A few tips on how to set a formal dining table, where to arrange the dishes and silverware, and proper dinner etiquette.
Choose your best china, and set the table, placing the plates an exact distance apart from each other, making sure any patterns on the plate are turned appropriately. Many foods look the most appetizing if they are served on a plain white plate, but all-white meals like chicken with rice are best served on a black plate for a formal dinner. If you have a table that seats 6, but only 5 will attend, remove the 6th chair and spread the others a little further apart. There are many different ways to fold the napkin or use napkin rings to make the napkin more attractive, but place it, ring or otherwise, in the center of the plate.
Above the first knife should be the water glass and beside it, the wine glass. If you'll be serving a third beverage later, such as champagne, set another glass to the right of the wine glass. Never set a bowl of butter, purchased from the supermarket, on the table. Scoop the butter out into a small crystal bowl, or purchase sticks, set on a butter dish and let soften slightly. Gravy should be in a gravy boat, not in a bowl with a spoon. Rolls should be placed in a covered basket on the table, and if the table is large, two or three baskets of rolls might be needed. Desserts are served with the fork on the plate, and afterward fingertip towels or fingertip bowls can be served.
Proper etiquette at the table is just as important as the layout itself. Never use your knife to tap the glass for attention, don't speak to others while food is in your mouth, remember to say please and thank you when food is passed, never reach in front of someone for the food, and never, ever, pick your teeth, blow your nose or belch audibly at the dinner table. Follow these tips and your dinner will go off without a hitch.
