Whether you're planning an elegant dinner or just inviting a couple of friends over for dinner, setting the table can put you in a quandary. To do it right, you need to know where to put the plates, silverware and glasses, and you'll be ready to say "bon appetit" in no time at all. If you want to know how to set the table in the right way, follow these tips.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Setting a Formal Table
Step 1. Arrange the placemats
Place a placemat in front of each chair prepared for your guests.
For a formal dinner, you need to have enough matching placemats for all guests, plus they should be coordinated with the tablecloth
Step 2. Place the napkin to the left of the placemat
Fold it in half or quarter, depending on the napkin. Better to use some in fabric.
You can also put the napkin to the left of the forks once they are arranged
Step 3. Place the plate in the center of the placemat
It should cover the right side of the napkin. If you want an elegant table, use ceramic plates.
Step 4. Put the first fork and the salad fork on the napkin
The dinner fork should be very close to the plate without touching it, and the salad fork about an inch from the first one. Fork tips should not point towards the diner.
- If you don't remember in which order the forks should be placed, think about the sequence of courses. You don't eat the salad before the first one, and the forks are used from left to right, so the salad fork goes to the left of the first one.
- Remember that you should eat with the cutlery from the outside to the inside, starting with those on the outside of the plate and continuing towards the plate until the end of the dinner.
Step 5. Place the knife to the right of the plate
The knife should not be facing the diner and the blade should be facing the plate.
If you get confused about the location of the cutlery, think about how a right-handed person would use a knife and fork to cut something. If you sit down and imitate the movements, you will see that you will pick up the fork with the left and the knife with the right, so you will know exactly where to put them
Step 6. Place the spoon to the left of the knife
The spoon will be used to mix the coffee after dinner.
Step 7. Place the spoon to the right of the spoon
Do this if the first course is going to be soup, so this is the first cutlery you will take when you eat the soup.
Attention: in some services the spoon is bigger than the teaspoon
Step 8. Place the wine glasses to the right and on top of the placemats
To add the glass of water, place it to the left of the wine glass. The tip of the knife should be facing the glass of water.
Step 9. Add any other plates and cutlery you may need
If your dinner has multiple courses, you should add the following items:
- A saucer for bread and butter with its knife. Place this saucer about 10 cm from the forks. Place a small knife horizontally over the plate, with the blade to the left.
- Spoon and dessert fork. Place the fork and spoon horizontally a few cm above the plate, with the spoon above the fork facing right, while the fork should be facing left.
- A coffee cup. Place the cup on a saucer a few cm from the outermost cutlery on the left.
- Glass for red and white wine. If you have two distinct glasses, then the one for the white wine will be the one closest to the diner, and the one for the red slightly shifted to the left of the first. You can remind yourself of this by thinking that guests will likely switch from white to red wine.
Method 2 of 2: Set an Informal Table
Step 1. Place the placemat in the center of the table
It can be more casual than that for a formal dinner. A solid color will do just fine.
Step 2. Place the napkin to the left of the placemat
You can fold it in half or in four.
Step 3. Place the plate in the center of the placemat
It doesn't have to be decorated or elaborate. Just try to use dishes that are all the same.
Step 4. Place the fork to the left of the plate
For an informal table all you need is a fork.
Step 5. Place the knife to the right of the plate
The blade should point towards the plate, like for a formal dinner.
Step 6. Place the spoon to the right of the knife
If there is no soup, then you can not put it.
Step 7. Place the dessert spoon horizontally over the plate, facing left
The teaspoon should be smaller and deeper than the soup spoon.
Step 8. Place the fork parallel to and under the spoon, facing right
It doesn't have to touch the spoon and is smaller than a fork.
Step 9. Place the wine glass a few inches above and to the left of the spoon
For an informal setting, the wine glass can be stemless.
Step 10. Put the glass of water a few cm above the spoon
It must be positioned further back than the wine one. It must be slightly larger than a regular glass.
Advice
- Check that guests have enough space to use the cutlery without colliding their elbows.
- To make it easier, only put on the table the plates and cutlery you will need.
