Table setting rules

Before starting to set the table, inspect the dishes and utensils, paying attention to the quality of washing, defects, etc. If, for example, a crack is found in a plate, a chip on glass, a broken tine on a fork, or insufficiently clean utensils, dull knives, they should be immediately replaced or undergo additional treatment.


Before setting the tables, it is necessary to warm them with a cloth, polish the dishes and utensils, glass or crystal.


For example, when wiping glasses, hold the stem of the glass with the left hand, wrap it with part of the towel, and with the remaining part of the towel in the right hand, wipe the glass inside and out.

Using this technique, one must exercise great caution to avoid breaking the glass.

A glass for sparkling wines requires special attention, as it is difficult to reach its pointed bottom. Therefore, one should first carefully insert one end of the towel into the glass, and then the rest of it. One should not blow on glassware or use used napkins for wiping.

When wiping plates, they are held with the left hand at the end of the towel, while the right hand grips the remaining part of the towel and wipes the plate, turning it.

Wiping forks, spoons, and knives is done sequentially. With one end of the towel in the left hand, several forks are taken, and with the remaining part of the towel in the right hand, each utensil is wiped separately.



Serious attention should be paid to the preparation of tableware items, which include the salt shaker, pepper shaker, mustard pot, bottles for vinegar, sunflower or olive oil, as well as an ashtray.

Salt shaker should be made of crystal or ordinary glass, but with edges made of stainless steel. It needs to be cleaned daily. One should not fill the salt shaker with too much salt.

Since fine table salt easily absorbs moisture, it is mixed with cooking salt, the so-called dry salt. For this purpose, a few grains of rice can also be placed in the salt shaker.

In cases where open salt shakers are used, they need to be filled every day, but before that, they should be rinsed and dried very thoroughly. The surface of the salt is leveled, and the edges of the salt shaker are wiped with a towel.

The pepper shaker is filled only halfway with dry pepper. The holes in its lid should be as small as possible. Open containers for black pepper are not used because it quickly loses its flavor.

Requires special care mustard pot. To prevent it from getting dirty on the outside, do not overfill it. To avoid mustard drying out, add a few drops of milk.

It is better to keep spare utensils from the table set to replace all those that have become unusable.

Often get dirty and require replacement ashtrays. They should be cleaned with a special cloth after each use. Do not clean the ashtray in the presence of guests – it should be replaced with a clean one in time.

Bottles for condiments (sunflower oil, vinegar, etc.) can be kept in limited quantities and served at the table as needed. Bottles should not be filled to the top.

To distinguish vinegar from other liquids, add a few drops of red wine.

The cloudiness of sunflower oil can be eliminated by adding a little salt on the tip of a knife.

When setting the tables, salt and pepper are always placed on them.

Horseradish is served with fish dishes — boiled, jellied, meat jellied, with cold boiled meat and other dishes.

Mustard, if there are no meat dishes on the table, it is not placed on the table and is served upon request on a plate or a small tray (when serving a meat dish, the mustard pot is placed on the table). It is better not to buy ready-made mustard, but to prepare it yourself.



It is important to provide at least 80 cm of table length for each person present at the table.

Before setting the table, the tables are covered with tablecloths. Certain techniques are used for this. First, a folded tablecloth is placed on each table. After unfolding it on the table and taking both edges of one side with both hands, the tablecloth is lifted and then sharply lowered, as if shaking it. The air cushion formed between the table and the unfolded tablecloth allows it to be shifted in any direction and neatly laid in the desired position so that its central fold aligns with the center of the table. The perpendicular fold should also pass through the middle of the table.

When covering a table with a tablecloth, it should not be wrinkled, pulled by the corners, or pinched with fingers. The corners of the tablecloth should hang down against the legs of the table, covering them. The drop of the tablecloth on all sides of the table should be the same — at least 25 cm and not lower than the seat of the chair; a smaller drop makes the table look unattractive, while a larger one is inconvenient for those sitting.

If a rectangular table needs to be covered with two tablecloths, the first one is laid on the side opposite the main entrance to the hall or the main passage in it. On the second, top tablecloth, the edge is tucked in so that a straight, even line is formed. Auxiliary tables and sideboards are also neatly covered with tablecloths or napkins.

If it is necessary to change the tablecloth during the meal, it should be done as quickly and discreetly as possible. When bringing a clean tablecloth, the dishes should be moved to a side table. Then, holding the edges of the clean tablecloth and simultaneously lifting the edges of the soiled one, quickly replace it. During this, the tabletop should not be exposed.

When setting the table, a certain order is followed:
— first, place the earthenware or porcelain dishes,
— then lay out the cutlery
— and after that, place the crystal or glass.

When placing glasses, goblets, or shot glasses on the table, hold them by the stem.