tastes. If you go to a fish restaurant, don't order meat. In a famous restaurant that serves delicious steaks, you don't have to limit yourself to salad.
• Don't be afraid to ask the waiter questions. If there are incomprehensible names of dishes on the menu, ask the waiter what this dish is made of. This is especially important if you are allergic to certain foods.
• Always ask the price if you are interested. There is nothing shameful in this. The waiter may suggest a restaurant specialty and you may ask for a price.
• Leave a tip. According to the rule of etiquette, you need to leave 10% (of the value of the check) or more to the waiter for a tip. It's a shame not to leave a tip if you've been well served.

Customers mostly don't talk to waiters. The restaurant worker must take the order, serve the guest for highest level and ask to pay for dinner. Visitors should have a good rest and not bother about the fact that they can do something wrong or say the wrong thing.

In a restaurant, you usually have to use more than one fork and knife. But you don't have to be scared a large number utensils next to your plate. Here are some tips on how to use it, how to put cutlery after eating. The rules of etiquette in a restaurant on this occasion say the following:

• Remember the order in which the dishes are served. First, a salad - cold or hot, then the first course, if you ordered it, and the second course.
• Start your meal with the forks and knives furthest away from your plate., and move to those that are closer.
• If the fork or knife has fallen off the table, do not focus on it.. Call an employee of the institution, and ask to replace the device for you.

Remember: The length of the salad knife is the same diameter as the appetizer plate, the appetizer fork is slightly shorter. The length of the second course knife is equal to the diameter of the plate in which the dish was brought to you. The table fork is long, and a long spoon and knife are used to serve portions from a shared plate.

• Dessert dishes are served with other utensils: knife with a sharp tip, a fork with three cloves and a small spoon.
• Fruits are served with special cutlery: fork and knife for eating fruit smaller size than dessert cutlery.
• Separate spoons are used for drinks: for coffee - coffee, for tea - tea. A teaspoon can be used for soft-boiled eggs, as well as for cocoa drink and smoothies.
• Additional devices: tongs, special forks, spoons and knives. With a two-pronged fork, you can take a piece of herring, as well as eat crab or shrimp. A small spoon, which is in the salt shaker, helps to add salt to the dishes. With the help of tongs, they put confectionery, sugar, marshmallows, sweets and marmalade on their plate.

Important: If there is red or black caviar on the table, then there is a special spatula to put this dish on a plate. A large rectangular spatula is designed for shifting meat or vegetables. A small figured spatula is used for pate.

General rules for using cutlery:

• The knife must always be in right hand.
• When you eat food with a fork or spoon, keep the utensils parallel to the table.. Do not blow on a hot dish.
• If there is some soup left in the bowl, you can finish it. tilting the plate away from you. Scoop up the rest of the soup carefully, do not hit the plate.
• During a pause or conversation at the table, cutlery must be placed on a plate, next to food.
• If the knife and fork lie parallel to each other on the plate, and the knife is turned with the tip towards the fork, which indicates the end of the meal. For the waiter, this suggests that the plate can be removed.

In the following video, an etiquette specialist will tell you how and what a well-mannered person should do at the table, and how to use forks and knives correctly.

Video: How to use cutlery correctly

You should not take with your hands at the table what you can eat with the help of cutlery. A dish that can be eaten with a fork should not be eaten with a spoon. There are many nuances of behavior at the table, like eating a barbecue, a burger or an expensive dish. Here are some rules:

• Shish kebab pieces are removed from the skewers and eaten with a knife and fork..
• Burger should be held with hands. Cutlery is not used. Bite off in small portions and chew the dish for a long time.
• Expensive dish, for example, lobsters are served with special cutlery. Using a sharp knife with a hole, break out the claws. Use a two-pronged fork to eat lobster meat. To the left of the plate will be a bowl of water. In it, you can rinse your hands after a meal.

The main thing in a restaurant is to eat silently. But, if you can’t, for example, cope with a lobster, ask the waiter to help.

