basic dining etiquette

1. Dining Etiquette
ANDI C.J. PONFERRADA
Leyte Normal University
Tacloban City

2. Posture and Elbows
 Sit straight and try not
to lean on the table.
 Keep your elbows off
the table and close to
the body when you are
eating.
 However, when you
stop to talk, it is okay
to rest your elbows on
the table and lean
forward.

3. Proper Starting Position
Solids on your left Liquids on
your right

4. Silverware
 If a piece of silverware drops,
leave it and ask for a
replacement from your
server.
 Silverware should not touch
the tablecloth once used.
 Place knife at the top of the
dinner plate, facing in, after
use.
 When you are finished, place
your knife and fork in the
center of your plate.

5. Napkin
 Once seated place the
napkin, unfolded, on
your lap and leave it
there until you are
finished.
 Once you are finished
place the napkin folded
loosely to the left of
your plate.

6.  A napkin is used to dab
the corners of you
mouth.
 If you need to leave the
table during the meal,
place the napkin on the
chair and slide the chair
under the table.

7. Serving Food
 Pass food to the right.
 Transfer dip to your
plate.
 Plates are served on
the left.
 Dishes removed from
the right.
 Pass the salt and
pepper together.

8. Dining
 Wait until everyone is
seated before eating.
 When dining with others,
everyone should start
and finish at the same
time. If you are a fast
eater try to pace
yourself.You could make
the others feel
uncomfortable if you
finish before they do.
 When you are finished
eating do not push your
plate away from you.

9.  Take small bites, keep your
mouth closed and finish
chewing before continuing
your conversation.
 Try not to gulp your food, it
isn't very attractive.
 Do not blow on food that is
hot.Wait until it cools or eat
from the side of the bowl,
when having soup.

10. •Bread and rolls should be broken with
your fingers, in small pieces and buttered
one piece at a time.
•Cut several pieces of meat(or main
course) at a time.
•Use your knife to cut lettuce if needed.

11. Managing Soup
 Use soup spoon
or teaspoon.
 Hold spoon with
thumb across the
top of the handle.

12.  NOT with handle in
palm of your hand.
 Take soup spoon
AWAY from you
rather than toward
you.
 Sip from the side of
the spoon, not
front.

13. Managing soup….
 Dip the spoon into the
soup, until it is about
two-thirds full, then sip
the liquid from the side
of the spoon.
 Do not slurp the soup
or insert the whole
spoon into the mouth.
 Do not blow on the
soup to cool it off.

14.  Tip the bowl away from
you, not toward you.
 Place the spoon in the
bowl when you want to
rest.
 When you are finished,
leave the spoon on the
plate beneath the
bowl.

15. How to eat bread?
 Use your fingers to
remove bread from the
serving plate/bread
basket.
 Pass the basket/any
food always to your
right.
 If bread is handed out
by a waiter, allow the
waiter to use bread
tongs to place it on the
plate.

16. Cont….
 Break apart the bread
into small pieces using
your fingers.
 Do not cut or bite.
 Add butter to each
small piece of bread in
your bread & butter
plate.
 Place the butter knife
horizontally on bread
plate.

17. Cont….
 Take enough butter
from the butter dish
and place it on your
dish using the butter
knife.
 Do not “double dip”
into the butter dish.
 Carefully and neatly
spread the butter and
eat the small broken
piece.

18. How to eat sandwiches?
 Small sandwiches may
be picked up and eaten
with your fingers.
 Large sandwiches
should be cut with your
knife before lifting and
eating.
 Any hot sandwich
served with a gravy
requires a knife and
fork.

19. Eating the main course….
 DO NOT talk with food
in your mouth!
 Always taste your food
before seasoning it.
 If asked for the salt or
pepper, pass both
together.
 Always use serving
utensils to serve
yourself, not your
personal silverware.

20. Cont….
 Don't blow on your food to cool it off.
 Cut only enough food for the next
mouthful.
 Do eat a little of everything on your
plate.
 It is acceptable to leave some food on
your plate if you are full or unable to eat.
 Do not "play with" your food or utensils.

21. Cont….
 Do not hold food on the fork or spoon
while talking.
 Do not wave your silverware in the air or
point with it.
 Try to pace your eating so that you
don’t finish before others are halfway
through.
 Once used, your utensils, including the
handles, must not touch the table again.

22. Cont….
 Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on
the side of your plate or in the bowl.
 It is never acceptable to ask a person
why they have not eaten all the food.
 Don't make an issue if you don't like
something or can't eat it - keep silence.
 Do not request food other than which is
being served.

23. Eating desserts….
 Dessert is a course that
typically comes at the end
of a meal.
 It usually consists of sweet
food.
 Common desserts include
cakes, cookies, fruits,
pastries, ice cream, and
candies.
 Always use the dessert
spoon and the dessert
knife.

24. Excusing Yourself and
Problems
 Be discrete if you have problem with the food.
 Remove food the same way it went in-on
silverware.
 Excuse yourself, if you have to leave the table.
 Turn your head from the table when you cough
or sneeze.
 If someone uses your bread plate as their own do
not inform them of their mistake, simply use
your dinner plate. Do not use the bread plate on
your right as a replacement.

25. Style and grace
will boost your competitive
edge.
Know the
guidelines!