How to properly serve cutlery? Table setting: correct arrangement of cutlery Complete table setting.

The word "serving" comes from the French servir, which means to serve and has two meanings:

1. Preparing the table for breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea (arranging dishes in a certain order),
2. A set of items intended for this purpose (dishes, table linen, etc.).

Table setting is one of the main elements of the interior of the hall and has great importance for creating Have a good mood at the guests' place.

The main requirements for table setting at present are the following: simplicity, practicality, coordination with the interior of the room, and compliance with the food served. Along with this, much attention is paid to the aesthetic orientation of table setting: shape, color, design of dishes; the color of the tablecloth and napkins; compliance with its service topic, use national characteristics and etc.

Table setting, as well as the whole process of serving guests, is ceremonial in nature and is distinguished by its many options, but it is based on general rules, which are determined by the national labor organization of service personnel, as well as the need to provide maximum convenience to consumers.

Basic rules for table setting

Table setting is carried out in a certain sequence: the table is covered with a tablecloth, then plates are placed, cutlery is laid out, glasses, napkins, and spice utensils (menage) are placed. Each serving element should have a specific place on the table.

Covering the table with a tablecloth. This operation is performed so that the ironed central seam of the tablecloth is located on the axis of the table and both sides of it are at the same level from the floor.

The edges of the tablecloth should fall equally on all sides by at least 25 cm, but not lower than the seat of the chair. A smaller descent gives the table an unaesthetic appearance, a larger one is inconvenient for those sitting. The corners of the tablecloth should go down along the table legs, covering them, and be at a distance of 35–40 cm from the floor.

When covering a table with two tablecloths, the first is laid on the far side of the table (in relation to the main entrance to the hall), the second is placed on top of the first with the side on which the edge was previously turned inward so as to form straight line.

Table setting with plates

Depending on the type of service, a small dining room, snack or dessert plate is placed opposite the guest’s chair. The distance from the plate to the edge of the table top should be approximately 2 cm. The emblem or design, if any, on the plate should be facing the guest.

At banquet serving The snack plate is placed on top of the shallow dining table. In this case, it is advisable to place a napkin between them, but so as not to cover the emblem.

The pie plate is placed on the left side of the main one (small dining room or snack bar) at a distance of 10–15 cm from it, depending on the number of cutlery (forks) to be placed later.

There are various options for placing a pie plate in relation to a small dining room or snack bar.

When placing the plate on the table, take it large and index fingers, which pull in one direction along the side, the remaining fingers only support it.

Table setting with cutlery. Cutlery is placed to the right and left of the central (small dining room, snack or dessert) plate: knives are placed on the right, blade to the plate, forks on the left, tines up.

Table setting begins with knives

They must be placed on the right side of the plate, placed in the direction from left to right: tablevyy, fish, snack bar. It is customary to place forks on the left side of the plate, placing them in the direction from right to left: dining room, fish table, snack bar. The guest uses the cutlery in the reverse order while eating.

The butter knife is placed on the right side of the pie plate. The tablespoon is always placed on the right side, with the indentation facing up.

Dessert cutlery is placed behind the plate (small table or snack bar) in the following order (from the plate to the center of the table): knife, fork, spoon. When setting the table with a dessert plate, dessert utensils are placed to the left (fork) and to the right (knife) of it. Often, when serving, only one of the dessert utensils is placed or in pairs - a spoon and fork, a knife and a fork. The cutlery is placed at a short distance from the plate, and next to each other, but so that they do not touch.

The following guest places are served at a distance of 70–80 cm (from the center of the main plate).

Table setting with glasses

The glasses are placed in last resort, holding them by the leg or bottom edge. The glass that is placed first is called the main one. This is usually a water glass and can be placed centrally behind the plate or moved to the right until the top edge of the plate intersects the end of the first knife.

Then the remaining glasses are installed. In this case, there are three ways to arrange them: in length, in a semicircle and in a block, but with any of them you must adhere to next rule: lower glasses are placed in front of higher ones (the “organ pipes” principle). This makes pouring drinks easier.

Today there is a tendency to reduce the number of glasses. Even at the most formal dinners, one glass (universal) or two are placed - a glass for water and a glass for wine (universal). All subsequent glasses are served additionally, if necessary, with the corresponding dishes. Beer glasses are usually placed next to the appliances in homes, but in restaurants they are served only upon order.

Setting the table with napkins

Linen napkins are placed on a snack or dessert plate, paper napkins are placed in special stands and vases. It is possible to place the napkin on the pie plate or directly on the tablecloth between the cutlery (knife and fork). Various options folding napkins are shown in Figure 1.

1 – envelope, 2 – book, 3 – “into space”, 4 – cap, 5 – crown, 6 – umbrella, 7 – double crown, 8 – cap
Figure 1 - Options for folding napkins

Menage

Finally, salt, spices and seasonings are placed on the table. At mass service During the daytime, salt and pepper can be placed on the table. In other cases, it is recommended to add only salt when serving; other spices and seasonings are served with the appropriate dishes or at the request of consumers.

Characteristics of different types of table settings

Preliminary table setting. This is done before guests arrive. Daytime service (breakfast, lunch) includes a snack bar and pie plate, cutlery (knife and fork; knife, fork, spoon) cutlery, wine glass, linen napkin, and spice set.

In the evening (dinner), it is necessary to supplement the serving with snack utensils and remove the tablespoon. You can put dessert cutlery.

When setting the table for serving tea or coffee, the tea (coffee) saucer is placed to the right of the main plate at the level of its upper edge. The cup is placed on the saucer with the handle to the right. The tea (coffee) spoon is placed on the saucer to the right of the cup parallel to its handle.

Additional table setting. It is carried out at the time of serving guests after receiving an order for a particular dish. May include all utensils, utensils and drink glasses needed to serve custom-made meals.