The napkin always accompanies us at the table. It is not only a decorative item, but also unique item serving, which helps to facilitate the meal. Often in a restaurant you can see that a person ignores the napkin or pretends that it does not exist. No need to be afraid of this serving item.

How to use napkins in a restaurant - rules:

• This hygiene product should be on your lap, not on your neck or on a table.
• If the napkin is dirty, you can ask the employee of the institution to replace it with a fresh one.
• At the end of dinner, the napkin is left to the left of the plate. You should not put this item on a plate, no matter you used a cloth napkin or a paper one.

If you need to leave during dinner, a napkin is also placed next to the plate on the left. It is unacceptable to hang it on the back of a chair or put it on its seat.

As soon as the waiter or your companion poured beer into glasses, you need to start drinking it. This drink is usually poured according to a special mark. If there is no such mark, then no more than 3/4 of the glass should be poured.

According to beer etiquette in a restaurant, one should not drink a lot of beer or stretch the process for a long time. First, half a cup is drunk, and the rest is divided into two doses. Do not mix beer with other types of alcohol. Dark beers are worth drinking in the cold season with salads and hot dishes. Light beers are good to drink in summer with shrimps or pistachios.

If you came to the restaurant before the rest of your friends from your company, then you should wait for everyone outside. The waiter pushes the chair back to the girl as she sits down at the table. But, if there are several girls, then their companions help them.

Rest important rules etiquette in a restaurant at the table for a girl:

• Hide your excitement. If you don't know how to use certain appliances correctly, see how others do.
• At the table you need not only to eat, but also to keep up the conversation. There are forbidden topics: about illness, death, sex, religion and politics.
• No smoking at the table even if it doesn't bother anyone. The restaurant has special places for smoking.
• When the wine is poured into glasses, do not rush to drink it.. The host must say a toast or take the first sip. Before drinking a drink, you need to wipe your lips with a napkin, otherwise there will be greasy marks on the glass.
• When the waiter starts serving the dishes, take the napkin from the plate and place it on your lap.
• If you are allergic to a certain food, you should not talk about it in full hearing or scandal. Just leave the plate with this dish untouched.

Wrap long pasta with a fork and knife. After that, quickly put them in your mouth. Bones from meat or fish that ended up in the mouth are placed on a fork, and then on a plate. If they are too small, you can take them out with your index finger and put them on a plate.

When entering a restaurant, a man opens the door to a woman. The door to the hall is also opened by a man and the lady is let in first. Near the table, the woman chooses the place she likes, and the man must move the chair so that she sits down.

The rest of the rules of etiquette in a restaurant at the table for a woman with a man:

• It is indecent to pull up a chair if you are sitting uncomfortable.. You can just move to the edge.
• If there are two menus, then they are served to both the woman and the man. If there is only one menu, then the lady chooses first.
• Don't limit yourself to the cheapest dishes- this will indicate doubts about the viability of a man.
• Do not order the most expensive dishes, because you do not consider yourself a woman who will take advantage of the opportunity. Pick something in the middle for the price.
• A girl should not say "Order to your taste". One can only ask, “What do you recommend?”
• The order is made by a man, and the lady expresses her wishes to her companion who shows care and resourcefulness in this way.
• Previously, it was impossible to keep your elbows on the table- this rule of etiquette is a thing of the past. In the company of a young man or with friends, no one will pay attention to this. If you are dining with the older generation, then it is better not to risk your reputation.
• Eat slowly and calmly. Don't talk while eating. Start the meal before the man, and finish the meal later.
• Do not rush a man when he eats and don't ask the waiter to bring the bill. He will do it himself.
• A man finishes a romantic dinner. But, if the lady wanted to leave earlier, she can do this by apologizing to her gentleman.
• The man usually pays the bill, and a woman should not feel embarrassed about it. If the man and woman are friends, then you can pay the bill in half.
• Leave beautifully This is also the main thing in the restaurant. You can thank the waiter for dinner and the head waiter. The man leads the lady to the exit, opening the door for her. He picks up outerwear in the wardrobe and dresses himself. Only then does he help the lady get dressed. She must patiently wait for help from her companion.

