Setting the table right: 5 important rules to remember

To find joy in life it's great to see art in everything around you, even in the smallest everyday activities that we perform on regular basis. The aesthetics always gives a bit more meaning to our everyday life.

Let's talk about the etiquette rules you need to follow while setting the table to make your dining experience elegant and unforgettable.

Here are the basic rules to keep in mind:

CHOOSING TABLEWARE

Dinner set for the first and second courses, as well as appetizers, is usually made of porcelain, faience or ceramics. When setting the table, it is important to match the tableware style with the interior design, curtains and decorations. For example, colorful ceramics won't match the style of an elegant and classic dining room, but will definitely help highlight the cozy vibe of a country-style kitchen.

SETTING THE TABLE

Plates should be placed at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from the edge of the table. This distance is approximately equal to the index and ring fingers. If you want to create an exquisite serving for a special occasion, one simple detail will help you in it — an extra plate that you put on the table under an appetizer or a soup plate.

PLACING THE CUTLERY

One of the main rules worth keeping in mind is that knives and spoons are always placed to the right of the plate, and forks — to the left. There is only one exception: the oyster fork should also be placed to the right of the plate.

Another important thing to remember: when setting the table, the dining cutlery set comes first, then you should put cutlery for fish and appetizers. The dessert cutlery set is placed above the main plate, parallel to the edge of the table.

CHOOSING THE GLASSES

Choose high flute glasses for sparkling wines.

Use Bordeaux-type glasses for red, white and rosé wines.

For spirits like whiskey, brandy, cognac or fortified wines choose tulip-shaped glasses.

For vodka use small 50 ml shots.

COFFEE AND TEA SETS

A coffee set usually consists of a few 30-60 ml cups, saucers, a coffee pot, a tray, spoons, a milk jug, a cezve and a sugar bowl. To serve the dessert table properly, remember the “right hand rule”: cup handles should "look" to the right. Spoons, napkins and cake spatulas should also be placed to the right.