Service methods

Depending on the number of serving guests, the class and equipment of catering establishments (restaurants, bars), various methods service. The most common are the French, English, American and Russian service methods. All methods of service use the labor of waiters.

French service.This type of service is common in haute cuisine restaurants, where it emphasizes the elegance of the service. French service is considered the most impressive and expensive in the world. A large dish with food laid out on it is shown to the guests. This takes into account visual perception a person of beautifully served food, which undoubtedly stimulates the appetite.

Approaching from the left side, the waiter places food from the dish onto the guests' plates. The French type of service can be used both when serving individual guests and a large company.

English service(service from side table). In this method, the waiter places food on the guest's plate on a side table, then serves it from the right side. This type of service is labor intensive and is therefore only recommended for serving a limited number of guests (4-6).

American service.Food is prepared and plated directly in the kitchen. The waiters serve and place plates to the guests. This type is popular due to its simplicity and efficiency.

German service.The food is laid out on a large dish and placed on the table at an accessible distance from the guest so that he can serve himself.

Russian service. Food is served on a service platter. The waiter divides it into portions in front of the guests, then the guests themselves put these portions on plates.

Serving – ancient art decorating a table for a shared lunch or feast. To decorate the table in accordance with generally accepted rules and customs, you should familiarize yourself with them. It is necessary to learn the order of arranging cutlery and serving dishes, and also take into account the recommendations of specialists in choosing decorations and decorative elements to realize the ideal serving.

Peculiarities

Today, few people pay due attention to studying traditions and customs, so not every housewife can talk about table setting or explain what it is. But it is worth familiarizing yourself not only with the concept itself, but also with the history of the development of serving.

By serving we need to understand the correct arrangement of plates, cutlery, napkins and other elements for the meal. The choice of decor is of great importance.

​Serving can be presented in several varieties:

• Preliminary- is the simplest. With such serving, it is enough to partially arrange the dishes and cutlery that will initially be required for the dishes presented first on the menu. When a new dish is served, the dishes will be replaced at the same time.

During pre-serving, it is necessary to use a table knife, a fork, a teaspoon, a pie plate, a wine glass, a wine glass, decorations for placing in the center, a pepper shaker and salt shaker, as well as a cloth napkin without a print.

• Banquet room– consists of simultaneous arrangement of decor, plates and cutlery. To create this type of serving you will need snack utensils, namely:
  • forks and knives;
  • soup spoon;
  • fish utensils;
  • baking plate;
  • bakery plate;
  • butter knife;
  • dessert spoon;
  • pepper shaker;
  • soup plate;
  • small saucer.

Silk napkins are the ideal decoration for this type of table setting. They can be in the form of rectangles or squares.

• "Bistro"- the usual arrangement of dishes for a casual breakfast or lunch in an informal setting. It can be used in areas where self-service is used. This type of serving is used in establishments where personal staff are served. The choice of cutlery and their location depends on the menu, the cost of the dish and even the style of the establishment. The table should be decorated with a tablecloth, as well as additional napkins.

Rules

For proper decoration of a table at home, in a chic restaurant or cafe it is necessary to follow generally accepted serving rules. If you set the table correctly, then the holiday will be brighter and more spectacular. A mistake when choosing dishes can ruin the whole holiday. The type of meal affects the choice of plates, glasses, even napkins, as well as other elements.

Used frequently serving for two. This option is ideal for embodying a romantic atmosphere. To decorate the table, you can use a variety of elements (candles, alcohol in the form of champagne or wine, a fruit basket). It is worth giving preference to a tablecloth of snow-white or bright red color.

To set a table for two, you need to maintain synchronicity. The dishes should be placed opposite each other, and the distance between the interlocutors should be small so that they can touch at arm's length.

When creating a romantic atmosphere, you should not focus on proper serving On the contrary, it is better to use a minimum of utensils and cutlery.

When planning home banquet You should take care of the comfortable location of each guest, and for this you should maintain a certain distance. If you need to accommodate 4 people at a table, then you can use both the square and oval options. But remember that for a convenient location for one person you need 76 cm, and for an overweight guest - 90 cm. Furniture with standard sizes Ideal for comfortably accommodating 4 people.

If 6 people are to be seated at a table, then more information needs to be taken into account. You can choose rectangular or round table.

To seat two people on one side of a rectangular table, its width must be 240 cm, since there must be 46 cm free on each edge.

When choosing round table for 6 people, it is worth considering that the radius of the tabletop must be at least 80 cm, then 76 cm can be used for serving for one person.

To conduct a joint family holiday you will need a large table. Standard dishes and cutlery are designed for a maximum of 12 people.

• You should decorate the table with a tablecloth.
• Arrange the plates, taking into account the number of people at the table.
• Arrange cutlery.
• The location of glasses, glasses, wine glasses largely depends on what kind of alcoholic drinks will be consumed.
• Arrange and decorate the table with original napkins.
• Decorating on a specific theme.

Subtleties of serving

To beautifully organize a meal at the table according to etiquette, you need to take into account many nuances and details. To organize a meal at home, you first need to purchase a beautiful set of dishes. All family members should be provided with the same plates and cutlery.

Before serving you need to think about the menu first, since each dish requires a certain set of serving. When arranging appliances, it is worth remembering that at least 80 centimeters of free space must be allocated for one person. This distance is enough for a comfortable position at the table.

All equipment must be clean. It is better to wipe each fork, knife and spoon with a dry towel before placing them on the table to prevent the possibility of stains from residual water.

How to arrange the devices?

At home, you can beautifully decorate the table for a shared meal if you set it up correctly. First you need to cover the table with a tablecloth and purchase a beautiful set of dishes and cutlery. You can’t use all the dishes to set the table at home. It should be selected depending on personal preferences and food needs.