If you do something not according to etiquette - do not worry. A man will still see you as a well-mannered prude who behaves beautifully in a restaurant and at the table.

Many transactions are concluded not in the company's meeting room, but in the restaurant. Everything affects the result - behavior, the ability to eat mussels or spaghetti, and much more.

Business etiquette in a restaurant - rules for a dinner to be held at its best:

• Guests should not come hungry. After all, the purpose of a business lunch is to resolve specific issues.
• If you are invited to a business lunch, then you need to book a table in advance and study the restaurant menu.
• Both parties should be well versed in cutlery.
• It's indecent to complain about service or food. Don't discuss your diagnosis when refusing a meal if you have an allergy, ulcer, or other illness.
• Before drinking wine or water from a glass, blot your lips. so as not to leave traces of food on the glass.
• Do not eat if invited guests have already finished their meal.
• Topics of religion, medicine and politics are not discussed at the table. Talk only about work. You can talk about children, touch on the topic of weather, history or sights.
• business papers laid out after the waiter clears the table from plates and food.

A business lunch helps to establish friendly contacts with partners and contributes to successful teamwork.

Do not use your mobile phone in a restaurant. Turn off the sound and leave your cell in your coat pocket. telephone etiquette in a restaurant it is forbidden to talk at the table. If you are waiting for an important call, then put your phone in your pocket or purse. When the mobile rings, apologize to your companion and leave the room to talk.

Often when going to a restaurant, many people ask themselves: “Who pays in a restaurant?” If you go with a man romantic evening then he pays. If you have friendly relations, pay in half. At the banquet, the initiator of the feast pays.

Remember: Who will pay for dinner should be agreed in advance. It is indecent to find out when the waiter has already brought the bill.

Communicate with the waiter politely, and he will help you choose the most tasty dish in this restaurant. Next time, the waiter will definitely tell you which dish the chef turned out to be very tasty, and which one is better to try another time.

Video: Etiquette. How to behave in a restaurant

Some rules of behavior at the table are dictated by common sense and are quite understandable, for example, do not talk while eating, do not eat with a knife, while others contain their own, inexplicable at first glance, nuances. What are all these subtleties and what generally accepted rules of etiquette exist - read on.

How to sit at the table

The rules of conduct begin with how you need to sit at the table - you need to do this at a convenient distance from the dining table. The back should be straight. Keep your legs bent next to you, do not straighten them to their full length under the table. Where you sit is determined by the hosts in preparation for the reception.

Hands are held in a bent form, at the level of cutlery. Only hands can be kept on the table. Don't put your elbows on the table! You can’t figure out where to put your hands - fold them on your knees.

During a conversation, it is customary to turn your head to the interlocutor, and not the whole body. Speak in a restrained tone and do not gesticulate actively.

What to do with a napkin

The etiquette of behavior at the table always assumes that the dishes for the guest are served with a napkin. In addition to its main function of keeping the hands and mouth clean, it serves as a sign of the beginning of the meal, when the host of the evening puts it on his lap.


A large napkin is left on your knees folded in half, a smaller napkin is unfolded completely. If the napkin is served in a ring, then you remove it and leave it in the upper corner to the left of your plate.

Wipe your fingers and lips with it as needed. When you need to leave, the napkin stays on your seat. Leave the used napkin at the plate, trying to wrap the soiled places inside, or, if possible, put it into the ring in the same form.

At the end of the meal, the napkin should lie on the left side of your plate - no need to fold it, wrinkle it too, just gently place it on the side. The plate has already been taken away - leave the napkin exactly in its place.

