THE FORMAL TABLE SETTING

To avoid clutter, the general rule for a any table setting is to include no more than three utensils on either side of the dinner plate at a time. The exception is the oyster (or seafood) fork, which may be placed to the right of the last spoon even when it is the fourth utensil to the right of the plate. The initial table setting for a typical formal dinner should look something like this:

Service Plate. Place the service plate in the center of the place setting.

Butter Plate. A small bread plate is placed above the forks, above and to the left of the service plate.

Glasses.

1.     Water Glass. The water goblet is placed above each guest's dinner knife. The other glasses are then arranged around the water glass as follows:

2.     Champagne Glass. A champagne flute may be located between the water glass and the wine glasses.

3.     Red Wine Glass. Red wine glasses have a wider globe and may be cupped in the palm of your hand if you choose.

4.     White Wine Glass. The glass with the longer stem and cylindrical globe is the white wine glass.  White wine glasses should only be held by the stem.

5.     Sherry Glass. A small sherry glass may also be present to the right of the wine glasses.  This may signal that sherry will be served with the soup course.

Forks.

1.     Salad Fork. Directly to the plate's left. One (1) inch from the plate.

2.     Dinner Fork. Left of the salad fork.

3.     Fish Fork. On the dinner fork's left.

Knives.

1.     Dinner Knife. (Or meat knife if meat will be served.) Directly to the right of the plate. One (1) inch from the plate.

2.     Fish Knife. On the dinner knife's right.

3.     Butter Knife. On the butter plate, diagonally with the handle toward the guest.

Spoons.

1.     Soup Spoon and/or Fruit Spoon. Right of the knives.

Oyster Fork. If present, on the right of the soup (or fruit) spoon.

1.     Also known as the seafood fork.

2.     The only fork placed on the right side of the place setting.

3.     The fork tines are placed in the bowl of the soup spoon with the handle at a 45-degree angle.

4.     It may also be laid next to the soup spoon in a parallel position.

Dessert Spoons and Forks.

1.     A dessert fork and/or spoon may be placed horizontally above the dinner plate.

2.     These utensils may also be provided when dessert is served.

Salt and Pepper.

1.     Salt Shaker. The salt shaker is placed to the right of the pepper shaker.

2.     Pepper Shaker. The pepper shaker is to the left of the salt shaker, and is angled slightly above the salt shaker.

3.     Salt and Pepper Shakers. They are placed above the cover or between two place settings.

4.     Salt Cellars. At formal affairs, salt is always applied from a salt cellar, a method that provides controlled use of salt. A small spoon is presented in the salt cellar and used to sprinkle salt over food.

Finger Bowls.

1.     Finger bowls may be placed on the table at the end of the meal.

Once the table is set, the next consideration is formal dinner service.

PLACE SETTING

THE SPACE, OR SETTING, ON THE TABLE WHERE THE DINNERWARE, STEMWARE, AND FLATWARE ARE PLACED.

At every dinner party, the table is the centerpiece. The following place setting tips will help you set the perfect table.

FORMAL DINNERS (MULTI-COURSE)

1.     Courses are served one-at-a-time.

2.     The dinnerware is placed in the center of the setting.

3.     Side dishes and cups and saucers are not found on the table.

4.     Demitasse may be served in a different room.

INFORMAL DINNERS (FEWER COURSES)

1.     Courses may be placed on the table all at once or one at a time.

2.     If all at once, sufficient space for side dishes is needed.

3.     Bread, salad, and fruit plates are all placed to the left of the setting (or the reverse for a left-handed person).

4.     Cups and saucers are placed to the right of the outermost piece of flatware.

DINNERWARE

Dinnerware is a collective term for plates, bowls, cups and saucers. Each of these dinnerware types is further discussed below:

Where to place (among others):

·         Dinner Plates,

·         Luncheon Plates,

·         Cups and Saucers,

·         Salad Plates,

·         Fish Plates,

·         Dessert Plates,

·         Bowls, and

·         Bread-and-Butter Plates.