The tablecloth plays a major role in table decoration, as it sets the tone for the entire event. For a holiday, you should choose an exclusively white tablecloth; for everyday use, you can use the product in yellow color or cream shade. The main thing is that the tablecloth is washed and ironed.

For informal meetings, you can use colored tablecloths in light colors; for themed meetings, models with prints; for example, for celebrating a child’s birthday, a tablecloth with a children’s theme is suitable. A table covered with two tablecloths looks original, and they are positioned in such a way that the corners of the lower tablecloth are visible from under the upper one.

Options with a minimal amount of decor look beautiful, although you can use models with perforation, lace or complemented with silk ribbons.

When choosing the size of the tablecloth, remember that you need to start from the dimensions of the table on which it will be located. According to etiquette, the edges of the product should hang over the edge by about 30 centimeters. But there are also exceptions. For example, in Italian and French restaurants it is considered normal for the edges of the tablecloth to touch the floor. When choosing a product material, it is better to give preference to cotton or silk.

There are 35 types of plates for table setting, but usually only 5 or 6 types are used. According to the rules of etiquette, all plates should ideally be from the same set or at least be made in a single style direction. The choice of plate type depends on the dishes that will be served on the table, and their quantity depends on the number of people who will be present at dinner.

The main types of plates that are very often used for serving: soup, flat plate (large and small), dessert (shallow and deep), pie plate, herring bowl, mustard plate or bowl, meat dish.

Need to choose the right cutlery and arrange them correctly. To begin with, on the right side of the dish you need to place a soup spoon, place a fork and a snack knife near it, then a coffee or tea spoon. If all this needs to be placed directly next to the main plate, then the dessert spoon is usually placed behind the plate. Knife for butter usually found on a pie plate.

Before serving, the cutlery must be thoroughly polished to a shine. Often in cafes, cutlery is placed directly on a special napkin.

A classic choice among glasses is the option for champagne and wine. There are other types of glassware for alcohol, but they should be placed on the table depending on what drink will be presented on the table. These can be glasses for liquor, whiskey, shot glasses.

When arranging glasses, you should adhere to the following sequence: for red wine, white wine, champagne and a container for stronger alcohol in the order in which they will be served on the table. Don't forget that there should be a glass for water or juice on the left side of the table.

Serving napkins are an indispensable element for decorating a formal feast. They can be either paper or fabric. Most people prefer napkins made from various types fabrics. Linen models are often used square shape and large size. They can be placed on the knees to protect clothes from possible stains or used as decoration.

Paper napkins are intended to be used during meals, so they should be placed in the center of the table so that everyone can easily reach the napkins. To do this, you can use a napkin holder or special figures with clips. For special occasions, you should use plain paper models, without a bright and catchy print.

IN modern interior In a dining room, the main element is often the round table. Many housewives are faced with the fact that round table top provides less space than rectangular. When setting the table round shape You should only use the necessary items: a flat and deep plate, a fork for the main dish, a knife and a wine glass. If the guest wishes, other items of tableware can be served. Decorate the center of the table with a bouquet of flowers, a bright and unusual dessert or a bottle of wine, complemented by a red or black napkin.

If a birthday is celebrated in the home circle, then the table should become a bright accent when organizing the holiday. To achieve this goal, it is worth using unusual desserts, choosing decorations, and also using beautiful table setting dishes.

If you are deciding what to set the table with, then you should start from the personality of the birthday person. To decorate a table in honor of a children's party, you should decorate the table beautifully using soft toys or images on cardboard of famous cartoon characters. For children, you can organize a simple sweet table.

To decorate a table in honor of a young girl’s birthday, then you should pay attention to fresh flowers at the table, fashionable dishes made of multi-colored glass, vases with fruit, and attractive desserts.

For men, the table should look more concise. It should be covered with various foods: meat, tomato and cucumber salads and side dishes.

When setting a festive sweet table, it is worth considering that only desserts are presented on the table. You should not use decor, as it will look unnecessary against the backdrop of bright desserts. It is worth using plates in several tiers, stands for muffins or cake pops, and pyramids. It is worth using dishes in a single color scheme.

To decorate a table, even for one person, according to etiquette, you should use a tablecloth and place napkins made of paper or fabric on it. Kitchen utensils you will need:

• the plate is flat, deep;
• table spoon, dessert spoon, tea spoon;
• fork;
• glass for water;
• wine glass

To decorate dinner, you need to follow a certain procedure:

• Cover the table with a tablecloth.
• Place a large plate flat type, put a deep one on it.
• On both sides of the plate you should place cutlery intended for the main course, and then for the appetizer.
• The teaspoon should be placed in front of the plate.
• At the top on the right side of the plate there is usually a pair of tea or a wine glass.
• Additionally, the table can be decorated not only with fabric napkins, but also with exquisite candles or fresh flowers.

Setting a table for organizing lunch is quite simple, since it has virtually no differences compared to setting a table for dinner. The only difference is that the dining table can only be decorated with napkins or flowers. And you also don’t need to use a snow-white tablecloth for the dining table.

It is worth taking a more practical approach to this issue and using silicone or plastic substrates. They are characterized by ease of cleaning.

If you are going to organize a dinner for guests, then the serving remains the same, but the number of cutlery and plates only increases. An alternative to tablecloths are special stands designed to protect from hot dishes. You should not use additional decor.

Dinner for guests requires a snow-white tablecloth. To begin with, you should serve light snacks with liqueur or wine.

It is very difficult to organize the correct arrangement of cutlery at a party when many guests will be sitting at the table on your own. Therefore, you should not pay special attention arrangement of cutlery and plates, the main thing is to lay a white tablecloth and decorate the table with napkins. The main task is to create the maximum comfortable conditions for relaxing at the festive table.

Using napkins

Napkins are an integral attribute of serving. To decorate the table for tea drinking, you can use rectangular or round napkins. Linen options are ideal for decorating a table in honor of a celebration.