How to use cutlery

Studying the rules of behavior at the table, many, first of all, are afraid of a large number of cutlery. In fact, they are not so difficult to remember, especially since they are rarely used all at once. There is one tip that will make it easier for you if the table is set correctly: you should always start with the appliances located farthest from the plate and work towards the main appliances that lie next to the plate.


Hold the fork with your left hand. The tines of the fork should point down. When pricking food, you can lean with your index finger on the junction between the handle and the teeth, but away from the latter. When using only the fork, it can be held in the right hand.


Take the knife with your right hand, clasping it with the middle one, ring finger and little finger thumb supports the knife from below, and the index finger rests on the handle, but not on the back of the blade. Never hold a knife like a pencil. Eating with a knife is unacceptable, but above all, dangerous.


Hold the spoon between your index and thumbs, behind the middle of the handle.


If the device fell on the floor, do not continue to use it, but apologize to the owner and ask for a new one.

Serve food from common dishes not with individual appliances, but with serving ones.

You need to hold any glass exclusively by the leg, so as not to heat the drink with your fingers. The cup is held by the handle. When taking a sip, it is customary to look into the cup, and not over it and at others.

How to use chopsticks

The use of chopsticks implies separate rules. If you don't know how to hold the chopsticks correctly, then practice in advance, for example, with the help of this video.

When you're not using your chopsticks, place them on a special stand or to the right of your plate.


In no case should you cross the chopsticks on a plate, leave them in food and pierce it.

Rules of conduct while eating

• Do not scatter food and leftovers on your plate. If you come across a bone or other inedible element, do not spit it out, but gently place it with your lips on a napkin and fold it near the plate.

• Do not try to talk with a full mouth - food must first be completely chewed and swallowed. It is considered good form not to make any sounds while eating - do not slurp, do not smack your lips, do not suck drinks noisily. Loudly knocking cutlery on the dishes is also not very decent.

• Do not cut all the meat or fish into pieces at once. Cut off only one piece at a time before you eat it and cut off the next one.

• Scoop soup with a spoon only in the direction away from you. Tilt the plate to make it more convenient to scoop up the remnants of the soup, you can also only in this direction. When you fill your spoon with food, do it in such a way that you can carry it to your mouth without ruining the tablecloth. Do not blow on a spoon with hot food.

• When eating, do not tilt your head to the plate, but bring food to your mouth with the help of utensils.

• You can’t reach across the table to take food - ask the person sitting closer to pass the necessary and be sure to thank him. Take only what you can safely reach, sitting straight, or slightly leaning to the side.

Do not hurry

When you're the host, keep an eye on the overall pace of your meal, pause after each spoonful or sip so you don't get too ahead of your guests and make them feel like they're being rushed.


As a guest, in the same way, do not rush to quickly absorb food, show the host that you enjoy not only food, but the company is also interesting to you.

How to leave the table

If you need to go to the toilet, apologize to those present and say that you need to go out.

When you need to leave the company for good (for example, you don’t feel well, or you got a call and urgently called somewhere), apologize to those present and say that you would still be happy to stay if it weren’t for force majeure.

Restaurant etiquette

The rules of conduct at the table are common to everyone, although restaurant etiquette has its own nuances associated with the specifics of service.

• It is not necessary to call the waiter by shouting. Ideally, try to make eye contact. Otherwise, raise your hand with your index finger up to get attention. In some restaurants, special call buttons are starting to appear right on the table - then use it.

• When sending back poorly prepared or spoiled food, it is polite to tell your company that they can start eating without waiting for you.

• In the event that you ordered wine, but you did not like it, you do not have the right to return it, because a bottle has already been opened for you. But if the wine is really that awful, you can try to talk delicately to your waiter and explain the situation.

• If you want to try someone's dish, then don't reach for someone else's plate across the table - have some food to sample served to you in a bread plate. In the case of a formal, business dinner or with unfamiliar people, it is better to leave this idea.

