The napkin goes either to the left of the fork on the very outside, or if you have three forks in a formal table setting, put the napkin on the plate. When you sit down, unfold the napkin and put it on your lap. If you get up, put it on your chair. When finished, set your napkin neatly to the left of your plate.

Which pieces of silverware do you use first?

Proper Table Setting 101

  • The first and basic rule to get you started is: Utensils are placed in the order of use; from the outside in.
  • A second rule, with only a few exceptions, is: Forks go to the left of the plate, and knives and spoons go to the right.
  • Finally, only set the table with utensils you will use.

What side should cutlery be set on?

left
Cutlery placement. Place your cutlery on the table in the order of use, starting from the outside and working inwards with each course. Forks should be set to the left of the plate, with knives placed to the right, blade edges facing inwards Soup spoons should be placed on the right of the knives.

What are the two major types of place settings?

The three most common types of table settings are formal, casual, and basic. Each place setting includes the utensils and dinnerware pieces that would normally be used with the corresponding style of dining. For instance, a formal table setting will provide more utensils because there are more courses.

What’s the proper way to set a silverware table?

A proper silverware setting follows one simple rule, no matter how formal or relaxed the event: Set the silverware on the table in the order it will be used, from the outside in. The fork for the first course is the one farthest to the left; to the right of the plate, the knife for the first course is the farthest to the right.

Which is the correct way to set a table?

Basic Table Setting. The dinner plate is positioned in the center of the place setting and everything else is placed around it. Then, the flatware is arranged around the plate in the order in which it will be used: To the left of the plate is the fork. To the right of the plate is the knife and spoon.

How are the flatware placed on a table?

Then, the flatware is arranged around the plate in the order in which it will be used: 1 To the left of the plate is the fork. 2 To the right of the plate is the knife and spoon. The knife is placed to the right of the plate with the sharp edge toward the plate. 3 A water glass goes above the knife.

Where do forks and spoons go when setting silverware?

That said, when you get into more formal silverware settings, certain spoons, knives, and forks might be placed above the plate as well. But even then the primary dining silverware typically follows the forks to the left, knives and spoons to the right setup.