It is customary to place a napkin made of paper or fabric at the bottom of the plate or to the left of it. Paper napkins can be placed in a special napkin holder.

There are many ways to fold a cloth napkin in interesting ways. It can be presented in the form of an envelope, a cone or a sail. Unusual animals or delicate flowers. Each option looks elegant and cute, so you can come up with your own version of decorating the napkin.

For a festive feast

At a holiday, the table always plays a huge role, because it acts as a stylish accent. To decorate a festive feast, you can use small vases with flowers, special rings for decorating napkins, figurines of porcelain angels, as well as silk or satin ribbons. Formal tablecloths, balloons and serpentine will look beautiful.

The choice of table decorations depends on the holiday itself and its purpose. It could be a romantic dinner, an anniversary or a wedding. An important element is fabric napkins and an elegant tablecloth.

For a regular dinner or lunch, napkins decorated with rings and fresh flowers are used. This decor is suitable for a regular tea party. It is worth understanding that dishes, cutlery, tablecloths and napkins must be very clean. To set the table beautifully, you can use bright napkins. They will help give the feast originality and effectiveness.

A lot of effort must be put into decorating a banquet. To decorate the table in honor of Christmas Eve or Easter, you should use appropriate decorative elements. To organize a large banquet, it is worth using decorative elements made in the same color and style. Napkins can be bright colors, but must be sterile. Flowers can be used both fresh and artificial. The choice is completely individual.

When organizing a wedding feast, the emphasis should be on the places for the newlyweds. They should be decorated with symbols on the theme of love. These can be figurines of swans, roses, hearts or posters with wishes. For the newlyweds, separate glasses, originally decorated, should be presented. Snow-white dishes with a silver or gold border and, of course, a white tablecloth look beautiful on the wedding table.

remember, that festive table setting table consists of large quantity nuances. In order not to forget anything, you first need to make a preliminary serving - make an arrangement important elements. Just before the feast, it will be enough to add additional cutlery and plates to create a complete table setting.

To serve a Russian holiday table, it is worth understanding that traditionally a lot of different foods should be presented on such a table. To decorate a table in a traditional style, just select several dishes from the national cuisine.

When serving a traditional Russian feast, you should adhere to the following scheme:

• Snacks - there should be a lot of them, because the traditional drink is vodka, and it requires a good snack. Pickled cucumbers and pickled tomatoes must be present on the table. Many people really like mushrooms with onions or sauerkraut with beets. Among cold appetizers, meat options and sliced ​​salted lard are in demand. Among the salads, you should give preference to “herring under a fur coat” or “Olivier”.

• Main courses are served hot. Often a pig or poultry is prepared for the table in the oven. They are usually filled with porridge and decorated with apples. Often, cabbage rolls and home-style roast or fish dishes are served on the festive table.
• Dessert - traditional are cheesecakes, pies, gingerbreads, as well as filled pies, baked apples with sugar syrup and aromatic cinnamon.
• Drinks - traditionally strong vodka is placed on the table, which is often infused with tangerine peels, pine nuts or various herbs. Among non-alcoholic drinks, kvass and fruit drinks made from berry jam are in demand.

Delicious food should have a beautiful, attractive appearance so that you immediately want to eat it. When choosing dishes from a certain world cuisine, you should understand that table decorations are different countries produced in different ways, using a variety of decorative elements.

Table setting in France is a unique art. It differs in many ways from traditional serving in Russia. The French are famous gourmets who have an excellent understanding of delicious food and also pay a lot of attention to table decoration. They highly value high-quality and stylish dishes, tablecloths, and decor.

The peculiarity of serving in France is that they always use stand plates, which not only add elegance and beauty to the serving, but also stand out. reliable protection tablecloths from various stains.

Serving in Japan is very different from the European presentation, so for us it is quite complex and multi-component. To perfectly master the peculiarities of Japanese serving, you need to have a good understanding of plates, cups, trays, bowls and chopsticks. The Japanese value convenience and comfort. When serving, they tend to be asymmetrical, creating free compositions and taking into account the free space. All decorative elements on the table should be positioned freely.

An interesting fact is that the arrangement of cutlery varies from country to country. For example, when positioning the fork in England it should lie with the cloves up, and in France - with the cloves down.

Beautiful examples and options

• Spring. It is worth focusing on natural colors and textures. The tablecloth on the table is not mandatory element. The table can be decorated with a wicker stand. A branch of a living tree will allow you to decorate the table setting. Place a white napkin on a green plate, a cream plate and a transparent dish on top. There should be a fork and a teaspoon on the right side of the plates, and a wine glass at the top right.

• For a romantic dinner Fresh flowers and candles are often used as decoration. A red tablecloth will set you up for a romantic wave. Snow-white dishes are suitable for table setting. To begin with, you can place a square plate, and on top - a round-shaped plate. An ideal addition would be a soft pink fabric napkin folded into an envelope. On the left side there is a knife, on the right there is a knife and a soup spoon. Above the plates there is a glass for water and champagne.

Before setting the table, you should inspect the dishes and cutlery, paying attention to the quality of washing, defects, etc. If the inspection reveals, for example, a crack in the plate, a chip in the glass, a broken tine of a fork, or insufficiently washed cutlery, unsharpened knives, they should be replaced immediately or undergo additional processing.

Before setting tables, it is necessary to warm up with a handbrake and polish dishes and cutlery, glass or crystal.

You should know the cleaning techniques:

Yes, when wiping glass The stem of the glass is taken with the left hand, wrapped with part of the towel, and with the help of the rest of the towel, the glass is wiped inside and out with the right hand. When using this technique, great care must be taken not to break the glass.

Sparkling wine glass requires special attention, as it is difficult to penetrate its pointed bottom. Therefore, first carefully insert one end of the towel into the glass, and then the rest of it. Do not blow on glassware or use used napkins for cleaning.