• Many people forget about this, or even simply do not know, but put it on dinner table a mobile phone is just as wrong as a handbag or keys. In addition to the fact that this item has nothing to do with the meal, it distracts you from both food and your company. As well as according to the rules of theatrical etiquette, it is advisable to put the phone on silent mode in a restaurant, because you are also in a cultural institution.

• Girls who want to freshen up their make-up can quickly and gently update their lipstick after dinner is over, but that's about it. For the rest, it’s better to use the ladies’ room, putting on all the makeup at the table is bad form.

You can watch the following video about table manners when going to a restaurant.

Can I take pictures of food?

With development social networks and increasing their influence on everyday life, it has become very popular to photograph a dish before eating, and sometimes not only young people do this, but also people of other ages. The question began to arise whether such actions are allowed by the culture of behavior at the table.


It's hard to resist this trend, so if you want to take a photo of your food, you can do it, but make sure you don't disturb anyone and your companions don't mind, and don't leave the camera on the table after taking a photo. Do not use the flash and turn off the shutter sound effect. The same rules of conduct apply to your selfies - try not to cause discomfort to others and do not turn this venture into a photo shoot.

There is a so-called Silent Service Code - certain rules folding cutlery during and at the end of a meal in order to demonstrate to the waiter your opinion about the service, readiness to move on to the next dish, etc.

• Pause in eating: cross the knife and fork towards each other, the knife points to the handle to the right, the fork to the left. Use only one device - put it on the edge of the plate, resting the handle looking to the right on the table.

• I am waiting for the next dish: cross the knife and fork on the plate at a right angle, perpendicular to each other; the fork faces north, the knife faces west.

• The meal is over, the plate can be taken away: there are several ways to show this, the main thing is to put the cutlery between ten and four o'clock, if you think of the plate as a dial. But most often the knife and fork are folded parallel to each other in the five o'clock direction, in the European (continental) style - with the teeth down, in the American - up.

• The meal is over, you liked the dish: if you want to show appreciation for a delicious meal, then at the end of the meal, put the cutlery parallel to each other and across the plate, in a horizontal position.

• The meal is over, the dish did not like: suppose you did not like the food and you want to demonstrate it - cross the cutlery in such a way that the knife clings to the tines of the fork.

Etiquette for children

The rules of conduct at the table for children are not particularly different from the rules for adults, the task is to be able to intelligibly tell the child about this. The dry text from the book is unlikely to be of interest to him, therefore it is better to approach the explanation in a playful way, using children's puzzles, songs, riddles and other techniques - for example, colorful pictures with poems on table etiquette that can be easily learned will be very by the way.

And most of all, kids will like instructive and funny videos, where the rules of behavior at the table are presented in a playful or entertaining form, for example, like this:

We hope that our material was able to shed light on the culture of behavior at the table, and the corresponding rules of etiquette will no longer be a mystery to you.

Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, corporate parties - bright events a lot in our life. And unfortunately, at a feast in honor of some of them, one can feel awkward. But how I would like every holiday to be fun and relaxed.

The reasons that put us in this position can be very different - from the banal inability to behave at the table to more complex ones: differences in education, in worldview, an unusual environment, an alien number of appliances and previously unfamiliar dishes.

But no matter what happens, the culture of behavior is the same for everyone. And adhering to its simple rules, you can impress a well-mannered person on all, without exception, companions.

Try to follow the rules of etiquette even alone with yourself, and it will become easier for you to follow them in the presence of others!

How to behave at a dinner party

It is better to leave the phone and other personal items in the hallway or wardrobe so as not to be distracted by them during the evening. Pay more attention to the guests and the person who invited you.

Even on the threshold, remember the cherished words of courtesy: thank you, please, bon appetit, sorry. Feel free to wield them throughout the event.

Watch how you sit

When you sit down at the table, whether at the very beginning of dinner or in the middle, do not move your chair closer to it. Just put it so that you take a comfortable position for you right away. Ideally, one hand should fit between you and the countertop.

