If you are taking a break, or you have finished your food, place your cutlery in the right way. Follow the cutlery etiquette rules to rest your fork, knife, and spoon correctly. Be the perfect guest at the dining table.
What resting cutlery rules are
Resting cutlery rules explain how to properly rest forks, knives, and spoons when you are done eating. Such rules help:
- Avoid behaviors that can irritate hosts or other guests.
- Make guests or waiters understand whether you are done eating or just taking a break.
If you are hosting, observe how your guests rest their cutlery. It will help you understand if you can clear the table or move to the next course.
If you are a guest, rest forks, knives, and spoons to signal your intentions.
Etiquette to rest cutlery
1) Rest cutlery on the plate, not on the table
Rest cutlery on your plate. Once you picked up your utensils, they should not touch the table again.
Do not rest a utensil on the table after you used it. Do not rest a utensil half on a plate and half on the table.
2) How to rest cutlery if you are taking a break
The way you rest forks, knives, and spoons on the plate signals whether you are taking a break, or you have finished eating.
When taking a break from eating, you can rest your utensils in two ways.
- The pyramid.
- The distant parallel lines.
In the pyramid position, place your fork and knife at the center of your plate with the tips facing each other. Rest the fork with the prongs facing down and the handle in the eight o’clock position. Rest the knife with the blade facing inward and the handle in the four o’clock position.
In the distant parallels position, rest your knife diagonally on the top right of your plate with the blade facing inward. Rest your fork on the top right of your plate with the prongs facing downward.
Trained waiters should recognize these two positions as a signal that you do not want to have your plate removed.
3) How to rest cutlery if you have finished eating
When you have finished eating a course, place the used cutlery on your plate in the five o’clock position. Place spoons and forks facing up. Place knives with the blade facing inward.
This position signals to the waiters that you want them to clear your plate.
If a course is served in a bowl or cup set on an underplate, rest your utensils on the underplate.
How you rest cutlery does not signal your satisfaction
Some etiquette guides suggest resting forks and knives in different ways based on your satisfaction with the food.
The truth is that nobody is trained to recognize such signals. Restaurant staff is trained to recognize only the most used and traditional ways to rest cutlery.
4) How to place cutlery if you pass your plate
When you pass your plate for a second serving, place the fork and knife in the six o’clock position toward the middle of the plate.
Alternatively, hold the utensils in one of your hands and wait for your plate to return.
Resting cutlery: the worst mistakes
The Rude Index identifies and ranks negative behaviors.
A high score (8-10) means that the behavior has the potential to trigger a conflict with others. A medium score (4-7) means that the behavior risks making you look inelegant and unsophisticated. More about the Rude Index and its methodology here. Â
Avoid the worst etiquette mistakes to rest cutlery.
- 8/10. Confusing how to rest cutlery when taking a break.
- 7/10. Resting cutlery on the table.
- 4/10. Resting cutlery in an unusual way.
Sources
- Food and Beverage Service: The Hitt Programme academia.edu