When wiping plates they are grasped with the left hand by the end of the towel, the rest of the towel is grasped with the right hand and the plate is wiped, turning it.

Rubbing forks, spoons and knives carried out alternately. Take several forks with one end of the towel in your left hand, and with the rest of the towel in right hand Wipe each device separately.

Preparing spices and seasonings

Serious attention should be paid to the preparation of tableware items, which include salt shakers, pepper shakers, mustard pots, bottles for vinegar, sunflower or olive oil, as well as an ashtray.

Salt shaker should be made of crystal or ordinary glass, but with edges made of stainless metal. It needs to be cleaned daily. Don't put too much salt in the salt shaker. Since fine table salt is easily moistened, it is mixed with table salt, the so-called dry salt. For this purpose, you can also put a few grains of rice in the salt shaker. In cases where open salt shakers are used, they must be filled every day, but before that they must be washed and dried as thoroughly as possible. The surface of the salt is leveled, and the edges of the salt shaker are wiped with a towel.

Pepper shaker fill only half with dry pepper. The holes in its lid should be as small as possible. Open containers for black pepper are not used because it quickly evaporates.

Requires special care mustard. To prevent it from getting dirty on the outside, do not overfill it. To prevent the mustard from drying out, add a few drops of milk.

It is better to have spare cutlery set to replace all those that have become unusable.

Often get dirty and require replacement ashtrays. They should be cleaned with a special cloth after each use. You should not clean the ashtray in the presence of guests - it must be replaced with a clean one in a timely manner.

Seasoning Bottles(sunflower oil, vinegar, etc.) can be had in limited quantities and served as needed. Bottles are not filled to the top. To distinguish vinegar from other liquids, add a few drops of red wine. Cloudiness of sunflower oil can be eliminated by adding a little salt to it on the tip of a knife.

When setting tables, they always place salt And pepper.

Horseradish served with fish dishes - boiled, jellied, meat aspic, cold boiled meat and other dishes.

Mustard, if there is no meat dishes, are not placed on the table and are served upon request on a plate or small tray (when serving a meat dish, mustard mustard is required). It is better not to buy ready-made mustard, but to prepare it yourself. There are several ways to prepare it according to a specific recipe and technology (for cooking recipes, see the end of this page).

Serving is the final stage of table preparation

It is important to provide at least 80 cm of table length for everyone present at the table.

Before serving, tables are covered with tablecloths. To do this, certain techniques are used. First, a folded tablecloth is placed on each table. Having unfolded it on the table and taking the edges of one of the sides with both hands, they lift the tablecloth and then sharply lower their hands down, as if shaking it. Air bag formed between the table and the unfolded tablecloth, makes it possible to move it in any direction and carefully place it in the desired position so that its central fold coincides with the center of the table. The perpendicular fold should also run down the middle of the table.

When setting a table with a tablecloth, do not wrinkle it, pull it by the corners or pinch it with your fingers. The corners of the tablecloth should fall against the table legs, covering them. The descent of the tablecloth on all sides of the table must be the same - no less than 25 cm and not lower than the seat of the chair; A smaller descent of the tablecloth gives the table an unsightly appearance, and a larger one is inconvenient for those sitting.

If a rectangular table needs to be covered with two tablecloths, then the first of them is laid on the side opposite from the main entrance to the hall or the main passage in it. On the second, upper tablecloth, the edge is turned inward so that a straight, even line is formed. Utility tables and sideboards are also carefully covered with tablecloths or napkins.

If you need to change the tablecloth during a meal, this should be done as quickly and almost unnoticeably as possible. Having brought a clean tablecloth, you need to move the dishes to the utility table. Then, taking the edges of a clean tablecloth and at the same time lifting the edges of the soiled one, quickly replace it. In this case, the table cover should not be exposed.

When setting the table, a certain order is followed:

• - first put earthenware or porcelain dishes,
• - then place the devices
• - and after that they put crystal or glass.

Glasses, wine glasses, shot glasses, when placed on the table, are held by the stem.

Table settings vary depending on the nature of the meal:

• - breakfast,
• - dinner
• - or evening guest service.

For breakfast A vase with paper napkins (or linen ones), a pie plate are placed on the table, and a knife and fork and a teaspoon are served. The pie plate is placed to the left of the place where the dinner or snack plate should be. The fork is placed on the left, horns up, the knife is placed on the right, with the blade to the left of the place intended for a dinner or snack plate. A teaspoon is placed behind it. Snack plates are not placed on the table, because breakfast dishes are served already placed on appropriate plates (they need to be served if the appetizer or breakfast dish is served in a salad bowl or ram, etc., since it is not customary to eat from such dishes).

For quick service during the day at lunch a placeholder plate is placed on the table and a snack bar on it, to the left of it is a pie plate, between them is a dinner fork, and to the right of the plate is a table knife and a spoon (table or dessert); The wine glass is placed in front, behind the table knife. There should also be a vase with paper napkins or linen napkins spices that are placed on snack plates. The distance from the edge of the table to the handles of the cutlery and the snack plate is 2 cm, and to the pie plate - 5 cm.

Snack or dinner plates are placed only when dishes are served in dishes from which it is not customary to eat.

During such a meal, it is allowed to use oilcloth on the table instead of a tablecloth or cover the tablecloth with film.

When setting the table for a leisurely lunch or dinner Place a snack plate exactly opposite the chair at a distance of 2 cm from the edge of the table, and to the left, 5-10 cm, a pie plate.

Between them, place a snack fork and a dinner fork, tines up, and to the right of the snack plate - two knives: a table knife and a dinner fork with the blade facing the plate. A wine glass is placed behind the appetizer plate to the right; Place a folded napkin on the plate.

Place salt and pepper in the middle of the table.