CUPS

The cup is made in a variety of different sizes, each with a different volume capacity:

·         Breakfast Cup and Saucer

·         Mug

·         Teacup

·         Coffee Cup

·         Demitasse

·         Chocolate Cup

BOWLS

Three main categories...

1.     Soup Bowls (with or without handles)

2.     Finger Bowls (to rinse finger tips)

3.     Ramekins (to hold solid foods)

...with seven types of soups bowls:

1.     Soup Plate;

2.     Coupe Soup Bowl;

3.     Soup-Cereal Bowl;

4.     Covered Soup Bowl;

5.     Lug Soup Bowl;

6.     Cream Soup Bowl; and

7.     Bouillon Cup.

PLATES

Plates for formal and informal table settings.

·         Service Plate

·         Dinner Plate

·         Luncheon Plate

·         Salad Plate

·         Fish Plate

·         Dessert Plate

·         Cheese Plate

·         Tea Plate

·         Fruit Plate

·         Bread-and-Butter Plate

·         Fruit Saucer

DINNERWARE BUYING GUIDE

Dinnerware Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Dinnerware Pattern, Choosing the Shape of the Plates, Coordinating the Textures of Dinnerware, Stemware, and Flatware, Judging Quality, How Many Place Settings to Buy, Dinnerware Starter Sets, & Serveware.

CARE OF DINNERWARE

·         Washing Dinnerware in a Dishwasher

·         Washing Dinnerware by Hand

·         Care of Antique Dinnerware

·         Storing Dinnerware

PLACING DINNERWARE

TABLE SETTING GUIDE

PLATES

Large plates, such as the dinner plate and luncheon plate, are laid about 1 inch in from the edge of the table. The exception is the service plate, a capacious plate aligned flush with the edge of the table.

Small plates, such as the salad plate, fish plate, and dessert plate, are laid in the center of the cover, about 2 inches in from the edge of the table.

CUPS AND SAUCERS

Cups and saucers are placed approximately 1 inch beyond the outermost piece of flatware. The top edge of the saucer is aligned with the top rim of the plate or bowl.

Cup handled are faced in a four o'clock position for easy access.

BOWLS

Soup bowl and soup cup handle are aligned parallel with the edge of the table.

BREAD-AND-BUTTER PLATES

Bread-and-butter plate are laid at the top left of the cover, usually above the dinner fork, a placement that avoids overcrowding on the right side, where the goblet and wine glass are placed.

Elbow room requires a minimum of 15 inches between place settings, or approximately 24 inches from the center of one place setting to the middle of the next.

PLATES

TABLE SETTING GUIDE

PLATES

1.     Service Plate

2.     Dinner Plate

3.     Luncheon Plate

4.     Salad Plate

5.     Fish Plate

6.     Dessert Plate

7.     Cheese Plate

8.     Tea Plate

9.     Fruit Plate

10.              Bread-and-Butter Plate

11.              Fruit Saucer

SERVICE PLATE

The service plate is the largest plate, ranging in size from 11 to 14 inches across.

The service plate is laid in the center of the cover before the diners come to the table, but the way it is used is different for formal and informal dining.

FORMAL DINING

At a formal table, the service plate decorates the cover and the rim should frame the appetizer plate with a surround of no less than one inch.

Food is never placed directly on a service plate. Rather, the service plate is a base on which to lay the plate for the appetizer course and is cleared from the table after the first or second course is finished.

·         Since soup splatters, the service plate is soiled easily, and at the end of the course it is cleared from the table with the soup plate.

·         When the meal begins with a cold first course, such as fish, followed by a hot course of soup, the fish plate is removed at the end of the first course, and the service plate is left on the table to hold the soup plate.

·         At the end of the soup course, the service plate and soup plate are cleared together, and exchanged immediately for the plate on which the next course is served.

At an informal meal, the service plate is optional. Although traditionally the purpose of the service plate is to hold the plate for the appetizer course, at an informal meal it is used in whatever way makes sense, as a dinner plate, buffet plate, placemat, or platter.

Service plates are also known by other names - buffet plate, charger plate, cover plate, lay plate, and place plate.

DINNER PLATE

The dinner plate is used more than any other plate. It is used to serve the main course at all meals, formal and informal. Modern dinner plates measure from 10 to 11 inches across.

