The Perfect Table Setting for Any Meal Service
Forks on the left. Or is it forks on the right? Are napkins placed next to the utensils or under the utensils? I think coffee cups should be provided at a dinner table. Yes, that’s right! Creating a proper table setting involves a lot of pieces and can get a bit confusing.
To help your staff set a table for any meal service with ease, we’ve created these video and photo tutorials below.
Setting a Breakfast Table
To set a sunny breakfast table for a morning meal, you’ll need the following to complete your table setting:
- placemat or tablecloth
- plate
- silverware (fork, knife, spoon)
- napkin
- coffee cup & saucer
- juice glass
Setting a Lunch Table
To set a proper table for a lunch event, make sure you have the following components in place:
- tablecloth or placemat
- plate
- salad plate
- silverware (salad fork, fork, knife, spoon)
- napkin
- water glass
Setting a Casual Dinner Table
A casual dinner table setting introduces a few more elements to your table. To create a proper table display you’ll need:
- tablecloth
- dinner plate
- salad plate
- napkin
- silverware (salad fork, fork, knife, spoon)
- bread plate & butter knife
- water glass
- wine glass
- coffee cup & saucer
Setting a Formal Dinner Table
A formal dinner service pulls out all the stops. To create a grand table setting, each place will need to include the following:
- tablecloth
- dinner plate
- salad plate
- napkin
- silverware (salad fork, fork, knife, spoon, dessert fork, dessert spoon)
- bread plate & butter knife
- water glass
- wine glass
- champagne glass
More Table Etiquette Tidbits
A few more table setting basics to keep in mind:
- place utensils (outside to inside) in the order they will be used
- only place utensils that will be used during the meal (no salad? no salad fork)
- forks go on the left and knives and spoons go on the right
- knife blades should face the plate