A vase of flowers is also placed in the center of the table. If the table is set for four people, place an ashtray on the corner or on the side facing the aisle.

Example of a complete table setting for an evening service:

When serving dishes, the serving is supplemented depending on the nature of the dishes.

An indispensable detail when setting the table - linen napkins.

Depending on the nature of the meal, they are folded different ways, keeping in mind that the napkin can be easily unfolded to wipe your lips or place it on your lap.

Hygiene rules are also taken into account: the less your fingers touch the napkin, the better.

If a snack plate is not placed on the table when serving, then in its place place a starched linen napkin (no paper ones are placed) folded in four.

For lunch, as well as a festive dinner, a banquet, napkins are often folded in the shape of conical caps: first, fold the napkin in half, and then tuck its lower end, giving it the shape of a cap.

Sometimes for a festive table, a napkin is folded in the form of an envelope: first it is folded in half, then the corners are turned in, turned over - and you get an envelope. They also use the “space” method. From the line of the napkin folded in half, its corners on the right and left are folded, forming an isosceles triangle. Then the napkin is folded in half, matching the corners of the base of the triangle. There are other methods of folding napkins: “boat” - for banquets, “fan”, “tulip” - when setting a wedding table.

There are at least 40 ways to fold napkins.

Using tableware for serving

To serve bread, toast, baked goods:

• - for individual service - pie plates (diameter 175 mm);
• - for group meals - bread bins, small table plates (240 mm in diameter).

In the absence of special bread vases, bread can be placed on a snack plate for home meals or during buffets and receptions.

To serve cold appetizers:

• snack plates (200 mm in diameter) - they are also used as stands for salad bowls, etc.;
• square salad bowls (sizes 240, 360, 480 and 720 ml) - for salads, pickles, marinades, mushrooms, etc. - from 1 to 6 servings;
• trays, herring bowls 250 and 300 mm long, narrow - 100, 150 mm - for serving fish gastronomy, salmon, stellate sturgeon or sturgeon, natural or with a side dish, herring, sprat, sardines, saury, etc.;
• oval dishes (350 - 400 mm long) - for appetizers from fish and meat gastronomy, banquet dishes (jellied sturgeon, pike perch, etc.);
• round dishes (diameter 300 and 350 mm) - for meat and vegetable snacks, canapés and banquet dishes; turkeys, lamb saddles, etc.;
• vases (diameter 240 mm) on a low leg - for signature salad (for at least 2 - 3 servings), as well as for fresh tomatoes, cucumbers or radish salads, romaine lettuce, etc.;
• gravy boats (capacity 100, 200 and 400 ml) - for cold sauces or sour cream from 1 to 6 servings.

When serving, appetizer plates are pre-placed on dining table, other types of dishes are used to bring snacks to the table.

To serve first courses:

• broth cups (300 ml capacity) with saucers - for broths, puree soups, as well as for soups with finely chopped meat or chicken and other products;
• deep dinner plates (capacity 500 ml, diameter 240 mm) - for serving soups in full portions; small table plates are necessarily used as substitutes for them;
• deep plates for serving soups in half portions (300 ml capacity) - for soups; snack plates are used as substitutes;
• soup bowls with lids for 4, 6, 8, 10 servings - used when serving family dinners (in Lately A clay pot for special dishes, which is served along with a deep dish, has also become widespread. wooden spoon and placed on a substitution plate).

To serve second courses:

• small dinner plates (diameter 240 mm) - for fish, meat, poultry, game, etc.;
• round dishes (diameter 500 mm) - for poultry dishes, game, vegetable dishes, cauliflower, chicken cutlets, etc.; In these dishes, the food is brought and laid out on plates, which are used to set the table before serving the main courses.
• To serve dessert (sweet dishes):
• small dessert plates (200 mm in diameter) - for pudding, Guryev porridge, soufflé, etc.;
• deep dessert plates (200 mm in diameter) - for strawberries with cream and other sweet dishes.

To serve hot drinks:

• tea cups (capacity 200, 250 ml) with saucers - for tea, coffee with milk, cocoa;
• tea saucers (diameter 185 mm) for glasses;
• teapots for tea leaves (capacity 250, 400 and 600 ml) - for serving;
• kettles for top-up boiling water (capacity 1200-1600 ml) - for serving;
• bowls (capacity 250 and 350 ml) - for green tea;
• coffee pots (800 ml capacity) and black coffee pots for 1, 4 and 6 servings (100 ml capacity per serving);
• cups (100 ml capacity) with saucers - for black coffee, oriental coffee or chocolate (liquid) and express coffee;
• milk jugs (200 ml capacity) - for milk for coffee or tea;
• creamers (capacity 25, 50 and 100 ml) for 1, 2 and 4 servings;
• vases - for jam, sugar;
• sockets (diameter 90 mm) - for jam, honey, preserves, lemon and sugar.

For serving fruits and pastries:

• small dessert plates (200 mm in diameter) - for apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, etc. (they differ from snack bars in their design depicting fruits; if they are not available, snack plates are served);
• vases with flat surface on a low leg (diameter 300 mm) - for round cakes and cakes;
• pie plates - for serving confectionery products.

Depending on the need, an appropriate number of pie, deep, small table, dessert, and snack plates is provided.

Table setting for everyone existing rules- this is always a sign of attention from the owner of the house to his guests. Unfortunately, you don’t see a properly set table very often today, especially at home. However, table setting is a real art, mastering which, you bring beauty into your life. That’s why it’s so important to know the rules of table setting—to be able to create a festive atmosphere in your home every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and on holidays to surprise your guests with fancy decorations, intricately folded napkins and luxurious tableware.

Sequence of table setting

The table should be set according to next plan: tablecloth; dishes; cutlery; glasses, wine glasses, glasses; napkins; table decoration. To begin with, table setting may seem like a really complicated science to some, but after some time, when setting the table according to the rules becomes a habit, it will seem to you that this task is easier than ever!