Don't put your elbows on the table! If young people are unlikely to notice such an omission, then this gesture will certainly not flash past the eyes of the adult generation.

During breaks, i.e. between meals, keep your hands in your lap or on the armrests.

The most elementary gesture of politeness is not to start a meal until the inviter himself has started it. It is not difficult to comply with it, but if the owner insists that the guests do not wait for him, support his desire.

Follow straight posture, you can not lean on anything and lean towards the plate. Food should be brought to the mouth, not the other way around. Try to look casual.

Stretching your legs, reaching for an alluring dish is also not worth it. By such actions, you can interfere with your companions and give the impression of an absolutely ill-mannered person. It is better to ask for something closer to the sitting guests.

The true purpose of a cloth napkin

The first thing to do when sitting down at the table is to unfold the cloth napkin and place it on your lap. Unfolded or folded in half if it is too large.

Just don't plug it in your shirt collar, it's considered bad manners in modern society and only suitable for small children.

Do not try to wipe your hands and mouth with a cloth napkin, it is designed to protect your holiday outfit from accidentally spilled liquids and dropped pieces of food. And hands should be cleaned with ordinary paper ones.

If there is no paper version, most likely the owner combined their purpose. In this case, follow how he does and do the same.

Talented handling of devices

Remember that the spoon and knife must be held with the right hand, the fork with the left. If you fold the appliances crosswise, the owner will understand that you have decided to pause. And if you lay it parallel and slightly diagonally, you are ready to serve the next dish. These are simple ones that you can’t do without at any event.

To make a positive impression on others, follow simple rules during the meal:

• It is necessary to eat slowly and carefully, even if it is very tasty! Chomping and slurping will instantly elevate you to the list of ill-mannered people.

Soft foods, such as scrambled eggs and some fish, should be eaten with a fork without a knife.

• Never choose the most appetizing piece from a shared plate. Take the one closest to you.
• Cut meat, game and fish in stages. It's not nice to cut them into pieces right away!
• You can’t reach for a far-standing dish, ask those who are sitting closer to serve it.
• Do not try to chew too large pieces of food. They should be small in size to be able to keep up the conversation in time.
• Don't blow on hot food, let it cool down while you enjoy socializing.
• Always eat with your mouth closed! Even at home, to get used to and not to forget during a dinner party.

• Do not eat with a knife, this is a sign of bad manners and bad taste.
• When you want to pour a drink from a carafe for yourself, first offer it to your interlocutors. This also applies to general meals.
• Don't give more food than you can handle. It is better to report several times.
• Tilt the bowl of soup away from you, not vice versa. And ideally, leave it half-eaten.
• Don't talk with your mouth full, apologize politely, and chew your food.

• Remove the bone stuck in your mouth with a fork and discreetly transfer it to a paper napkin.
• If you find hair or something else in the dish while visiting, do not express your dissatisfaction. Just put it on the edge of your plate and cover it with a side dish so that the rest of the guests do not notice.
• You can not keep devices on weight during the conversation.
• Do not place your spoon, fork or knife on a clean tablecloth during or after the meal. Keep them in a bowl.
• If you urgently need to leave the table, tactfully apologize to either the interlocutor, or, if there is none, the nearest neighbor.

• Do not drink solid food! Chew well, swallow, blot your lips with a napkin and only then drink.
• Pick up only as much food on the fork as it can freely fit on it. It can be less, the main thing is that it does not fall off.
• It is absolutely unacceptable to collect the remains of the sauce, for example, with the help of bread.
• Do not lick cutlery and move dirty dishes to the side.

And be careful with gestures, otherwise you risk knocking something over on your companion.

Remember to politely apologize to your tablemates if:

1. Need to leave urgently.
2. The phone rang.
3. You need to clear your throat, and it's too late to leave.
4. The hiccups started abruptly.
5. You suddenly became ill.
6. Suffering from digestive problems.

