Whether you are dining at someone else’s home at a gettogether o you are dining at a posh restaurant, knowing and abiding by table etiquettes show that you are a true gentleman/wonderful woman of ethics. Table manners are something all of us are taught quite young but not many of us quite follow as we grow up. Isn’t it? Also, how many of us had to go through certain uncomfortable situations wherein the other person was way too messy and didn’t even know the ABC of dining etiquettes? We are pretty sure very many times! Time and again, table manners keep evolving so that eating could be made more sociable and decent. A special emphasis on table etiquettes is placed in countries like the USA and the UK, where the tradition of formal eating and formal public behaviour is pretty important. At the end of the day, it’s not something related to geographical; boundaries but being a good person. Hence, if you feel the same, inculcate these dining table etiquettes and become a civil/good-mannered man/woman. Here’s a list of dining table etiquettes that you must abide by. Make a note of them and start following them!
- Never start relishing your meal before the host/hostess
- Never blow the food and spill it on others. Rather wait for it to cool down before you relish it.
- Avoid slouching while sitting at a table.
- Dress up accordingly for the dining table. For instance, if it’s a formal job meeting, then dress something formal. If it’s with family, then dresses casually.
- Bring your best self to the table and engage in some dinner conversation with other folks.
- Don’t reach out yourself for all the dishes that are kept on the farther side of the table. Rather ask someone else to pass it to you.
- If someone asks you to pass the salt, then pass both salt and pepper.
- Once you pick the silverware from the table, make sure to leave it over the plate after relishing the meal.
- Start by the farthest course of the meal and then come around to the centre.
- While eating, always keep your mouth shut.
- Make sure to use the napkin.
- If one doesn’t know the use of chopsticks, then let it be. Use a spoon and fork to relish a meal.
- Cut only one piece at a time, while relishing your meal.
- Food should be passed from your right side. But that will never mean that you can’t pass it to the person sitting on your left.
- The portion size of the food should somewhere range between small to medium.
- Knives and forks are to be held by the handles of these cutleries. The forefinger should be visible on top whereas the thumb underneath.
- Never use your hands to push food in your spoon.
- To have buttered bread, you need to use your hands to tear it into pieces, after you have buttered it with a knife and slab of butter.
- Keep the bread on the right meal in the centre and keep the water on your left.
- Keep your mobile phones away from the table.
- Never drink any beverage while chewing your food.
- Adding salt and pepper before tasting the food is not a proper dining etiquette.
- Try to avoid placing the elbows on the dining table.
- Place your napkin on the chair, in case you wish to go to the bathroom in the middle of your meal.
- Never look over the glass while drinking the water from it.
- Try to match up everyone else’s pace of eating, while sitting them at a dining table.
- Never ever lick the spoon or dish after finishing your meal.
- Once you are done eating, place the spoon, fork and knife over and centre of the plate.
- Always say “Excuse me” or ”Will be right back” before going to the loo.
- When you are done eating your food, don’t push away your plates. The host/restaurant staff will come around and remove those.
- You don’t drink up the liquor served to you. You drink it sip by sip, relishing it.
- You don’t ask for a liquor refill. You just wait for the host/waiter to come around asking for a refill instead.
- In case you don’t drink, then you don’t have to offer any explanation. You can simply decline the offer of drinking politely.
- Don’t linger around until the host starts doing the dishes.
- Make sure to thank the host for the wonderful meal served to you.
So, these were some of the table etiquettes to follow. Regardless of which kind of food item/course, you are relishing, these norms are applicable to all. So, order yourself a dessert from Bakingo’s cake delivery in Bangalore, right away and try/ test these etiquettes on your own.
