Dear ladies and gentlemen, what should you do with your cutlery when you put it aside to take your glass, go to the bathroom, or once you have finished the meal? Where should you place your knife and fork, your spoon? Should you leave it on the table or on your plate? I propose you a review.
How to do when you eat soup?
When your soup is served in a soup plate, you must leave your spoon inside the plate once you are done eating, like on the photo below.
When the soup is served in a bowl, there are two cases. If the bowl is served on a saucer, once you have finished your soup, take your spoon out of the bowl and put it on the right side of the saucer, with the bottom of the spoon touching the saucer (the spoon is not up).
If the bowl is served without a saucer, leave the spoon inside the bowl.
When the meal is not finished
Does the arrangement below look correct to you?
This is one of the most common faux-pas people make when setting their cutlery aside. You should never lay your knife and fork down touching the table for two specific reasons. The first one is that having the knife and fork pointing upwards is not elegant. The second one is about the sauce and your food. This position involves sauce dripping down your cutlery. Once you will take it back, you will hold a sticky fork or knife, making your hands dirty, or even sometimes staining the table cloth.
The correct way to rest your cutlery when you have not finished your meal is shown below.
You should place your knife and your fork on each side of the plate, facing inwards. They should not touch the table and be placed in the shape of the Chinese character ba八(‘eight’).
If you do not have any more food on your plate and set your cutlery this way, it means you wish to have a second helping.
In French dining manners, it is acceptable to eat some food only with the fork. What to do with your knife then? If you haven’t used it yet, simply leave it on the table. However, if you have used it, you could be tempted to put it back on the table but it would be such a terrible mistake. Simply place it that way:
When the meal is finished
Do you recognize this arrangement?
Though spread out throughout Europe and America, this cutlery arrangement has its origins in French manners. It indicates that you have finished your meal. Both cutlery placed on the right side of your plate, your knife must be on the right of the fork, facing the inside of the plate.
What about this one?
Here is the British style of cutlery setting at the end of your meal: both your knife and fork must be positioned at 6 o’clock. The fork must also be on the left of the knife with the blade facing towards the center. You may sometimes encounter this arrangement in Italy.
Have you ever seen cutlery placed at 3 o’clock as below?
Finally, do you think you should ever do this?
I believe your answer was ‘no’. You should absolutely never set your cutlery like this. Traditionally it meant you didn’t appreciate the cuisine you were served, which would be such a rude attitude towards the person who invited you at his home.
It is as much impolite in a restaurant: would a lady or a gentleman express his disappointment so publicly? Of course not! If you actually wish to complain, rather go speak discretely to the waiter or the chef, without making a public scene.
Ladies and gentlemen, now you know exactly how you should place your cutlery in any situation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write a comment below and I will be happy to answer.
