WORKSHOP ON

DINING MANNERS
& ETIQUETTE

Contributed by
Nilesh Kumar Soni
 WHAT ARE
DINING MANNERS?
• Table/Dining manners are the etiquettes
used while eating. This includes the
appropriate use of utensils too.
• Eating with etiquettes is like adding
colours to a plain diagram.
• Many table manners evolved out of
practicality. For example, it is generally
impolite to put elbows on tables since doing
so creates a risk of tipping over bowls and
cups.
 GENERAL BEHAVIOR
• Chew with your mouth closed.
• Do not talk at an excessively loud volume.
• Refrain from coughing, sneezing or blowing
nose at the table.
• Never tilt back your chair while at the
table. Sit in a relaxed and comfortable
position, but do not "slouch."
• Do not "play with" your food, or with your
table utensils.
GENERAL BEHAVIOR
(cont..)
• Do not make loud or unusual noises while
eating.
• It is generally acceptable to rest your
fore-arms on the table, though you should
take care to never rest your elbows on the
table.
• Always ask the host or hostess to be
excused before leaving the table.
• Do not stare at anyone while he or she is
eating. It is considered rude.
• Do not slurp your food or eat loudly
GENERAL BEHAVIOR
(cont..)
• Never talk on your phone or text a friend
at the table. If an urgent matter arises,
ask host or hostess to be excused, and
step away from the table.
• Burping or sneezing at the table should be
avoided. If you must do so, you may
request that your action be excused.
• Never tell anyone to do something other
than the person responsible at the table.
• Men should not wear goggles or caps at the
dinner table.
 To start with the
basics…..
Menu
Sales category offered at any restaurant
Kinds of menu-
1.Ala Carte: Menu from the card
with Unlimited choice
2.Table d`hote/ Buffet: Menu from the
table with Limited choice
 Table Layout
• Bread or salad plates are to the left
of the main plate, glasses are to the
right.
• Fork is always on left and knife &
spoon on the right.
Basic Table Layout
Fancy Table layout
 Table Layout (cont.)
• Salt and pepper (CRUET SET) are
always placed together and passed
together even if someone only asks
for one or the other.
• 1-2 holes –salt (free flowing nature)
• 3-4 holes –pepper (rigid nature)
Cruet Set
 UTENSILS
• Do not eat food with your fingers unless
you are eating foods customarily eaten
with fingers, such as bread, French fries,
chicken wings, pizza, etc.
• The fork may be used either in the
American (use the fork in your left hand
while cutting; switch to right hand to pick
up and eat a piece) or the Continental
(fork remains in the left hand) fashion --
either is now acceptable.
 UTENSILS (cont..)
• The fork is used to convey any solid food
to the mouth.
• The knife blade should be placed on the
edge of your plate when not in use. The
blade should always face inward.
• When you have finished eating soup, the
spoon should be placed to the side of the
saucer, not left in the bowl.
• Keep your napkin on your lap.
Cutlery in Use
 UTENSILS (cont..)
• While at the table, it is never acceptable
to take your napkin out of your lap. When
leaving the table, place your napkin on your
chair, not on the table.
• wet wipes or paper napkins should be used
to clean the hands.
• When using paper napkins, never ball them
up or allow stains to show.
 UTENSILS (cont..)
• Use your CUTLERY from the outside
moving inward toward the main plate.
(Salad fork, knife and soup spoon are
further from the main plate than the
main course knife, fork and spoon.
Dessert utensils are either placed
above the main plate or served with
dessert.)
Basic Cutlery
Variety of Knives
Variety of Spoons
 Table Manners
• Never lean across somebody else’s plate.
If you need something to be passed, ask
the person closest to it. If you have to
pass something, only pass it if you are
closest to it and pass it directly to them if
you can.
• Salt & pepper should be passed together.
• Do not take food from a neighbour’s plate
and don’t ask to do so.
• You must not put your elbows on the table.
 Table Manners
• You must not put your elbows on the table.
• If pouring a drink for yourself, offer to
pour a drink for your neighbours before
serving yourself.
• If extra food is on the table, ask others
first if they would like it before taking it
yourself.
• When chewing food, close your mouth and
only talk when you have swallowed it.
• Swallow all food before eating more or
having a drink.
 Table Manners
• Never pick food out of your teeth with
your fingernails.
• Try to eat all the food you are served.
• Glasses served in a wine glass or other
stemmed-glass should be held at the stem.
• Always remember “regular” manners.
Remember to say "please" and "thank you".
 British table manners
• The fork is held in your left hand and the
knife is held in your right.
• You should hold your knife with the handle
in your palm and your fork in the other
hand with the prongs pointing downwards.
• If you’re eating a dessert, your fork (if
you have one) should be held in the left
hand and the spoon in the right.
 British table manners
(cont..)
• When eating soup, you should hold your
spoon in your right hand and tip the bowl
away from you, scooping the soup in
movements away from yourself.
• It is not acceptable to use your fingers at
the table to eat or push food onto your
fork. You may, however, eat some foods