How to show gratitude before leaving

At the end of the evening, sincerely thank the person who organized it. Tell him how pleasant it was for you to be in his company, praise the choice and taste of the dishes.

The etiquette includes great amount all sorts of rules and subtleties that are very difficult to remember. However, it is essential to know the rules of conduct for those situations in which a person finds himself most often. So, it is worth learning how to behave at the table.

How to sit correctly

You have to sit nicely at the table. You can not fall apart on a chair, as if it were your home chair. Sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight and legs straight. No need to move very close to the table and even more so to lean on it with your chest. You should sit in such a way that it is comfortable for you to eat, and at the same time not feel any constraint in movement. In accordance with generally accepted standards, a distance equal to the palm of your hand should remain between the table and the person. The plate should be placed on the table at a distance of two fingers from its edge.

Basic rules of table etiquette

The rules of table etiquette strictly forbid putting your elbows on the table. You can put your hands on it. Between meals, hands should be folded on your knees or on the armrests of the chair. Sitting at the table, you need to unfold the cloth napkin located next to your plate and place it on your lap. It is worth noting that the main purpose of this napkin is to protect clothes and prevent them from getting dirty. Hands should be wiped only with paper napkins. They also need to blot the mouth, do not wipe, namely blot, gently touching the lips.

Cutlery

The rules that describe how to behave at the table state that the knife and spoon must be held in the right hand, and the fork in the left. It will be useful to know that the cutlery folded crosswise on the plate means that you have decided to take a break. If you want the waiter to remove the cutlery or replace the dish, you should place a fork and knife diagonally parallel to each other. Their handles should look in the lower right corner. Cutlery stacked on a plate indicates your desire to pause. It should be noted that after the first dish is eaten, it is necessary to leave the spoon in the plate. Meat, poultry and fish should be eaten with a knife and fork. The bones should be removed from the mouth not with your fingers, but with a fork, carefully setting them aside.

Eat carefully

You do not need to bite off too large pieces of food, you should chew with your mouth closed. While eating, you can not talk, slurp, sip and blow on hot food. In addition, it is indecent to discuss treats and choose the most appetizing piece on a common plate. In the event that you cannot take a dish, you should politely ask the person sitting next to you to pass it. When thinking about how to properly behave at the table, do not forget about the polite attitude towards your companions. While at the table, you can not laugh out loud and talk with your mouth full. You need to respect your companions: do not smoke in front of them, do not talk on the phone, and do not gesticulate.

Refusal of a meal

• If you want to refuse some food that you do not like or that you may be allergic to, then politely refuse: "No, thank you." But still, the rules of good manners recommend that you take at least a small piece from the dish and place it on the plate in such a way that it is not noticeable that you have not touched it.
• Undoubtedly, any hostess will be upset if she notices that you have not tried any dish. In this case, you do not need to loudly explain what the reason is. It is necessary, without attracting the attention of the rest of those sitting at the table, to explain to her in a low voice why you refused to eat: you are on a diet, you are allergic to certain types of products, your doctor does not recommend them to you.
• If you refuse a dish that the waiter offers, you just need to shake your head or say in a low voice: "No, thanks." In the case when you are present at an "a la buffet" dinner, where several dishes are offered at once, you can put on your plate just what you like best. However, if at such a dinner waiters are standing at the table with appetizers, then you need to point them to the dish you like, stretch your plate forward, smile and kindly ask them to put the dish you have chosen. If you notice that you were about to put something that you didn’t ask for, you should say: “No, thanks” and repeat your previous request.

Now you know how to behave at the table to create a good impression of yourself. Remember that by following the elementary rules of etiquette, you can attract attention to yourself and achieve the location of others. Try it and see for yourself!

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

About etiquette

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

Restaurant etiquette

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

Order selection

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

Expectation

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

Rules

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

How to sit

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

About food

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

If you need to leave

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

End of meal

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

Cutlery

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

How to use cutlery

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

Napkin

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

About drinks

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

About kids

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