Table setting begins with laying out a tablecloth on the table. It would seem, what could be simpler? Throw the tablecloth over the table - and it's done. Actually exist certain rules on this score.

Firstly, the tablecloth must be perfectly ironed and have a presentable appearance. There is nothing good about setting the table with a crumpled tablecloth or oilcloth. The smoothed tablecloth, or rather its corners, should fall opposite the table legs, covering them evenly. There are also requirements for the descent of the tablecloth on all sides - at least 25 cm and, in no case, lower than the seat of the chair.

Such requirements were not introduced by chance, since a tablecloth on the table that is too small looks unsightly, and if it is too large, it causes inconvenience to guests. Once you've covered the table with a tablecloth, it's time to start arranging the plates.

Types of plates

The purpose of most of the plates from the table above can be easily guessed by their name; however, there are also dishes that are not entirely obvious. A pie plate is used to serve croutons, pies or bread. The chill plate is used to serve various snack dishes, such as oysters, salads or stews. The menu plate, as you can easily guess from its shape, is used to serve several types of salads or side dishes at once. It is also used for serving fondue. Scrambled eggs are served in an egg plate, jam, preserves or honey are placed in a rosette, and a bowl is intended for serving fresh berries, jellies and fruit salads.

What kind of plates you place on the table on a holiday or weekday evening depends on the number of dishes served. Serving a two-course dinner requires one plate, and a four-course dinner requires different plates.

Naturally, the plates on your table should be perfectly clean and dry. It is advisable to polish them to a shine before serving.

According to the rules, a snack plate (see table above) is located opposite each chair. You shouldn’t put it on the very edge of the table, it doesn’t look very presentable! The pie plate is placed to the left of the diner, as you can see in the photo above.

If you are setting a table with several dishes, in this case you place small dinner plates, etc., under the appetizer plates.

Types of cutlery

• 1,2,3,4,6,31 - spoons: coffee, tea, dessert, table, for making coffee, for ice cream;
• 5, 7, 8, 9 — tongs: large pastry tongs, for asparagus, for ice, small pastry tongs;
• 10 - device for trimming cigars;
• 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26 - forks: lemon, lemon, cocotte, fish, dessert, dessert, snack, snack, table fork for main courses;
• 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25 - knives: for second fish courses, dessert, dessert, snack, snack, table knife for main courses;
• 24 - ladle;
• 27, 28, 29, 30 — blades: pastry, for pate, for fish, caviar;

After arranging the plates, you should immediately lay out all the necessary cutlery. Knives are placed to the right of the plates, forks to the left. A tablespoon is placed near the knife. For a multi-course holiday dinner, the utensils should be laid out as follows, starting to the right of the plate: table knife, fish knife and appetizer knife. You place a butter knife on the pie plate. If first courses are intended to be served, a soup spoon is placed between the diner and the fish knives. If fish is not included on the holiday table, a tablespoon is placed instead of a fish spoon. To the left of the plates are forks corresponding to knives in the same order in which the knives are laid out: table, fish, diner.

Also, cutlery should not be piled on top of each other; the distance between forks and spoons should be about 1 cm.

Table setting: glasses, wine glasses, glasses

To the right, behind the plates, we place the glasses from largest to smallest. Depending on what drinks will be served on the table, glasses for water, white/red wine, champagne, a glass for juice, a glass for spirits and glasses are sequentially displayed. When displaying glasses, you should hold them by the stem to avoid leaving fingerprints on the glasses themselves.

Table setting: napkins

What's a holiday table without napkins? Napkins are not only a wonderful table decoration, but also a very practical thing. Napkins come in linen and paper. Cloth napkins are not intended for wiping your hands or face; there are disposable paper napkins for this purpose. Good housewives usually decorate fabric napkins beautifully so that guests can put them on their laps.

Table decor

Regardless of whether you are having a holiday dinner or a daily breakfast, a properly set table involves decorating it with flower arrangements, vases with fruit, the same fabric napkins, dishes with bright vegetables, etc.

Serving (from French. servir - serve) has the following meanings: preparing the table for breakfast, lunch, dinner; proper placement of dishes, cutlery, and table linen intended for these purposes on the table.

Basic requirements for table setting:

compliance with the type of service: breakfast, business lunch, lunch or dinner according to the custom-made menu;

aesthetic orientation (correspondence of the shape and size of the plates to the shape and size of the table, combining them with the color of the tablecloth and napkins, the forms of folding the latter);

coordination of serving items with the decorative design of the interior of the hall;

compliance of tableware with the range of dishes, snacks and drinks served;

reflection of national characteristics and thematic focus of the hall or table.

There are two types of table setting: preliminary and additional. Preliminary is called serving, which is carried out when preparing the restaurant hall for service before the arrival of consumers, which significantly speeds up the service process and gives the hall solemnity and elegance.

Additional serving carried out in accordance with the accepted order and taking into account the range of dishes and drinks served.

Preliminary sorting of the table is carried out in the following sequence:

covering the table with a tablecloth;

serving with plates;

serving with cutlery,

serving with glassware;

laying out napkins;

arrangement of cutlery with spices, vases with flowers and other table accessories.

The specified sequence ensures quick serving and safety of the dishes Covering the table with a tablecloth is carried out as follows. First, the tablecloths, ironed and folded in four along the length, are laid out on the tables, then each one is unfolded and placed along the length of the table (Fig. 5, a). Take the edges of one of the sides with both hands (Fig. 5, b); the tablecloth is raised and lowered onto the tabletop with a sharp movement, as if shaking (Fig. 5, c). The air cushion formed between the unfolded tabletop and the tablecloth makes it possible to lay it in the desired position (Fig. 5, d). In this case, the central fold of the tablecloth should coincide with the center of the table (Fig. 5, d), the perpendicular fold should also run through the middle of the table.

