Dinner Etiquette

Having dinner at home with your family or friends usually does not involve a great deal of Dinner Etiquette. As long as you respect the others at the table and don’t talk with your mouth full you will be safe. But the Dinner Etiquette can be useful to know especially when going out. No one wants to make a fool of themselves and put themselves in awkward positions when dining out of the house so here are some tips about the Dinner Etiquette that you should know. Dinnermates.com provides you with useful information about how to cook nice meals but this page on Dinnermates.com is all about what to do and what not to do as part of the Dining Etiquette.

Let’s start off with what you should be doing at the table when it comes to respecting the Dining Etiquette. First, when you sit at the table get your napkin and unfold it without too much fuss as respecting the Dinner Etiquette. The napkin will be extremely useful to avoid embarrassing situations and you can use it every time you need to wipe your lips or fingers. Don’t use it excessively though. If you want to truly respect the Dining Etiquette then you should know that the first to get served is the lady sitting on the right of the host. Afterwards you may serve the other ladies in a clockwise direction and in the end the men. Holding the fork and knife are also an important part of Dinner Etiquette that you should know. You have to hold them with the handles in your palm and with the forefinger on top and the thumb underneath. A somewhat confusing part of Dinner Etiquette is what to do with the knife and fork when resting while eating. So, you should place them on either side of the plate and once you have finished eating simply place them side by side in the center of the plate. In the end, never forget to show your best Dinner Etiquette knowledge by thanking the host for the hospitality when you are leaving.

And we shall continue with what goes completely against the Dining Etiquette and you should definitely avoid doing at the table. First, don’t start eating before the host signals so. Also, the fork can only be turned over if you are eating peas, sweet corn kernels or rice and then it should be transferred into the right hand. Loud eating noises and talking with one’s mouth full are completely against the Dining Etiquette. Remember that too much wine can be dangerous for your image so try not to exaggerate.

In the end, having at least a basic knowledge on Dinner Etiquette is mandatory whenever eating at someone else’s place or in a restaurant so for the next time remember our tips.