LUNCHEON PLATE

Luncheon is lighter, simpler meal than dinner, a repast served on a plate about 9 to 9.5 inches in diameter. Although the luncheon plate is used for formal and informal meals, it is not essential for either occasion.

ROUND SALAD PLATE

The round salad plate is made in two sized. The larger salad plate is about 8 to 8.5 inches in diameter, the smaller 7 to 7.5 inches.

At a formal meal, the salad plate is laid before the guest after the main course is cleared, an arranged salad is presented to the diner on a platter. At an informal meal, the salad plate functions to serve salad presented before the main course, as a side dish with the main course. But when salad is the main course, it is presented on a dinner plate.

FISH PLATE

The fish plate is a specialized plate about 8 to 9 inches in diameter. It is not made as part of a dinnerware set, but is recognizable by ornamentation in a fish pattern.

The fish plate is not essential for formal or informal meals; when served as an appetizer, fish can be presented on any medium-size plate, such as a salad plate or a dessert plate. If fish is the main course, it can be presented on a dinner plate.

DESSERT PLATE

Dessert plates are ornately decorated. They are specialized plates about 7.25 to 8.5 inches in diameter, used at formal and informal meals, and made not as part of a dinnerware set.

CHEESE PLATE

Cheese plates are recognized by ornamentation in a cheese pattern. They are specialized plates about 7.25 inches in diameter, used at formal and informal meals, and made not as part of a dinnerware set.

TEA PLATE

Tea plates are specialized plates, about 7 to 7.5 inches in diameter. The purpose of the tea plate is to hold the teacup without a saucer. Some tea plates feature a shallow well.

FRUIT PLATE

Fruit plates are recognized by ornamentation in a fruit pattern. They are specialized plates about 6.25 to 8 inches in diameter, used at formal and informal meals, and made not as part of a dinnerware set.

BREAD-AND-BUTTER PLATE

The bread-and-butter plate is used to separate bread and butter from sauce, gravy, and juices from other foods on the plate.

The bread-and-butter plate is optional at formal dinners in Europe, but in a private residence in North America it is not laid on a formal dinner table. Thinly sliced melba toast may be passed with soup, fish may be served in a pastry shell, and toasted crackers are passed with cheese, along with butter at room temperature.

At a formal dinner in a restaurant or club, bread is often provided between different wines and during long lapses between courses.

Bread and butter are served at informal meals and luncheons. When a plate is not provided for a slice of bread or a roll, it is laid on the tablecloth or rim of the dinner plate, where the butter is also placed.

FRUIT SAUCER

Known also as a fruit dish, side dish, or berry bowl, the fruit saucer is a small shallow dish about 4 to 6 inches in diameter by 1 inch deep. The fruit saucer separates juices that flow from foods. Because a formal meal is served course by course, side dishes are not used, and a fruit saucer is provided only at informal meals.

BOWLS

TABLE SETTING GUIDE

There are three basic types of bowls:

1.     Soup Bowls (with or without handles)

2.     Finger Bowls (to rinse finger tips)

3.     Ramekins (to hold solid foods)

SOUP BOWLS

There are seven different types of soups bowls:

1.     Soup Plate;

2.     Coupe Soup Bowl;

3.     Soup-Cereal Bowl;

4.     Covered Soup Bowl;

5.     Lug Soup Bowl;

6.     Cream Soup Bowl; and

7.     Bouillon Cup.

BOWL SHAPES

The temperature and texture of the soup determines the bowls’ shape.

Thick, chunk-filled soups, like a hardy beef soup, retain heat and are served in shallow, wide bowls – which releases heat well.

If soup has a smooth texture (pureed soup) it is served in a deep bowl – which hold heat well.

Narrow cups are used to serve clear soup because they preserve temperature well.

BOWL HANDLES

The shape of soup bowl/soup cup handles help determine the bowl’s use at the table.

Vertical open-loop handles (cream soup bowl or bouillon cup) can be lifted and the liquid is drunk.

Solid horizontal handles (lug soup bowl) can be tilted to gather the last bit of liquid.