When covering round and square tables, the edges of the tablecloth should fall equally on all sides of the table at least 25-30 cm from the edge of the tabletop, but not lower than the seat of the chair. The corners of the tablecloth should go down strictly along the table legs, covering them. When covering rectangular tables, the descent of the tablecloth from the ends increases to 35-40 cm.

It is not allowed to level the tablecloth by pulling the corners or stroking its surface with your hands. After covering the table with a tablecloth, the chairs (armchairs) are arranged, which is a guideline for the correct placement of plates on the table.

In Fig. Figure 6 shows a diagram of covering the tabletop with moulton, a tablecloth, a naperon, and arranging chairs. When setting a table with two small tablecloths, first cover the table with the tablecloth on the side opposite the entrance to the hall, then with the second tablecloth.

The tablecloth is replaced if a large stain has formed on it (Fig. 18). The waiter stands at the end of the table and pulls the tablecloth towards himself so that the opposite side is located along the edge of the table (a), then the tablecloth prepared for replacement is placed on the table, folded in four so that its middle is located at the bottom (b), the bottom the side of the clean tablecloth is lowered over the opposite edge of the table (c); Hold the middle edge of a clean tablecloth with your index and thumb, and with your middle finger

And ring fingers- the edges are stained. Gradually remove the dirty tablecloth and at the same time cover it with a clean one, moving towards you. The table top should not be exposed when replacing the tablecloth (d). Before changing the tablecloth, dishes and drinks are moved to the utility table. If the stain on the tablecloth is small, it should be squeezed out with a towel and covered with a napkin.

Utility tables, which are placed next to dining tables during service, are also covered with specially sewn tablecloths or large napkins.

Table setting with plates Depending on the type of service, table setting can begin with arranging serving, snack or pie plates. Plates (serving, snack plates) are placed on the tables strictly in the center of each chair (armchair) at a distance of 2 cm from the edge of the table, pie plates - 5-10 cm from the edge of the table and 5-10 cm to the left of the snack plates. The company logo on the plate should be located on the side opposite the edge of the table.

When setting a table with serving plates, the waiter takes a stack of each type of plate in his left hand and arranges them with his right hand. You can place a handbrake or a napkin folded in four on your left hand under a stack of plates. Each plate is pushed forward slightly with the thumb of the left hand, then with the right hand they are removed one by one and placed on the table. The table is set in the same way with snack plates, which are placed on serving racks. In both cases, the waiter moves clockwise (from right to left). Then the table is set with pie plates, holding the stack in the palm of the right hand, placing them on the table to the left with the left hand. At the same time, the waiter moves along the table from left to right.

Table setting with cutlery. After the preparatory work (wiping, polishing with a handbrake), the waiter lays out the cutlery on a medium tray covered with a napkin, or on a small dinner plate with a napkin folded in an envelope. The cutlery is placed on the tray in the order in which the table is served (Fig. 19). If the cutlery is placed on a plate, then table knives, snack knives, table and tea spoons are placed inside the envelope; Table and snack forks are placed under the folded corner of the napkin.

The table can be set with cutlery by holding it in a handle folded into an envelope, so that the cutlery is directed deep into it.

First, the table is set with knives and spoons, holding the handbrake in the left hand, then the table is set with forks, placing the handbrake with cutlery in the right hand. To the right of the plates (serving and snack bars), knives are laid out with the blade facing the plate at a distance of 2 cm from the edge of the table to the handle of the utensil in the following sequence: table knife, table spoon (for dinner), snack knife. To the left of the plate, lay out the forks, tines up, in the following order (from right to left): table forks, snack forks. The distance between the plate and the device, as well as between devices, should be no more than 0.5 cm. All devices should be located on the table parallel to each other.

Table setting with glassware(Fig. 20). On a tray covered with a linen napkin, place wine glasses in the amount of 4 or more units (a). The waiter approaches the table and places a wine glass with his right hand along the axis of the serving or appetizer plate. This arrangement of glass or crystal is called centric. You can place the wine glass to the right of the plate at the line where its top edge intersects with the end of the first knife. This arrangement of glass or crystal is called right-handed. The distance between the plate and the wine glass should be 0.5 cm.

Table setting with glass can be done by hand, holding four wine glasses between the fingers of your left hand. by the legs with the containers down (the hand is turned palm up)(b). When setting a table with glass, the waiter moves clockwise with the tray, stops on the right side of the chair, takes the wine glass with his right hand by the stem, without touching the container, and places it on the table to the right.

Laying out napkins. A napkin is a mandatory table setting item. It should be well ironed and beautifully folded. The linen napkin should not be heavily starched. The most convenient to use is a semi-soft napkin. When folding napkins, take into account the possibility of folding them comfortably and simply so that when unfolded they do not look wrinkled.

When setting the table, the waiter places napkins on appetizer plates, and in the absence of the latter, on the table between the cutlery.

When serving consumers on a daily basis, paper napkins are sometimes included in table settings for breakfast or business lunch. Each napkin is beautifully folded and placed in vases, stands and directly on the table. Do not cut paper napkins into pieces and place them in vases and stands.

Arrangement of cutlery with spices. The waiter places a salt and pepper shaker on a small dinner plate covered with a linen napkin folded in an envelope, and an ashtray under the folded edge of the napkin and places the spice utensil closer to the center small table or along the axis, and the ashtray is closer to the edge of the table on the opposite side. In this case, the salt and pepper shaker should be placed in the right hand between the thumb, middle and index fingers, without touching their upper part. For a table for six or more people, two or more spice utensils are recommended. They are placed on the table asymmetrically on both sides behind pie plates in line with the wine glasses. Often, devices with spices are placed on special stands. You can place bottles of vinegar next to them, vegetable oil and hot sauce.

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