such as fruit, sandwiches, burgers, crisps,
chips or pizza with your fingers.
 British table manners
(cont..)
• If there are a number of knives or forks,
then you should start from the outside set
working your way in as each course is
served.
• Drinks should always be to the right of
your plate with the bread roll to the left.
• When eating bread rolls, break off a piece
before buttering. Use your knife only to
butter the bread, not to cut it.
 British table manners
• When you’re finished, place your knife and
fork together at six o’clock with your fork
on the left (tines facing up) and knife on
the right, with the knife blade facing in.
This signals that you are finished.
• Your serviette should never be screwed up.
Nor should it be folded neatly as that
would suggest that your host might plan to
use it again without washing it - just leave
is neatly but loosely.
• Never blow your nose on your serviette.
 British table manners
• Always ask for permission from the host
and excuse yourself if you need to leave
the table. You should place your napkin on
your seat until you return.
• If you must leave the table or are resting,
your fork should be at eight o’clock and
your knife at four o’clock (with the blade
inwards). Once an item of cutlery has been
used, it should not touch the table again.
• The food should be brought to your mouth
on the fork; you should sit straight and not
lean towards your plate.
 Dining
• A prayer or 'blessing' may be customary in
some families, and the guests should join in
even if they are not religious or do not
follow the same religion. Most prayers are
made by the host before the meal is eaten.
Instead or in addition, a 'toast' may be
offered
• Do not start eating until (a) every person
is served or (b) those who have not been
served request that you begin without
waiting. At more formal occasions all
diners will wait to begin until the hostess
or host lifts a fork or spoon.
 Dining (cont..)
• When a dish is presented 'family style',
the food is served to one's plate and then
passed on to the next person. put the food
on your left, take some and pass to the
person next to you.
• When serving yourself or others, the meat
portion of the dish should be at the "5
o'clock" position, unless it has been placed
in the center of the dish for presentation
purposes.
 Dining (cont..)
• Eat soup noiselessly, and from the side of
the spoon.
• Tea or coffee should never be poured into
the saucer to cool but should be sipped
from the cup. Alternatively, ice may be
used to cool either.
• Coffee or tea cups are always placed to
right of the table setting or sometimes
above the setting to the right if space is
limited. When serving either the cup's
handle should be pointing right and the
handle of the spoon pointing right, as most
people are right handed.
 At the end of the meal
• It is acceptable, in most circumstances,
not to finish all of the food on your plate.
• When finished with your meal, place your
knife and fork with handles at the 4
o'clock position and the tines of the fork
down to signal to the server that you are
done.
 At the end of the meal
(cont..)
• When finished with your meal, it is
impolite to leave a dirty napkin on the
table or on your dinner plate.
• The proper place to leave a napkin is
on your chair. You may only leave your
napkin on the table if everyone is
leaving the table all at once.
Indian table manners
 Indian table manners
• Wait for the host or the eldest person to
start first.
• You should maintain silence while eating food.
You are not expected to chat unnecessarily
with the people around the table.
• It is acceptable to not use cutlery for
eating, as many foods - such as Indian breads
and curry - are best enjoyed when eating
with the hand.
• Wash hands thoroughly before sitting at the
table as some Indian foods are primarily
eaten by hand. Also, wash hands after eating
the food.
Indian table manners
• In North India, when eating curry, the
gravy must not be allowed to stain the
fingers --only the fingertips are used.
However, in South India, it is acceptable
to use more of your hand.
• When flatbreads such as chapati, roti, or
naan are served with the meal, it is
acceptable and expected to use pieces of
them to gather food and sop-up gravies
and curries.
• The cardinal rule of dining is to always use
the right hand when eating or receiving
food and never the left. Even a piece from
the bread is broken using the right hand
alone.
 Indian table manners
• It is considered inappropriate to use your
fingers to share food from someone else's
plate once you have started using your own.
Instead, ask for a clean spoon to transfer
the food to your plate from the common
dish.
• When eating with hands, always eat with
right, as mentioned above. However, use
only the other clean hand to transfer food
from a common dish on the table.
 Indian table manners

• It is not necessary to taste each and

every dish prepared; but you must
finish everything on the plate as it is
considered a respect for served
food. For that reason, take only as
much food on the plate you can
finish.
 Last but not the least…
• Table manners are slow
learning process, earlier
we start, better we
become…
• The knowledge of good
behaviour at the table
would make your
personality more
confident & charming.
• Wishing you a great
dinning experience
ahead !!!
Thank you !!!