Why table setting matters?

Nowadays, with so much agitation, people try to be more practical at meal time, so setting a table correctly has become more uncommon.

Taking extra care when setting a table can make the food look better and give your guests the impression that their feelings are important to you. That's why we've developed a complete instruction guide to help you build a basic, casual and formal table settings.

Basic Table Setting

Since childhood we have learned this standard configuration and it is always the point of reference when setting the table: table fork on the left, table knife and soup spoon on the right.

When we are in a relaxed atmosphere or having a normal daily meal, we should opt for the basic table configuration, which must respect the following rules:

• Place your tablecloth or placemat on the table.
• Place the plate centered in front of the chair.
• Fold a napkin and place it to the left of your plate (or on top of your plate, if you prefer).
• Place the table fork on the left side (on top of the napkin, if placed there).
• Place the table knife on the right side of the plate, blade pointing in.
• Place the table spoon on the right side of the knife.
• Always align cutlery bottoms.
• The glass of water must be placed directly above the knife.

By following these basic table setting rules, you can improve your table etiquette.

Casual Table Setting

When it comes to setting an informal table for a casual dinner or holiday meal, it will be helpful to know how to set up a casual table setting, a slightly more elegant version of the basic table setting.

For a casual table setting, just add the following items to the basic setting:

• Place the salad fork on the left side of the table fork, if serving salad.
• Place the soup plate on top of the table plate and a table spoon on the right, if serving soup.
• Salad, bread and butter plates are on the left side of the forks, positioned in the upper left corner with the bread or butter knife placed on the plate.
• Wine glasses are placed in the upper right corner of the table next to the water glass.

Formal Table Setting

For more sophisticated and elegant events, where different and varied dishes are served, details make all the difference. In order to make the setting more refined and organized, it is best to make a formal table setting.

A formal table setting includes many pieces and while this may seem difficult, just follow the formal table setup instructions below:

• Place an ironed tablecloth on the table.
• Place a charger at each seat and in the center place a flat plate and the soup plate on top.
• Place the folded napkin on the left side under the forks or on top of the plate.
• Place the salad, bread and butter plates in the upper left corner, a few inches above the fork. Place a bread or butter knife on the plate.
• On the left side of the plate, place in order of use from the outside to the center: salad fork, fish fork and table fork.
• On the right side of the plate, place in order of use from the outside to the center: table spoon, fish knife and table knife (blade pointing in).
• Directly above the charger, place a dessert knife with the handle pointing to the right, a dessert fork with the handle pointing to the left, and a dessert spoon with the handle pointing to the right.
• Place the glasses in the upper right corner and position them to the right side: water glass, glass of red or white wine (or both) and glass of champagne.

To these instructions, you can add your personal taste of table decoration, adding flower arrangements, candles (not scented, to not interfere with food aroma), among other props placed symmetrically and properly aligned.

Conclusion

Whatever the meal, organize your table to enjoy your food in the best possible way. For this you can build your own cutlery set our dishware, according to your possibilities purchasing every item by unit through the Online Store.