VOLUME

Soup bowls hold 8–12 ounces on average.

Soup cups hold approximately 4 ounces.

UNDERPLATES

Underplates help protect the table from heat and balance the place setting. All bowls, even ones with saucers, should be placed on an underplate.

SOUP BOWLS

SOUP PLATE

Wide, shallow bowl with a flanged rim. Diameter is approximately 9 to 10 inches, the rim is 1 to 2 inches wide, the depth is up to 1 ½ inches deep, and the well is 6 to 7 inches across.

The only soup bowl used in formal dinner service.

COUPE SOUP BOWL

Saucer-like shape approximately 6 to 9 inches across. Only for informal dining.

SOUP-CEREAL BOWL

With or without a rim.
To serve food eaten with a fork (salad or pasta) or eaten with a spoon soup. 
Used only at informal meals.
AKA the oatmeal bowl.
Approximately 5 ¾ to 8 ¾ inches in diameter
Slightly narrower and deeper than the soup plate and coupe soup bowl.

COVERED SOUP BOWL

Keeps soup hot from kitchen to table.
Table etiquette requires that guests remove the lid, rest the cover, rim side down, on the side of the underplate, and replace it before the table is cleared.
4 ½ to 6 ½ inches across, and the depth is approximately 2 to 3½ inches.
It is narrower and deeper than a soup plate, a coupe soup bowl, or a soup-cereal bowl.

LUG SOUP BOWL

4½ to 5½ inches in diameter and 2½ inches deep.

Built to withstand oven temperatures, the lug soup bowl is used to present an individual serving of French onion soup put under the broiler to melt cheese, and is also known as an onion soup bowl.

CREAM SOUP BOWL AND SAUCER

4 to 5 inches in diameter
Use to serve a first course of pureed soup at meals with a light menu.

BOUILLON CUP AND SAUCER

3 ¾ inches in diameter and features a companion saucer about 5 1/ 2 inches across.

Bouillon is drunk entirely from the cup or sipped from a spoon, one or the other but never both (that's bad table manners!). To test the temperature, a single sip is taken from the spoon. When bouillon is drunk from the cup, the cup is held by one or both of the open-loop handles, whichever is more comfortable.

FINGER BOWL

4 inches in diameter by 2 ¼ inches high, a bowl used to rinse the fingertips only, and filled with just enough water to cover them. Dining etiquette for using a finger bowl: To prevent water from overflowing the bowl, the fingertips are rinsed one hand at a time and wiped on a napkin held low in the lap.

RAMEKIN

Made to serve baked dishes composed largely of cheese, milk, cream, such as custard, flan, crème brulee, or cheese soufflé.

CUPS

TABLE SETTING GUIDE

The cup is made in seven sizes, each with a different volume capacity:

1.     Breakfast cup;

2.     Mug;

3.     Teacup;

4.     Coffee cup;

5.     Chocolate cup;

6.     After-dinner coffee cup; and

7.     Demitasse cup.

Although the expression "cupful" denotes a half-pint serving, or 4 ounces, the size of the cup is determined by the strength of the drink, the time of day the drink is served, and whether it is thick or thin.

Large cups and mugs are made to servethin, hot beverages during breakfast and lunch, such as coffee, tea, and cocoa, or cider on a cold afternoon.

Small cups are made to serve strong-tasting beverages, such as espresso; drinks with athick consistency, such as hot chocolate made from paste; and potent drinks made withalcohol, such as grog.

Regardless of size, cups and mugs are filled approximately three-quarters full, except for the demitasse cup, which is filled half full.

Moreover, all cups except mugs are made with companion saucers. The dimensions of the following vessels are approximate.

·         Breakfast Cup and Saucer

·         Mug

·         Teacup

·         Coffee Cup

·         Demitasse

·         Chocolate Cup

BREAKFAST CUP AND SAUCER

As the popularity of drinking coffee increased in the nineteenth century, so did the need for cups with a higher volume capacity. The breakfast cup was born. The breakfast cup is approximately 3 ¼ inches in height by 4 ½ to 5 ¾ inches in diameter. The companion saucer measures 6 ¾ to 8 ¾ inches across.

