Fine dining is a grand art, a merge of the chef’s master pieces, the table setting, fashion, colours, aroma, glamour, and music, all to set the tone for a graceful evening. The best dining experiences are not without strict attention to details, meticulous placement of furniture, silverware, flowers, and other aesthetic items. Fine dining thrives on elegance, etiquette, and order.
One of the easiest things that can sell you out in this setting is not having knowledge of your cutlery. I know, the groove these days—who cares? But not with fine dining!
When It Comes To Fine Dining, You Must Know Your Cutlery
A Guide to Proper Cutlery Usage in Fine Dining
The cutlery at the dinner table all have specific functions. Long live the King! If you had to attend a royal banquet at the palace, it would be unbefitting to get the cutlery used wrong. The longer the course, the more cutlery at the table. Here’s an easy, quick tip. At the dinner table, start with the utensil farthest from the plate and work your way in as the course starts. The dessert cutlery might be placed differently, but just at the top of the plate. Here are the basic cutlery you find at a fine dining table.
Spoons Etiquette
The spoon will be placed on the right side of the plates, in order of the meals. The dinner spoon is the most commonly used of all spoons; it’s oval-shaped and longer than the rest of the spoons. There’s also the soup spoon for the soups and the much smaller teaspoon.
Essential Tips For Your Fork
Most of the forks are placed on the right side of the plate. The dinner fork is the longest in the set, with four tines, and it’s used for the main course. The dessert forks are much shorter and are to be used strictly for dessert meals like cake and brownies. The fish fork pairs with the fish knife, and the fruit fork has two or three tines for easy fruit picking.
Make The Right Use Of The Knives
The knives also go on the right side of the plate, except for the butter knife and dessert knife, which are placed much farther away from the plate. The dinner knife, fish knife, and meat knife are all for cutting the served meal into smaller portions. Stay up to date on the newest in the world of Fashion, Arts, Beauty and Lifestyle; Follow FAB on Instagram.
What Your Cutlery Placement Says
- Slant your cutlery across the plate, facing each other, to signify a break. The heads of the cutlery should be positioned at the centre to create an inverted V shape.
- To signify that you’re done eating, place your plates vertically, parallel to each other.
- Place your fork and knife across each other, forming a cross sign to call for the next meal.
- You can give the chef a positive or negative feedback by your cutlery placement too. Make an inverted V shape with the knife kissing the fork tines to indicate displeasure. For an excellent meal, place your cutlery horizontally, parallel to each other.
NB: Be mindful of your cutlery placement.
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