MUGS

The mug is heavier than a cup, the walls are thicker and the base is denser. To retain heat, the mug is taller than a cup, made in regular and extra large sizes. Regular-size mugs are approximately 3 to 4 inches in height by 3 ½ inches across, a vessel with a volume capacity of around 8 to 10 fluid ounces when filled almost to the rim. Extra large mugs are the American counterpart of the European breakfast cup, a shape about 4 inches in diameter or more, a size that holds approximately 15 to 20 fluid ounces. To accommodate the shape of the mouth, the mug often flares outward at the rim.

The mug is used only for informal dining.

TEACUPS

Tea is a beverage cooled slightly before drinking, and to release heat, the teacup is slightly shorter and a little wider than the coffee cup, a shape approximately 3 ¼ to 3 ¾ inches in diameter by 2 to 2 ½ inches in height. The companion saucer measures about 5 ¼ to 5 5/8 inches across. To accommodate the shape of the mouth, the rim of the teacup is often flared outward, a form derived from the beaker (from the Latin beccus, for "bird's bill").

Although the teacup is used at informal meals, the flavor is too delicate to follow a heavy multi-course meal, and tea is not served at formal dinners and at formal luncheons only upon request.

COFFEE CUP

Coffee is a beverage served from early morning to late evening, and the size of the cup is determined by the time of day it is taken, along with the strength of the brew. Coffee with a brisk taste, a light body, and a high caffeine content is served as a stimulant, notably at breakfast and lunch, in a large cup. Coffee with a strong taste, heavy body, and a low caffeine content is served as a digestive following a multi­course meal, such as after dinner, in a small cup.

Coffee is at its peak flavor when served extremely hot. To conserve the heat, the cup features a cylinder shape, taller than wide, a size approximately 2 ½ inches in height by 3 inches in diameter. The companion saucer measures around 6 to 6 ½ inches across.

The coffee cup is made in three sizes, namely, the regular-size coffee cup, the after-dinner coffee cup, and the demitasse cup. The regular-size coffee cup is used at informal meals, the after-dinner coffee cup at elegant informal affairs, and the demitasse cup at formal occasions.

After-dinner coffee is a strong-flavored brew with a low caffeine content served to stimulate digestion at an elegant multi-course meal. The smallish cup measures approximately 2 3/8 inches in height by 2 ½ inches in diameter and holds approximately 3 ounces. The companion saucer is about 4 ¾ to 5 inches across. Rather than interrupt good conversation and take coffee in another room, after-dinner coffee is often served at the dinner table.

DEMITASSE

Demitasse is a heavy-bodied brew with a strong taste and low caffeine content. It is served to aid digestion and dispel the lingering effects of alcohol after a formal dinner where several wines are served. Demitasse means "half cup" in French, and the cup is approximately 2 ¼ inches in height and width, slightly shorter and nar­rower than the after-dinner coffee cup. The companion saucer measures about 4 ½ to 5 inches across.

Guests at a formal dinner are seated at the table for hours, so in order to provide them with the opportunity to stretch and regroup, and to revive conversation, demitasse is presented in another room. The cup is filled half full (approximately 1.5 ounces). Customarily, at a formal affair, demitasse is followed by brandy or liqueur; entertainment-dancing or cards-may then commence. A second cup is not offered.

At an informal meal, demitasse is served away from the table, wherever is convenient.

CHOCOLATE CUP

Originally hot chocolate was a breakfast drink made from unsweetened chocolate mixed with cream, a mix beaten into a thick paste. Just before serving, sugar and hot frothy milk were added. To accommodate demand, in the second half of the eighteenth century the morning chocolate cup was larger than a coffee cup or teacup. However, the thick paste was slow to pour, and at social affairs in the afternoon, hot chocolate was served in small narrow cups about 3 inches in height by 2 ½ inches in diameter. The companion saucer measured approximately 4 inches across.

Today, hot chocolate is made from powdered cocoa, a thinner beverage than the original drink; it is served in a large vessel, such as a coffee cup, teacup, or mug. Small chocolate cups purchased in specialty stores are not made as part of a dinnerware set.