Restaurant etiquette is a special set of rules that will help you feel at ease when you find yourself in a fashionable establishment. It is believed that compliance with these standards of behavior emphasizes that you are a well-educated and educated person. In this matter, any trifle is important - how to hold the cutlery, how to contact the waiter, how to order dishes and drinks from the menu. In this article, we will describe the basic rules of behavior that will not allow you to hit in the dirt with your face in front of others.
The concept of etiquette
Under the etiquette of the restaurant understand the rules of conduct in society, which correspond to the generally accepted idea of what to do when you are in a specific situation.
In the modern sense, it was first used at the court of the French king Louis XIV. Then all the guests who were present at the meal in the monarch’s palace were given cards (or labels) that contained basic rules telling how they should behave. It should be noted that certain norms of behavior also existed in ancient times, but they were not systematized.
You came to the restaurant
The basic rules of behavior we will describe in this article. At the very beginning, according to the rules of restaurant etiquette, the first person to enter an institution should be a man, even to some it may seem strange. We emphasize that it is customary in Russia to let a lady pass by opening the door in front of her. It is believed that gallantry is manifested in this way.
If you find yourself in America, then, in accordance with restaurant etiquette, you must be the first to enter all the doors. Otherwise, your companion may seriously be offended.
It is also worth remembering that it is not customary to enter the restaurant in outer clothing. It should be left in the wardrobe. This is especially true of the harsh Russian winter, when everyone has to put on down jackets and fur coats. If you try to arrange them at your table, this will interfere with enjoying communication and food not only for you, but for everyone around you.
The same rule applies to large bags, bags and umbrellas. It should be noted that serving ladies' outerwear, if you adhere to restaurant etiquette, is allowed not only to her companion, but also to the employee of the institution that serves visitors.
Handbags
Separately, it should be said about handbags. They are allowed to take with them to the restaurant hall. As a rule, a handbag is placed on a hook, if such a precaution is available under the table at which you are sitting, or on a special high chair.
But hanging the bag on the back of your chair, you violate the rules of etiquette. Also, in gross ignorance of the rules of conduct in a restaurant, you may be suspected if you put it on a seat, and even more so on a table.
An original way to solve this problem for yourself is to get a bag hook that you can always carry with you, as it does not take up much space. This is a very useful accessory that will help you out with honor from any situation.
Order food
Once in the restaurant, you can immediately make an opinion about the institution by evaluating its menu. In a fashionable place, it should be printed on rich and thick paper, a list of dishes and their detailed descriptions should be given in Russian. At the same time, the menu in two languages is considered bad form, as a rule, a separate one is prepared for foreigners. By the way, in some establishments men and women are served a separate menu. Their main difference is that in women there is no price.
At the very beginning, the waiter will most likely offer you an aperitif. This is a drink that will help pass the time while they will fulfill the order, and will cause an appetite. As a rule, mineral water, light dry wine or not very sweet juice are chosen for the aperitif.
According to restaurant etiquette, for waiters, the menu should be served first to the lady or guests, and only last but not least to the person who will pay the bill. In this case, the order must be made by the owner of the table. First, he lists all the dishes that the guests chose, only then he says that he will eat and drink himself. It is believed that the lady should not contact the waiter directly, she should address all her questions and requests to the satellite. True, it is worth recognizing that in the modern emancipated world this rule is not strictly observed.
Selection of drinks
According to etiquette, the rules of conduct in the restaurant only after you have chosen dishes and soft drinks, the waiter offers guests a wine list. The choice of alcohol rests entirely with the man.
A special art is to choose a good and high-quality wine. In fashionable restaurants there is even a special waiter called sommelier. His duties include advising guests on wines, telling which ones are best suited depending on their taste, preferences and the dishes that they ordered. The sommelier should interestingly and readily talk about the benefits of a particular wine, its compatibility with other varieties, and recommend which alcoholic drinks will suit your evening.
Wine tasting
If your choice is limited to collectible and expensive wine, then first you will be offered to try it. The waiter will bring the bottle, focusing your attention on the name and year of release.
Properly tasting wine, too, must be able to. To show yourself as a connoisseur, first you should look at the wine in a glass in the light, then slowly breathe in its aroma and only after that taste it. After you try the wine, you can confirm your order or cancel it. However, you can only require a replacement if the wine is found to be inconsistent with the characteristics of its variety or the declared quality.
If the tasting was successful, the waiter first fills the glass with the lady or guests, and only at the end - to the owner of the table. It is the responsibility of the invitee to ensure that the glasses are not empty during the evening.
At the very end of the meal, it is customary to order the so-called digestives, that is, strong alcoholic drinks - whiskey, vodka or cognac.
They brought you food
An important component of the rules of conduct in a restaurant for visitors is the ability to properly use cutlery. The main thing is not to get lost when you immediately see a large number of plates and devices between them.
Each of them has its own purpose, so it is important to remember that all the cutlery to the left of the plate should be held with the left hand while eating, and those on the right with the right.
With a knife, you can cut food on a plate or hold a piece that you take with a fork. Remember that the main cutlery is a fork, and the knife is only an auxiliary one. Therefore, it will be a violation of restaurant etiquette at the table if you start eating with a knife or shift the knife into your left hand and the fork into your right.
When you bring fish or meat, do not immediately cut all of it on a plate. You need to cut off a piece, eat it, and only after that cut off the next one. The fact is that cut food cools faster and loses its useful and tasteful qualities.
Use of cutlery
If you want to pass for a well-educated person, you should know in detail the rules of behavior at a table in a restaurant. For example, cold appetizers should be eaten only with a knife and a fork, and for hot dishes that are served in a coke oven, there is a special cocotte fork. In extreme cases, you can use a teaspoon.
Hot fish is eaten with a fork and a special fish knife, and meat dishes are eaten with a table knife and fork. For dessert dishes, there are special dessert spoons. Here's how to deal with appliances on restaurant etiquette.
First meal
As a rule, food is taken with cutlery or special tongs. Exceptions exist for bread, cookies, most citrus fruits, fruits, and small cakes. They are taken by hands, since they do not need to be cut and they do not get dirty.
It is important to observe etiquette when serving first courses. You have to eat soups almost silently, and to get to the end, you tilt the plate away from you. After the meal, you need to put the spoon on the plate, so you give the waiter a sign that it can be removed.
When you eat with a knife and fork, you should not take them too close to the base. Take as much food as you can on the fork so that it does not fall while you bring it to your mouth.
Food break
If there is a break in food, the fork and knife should be put in the way you held them before. That is, the fork - with the handle to the left, and the knife - with the handle to the right. If you put the knife and fork next to the plate, this is a sign for the waiter to pick them up.
After eating, it is customary to serve a vase with a slice of lemon and warm water for the hands. After that, they are wiped with dry napkins or terry towels.
Lobsters, lobsters and crabs are eaten using special appliances, which consist of a short and small fork and a special scapula. If you ordered a pork chop or lamb bone, then a paper papillot will be put on its end so that holding it makes it easier to cut the meat.
It is customary to eat hot fish with a fork and a spatula-shaped knife with a blunt blade. If you haven’t been given such devices, then as an alternative you can use two forks. Using a snack knife and fork, take beluga, sturgeon or salmon from a plate.
It may seem surprising to many, but some sandwiches are eaten with cutlery. This is usually required when you are picking a sandwich at the table yourself. To do this, first take bread from a plate and spread butter on it. In this case, the bread should be held with two fingers, but not put entirely on the palm of your hand, it is believed that this is unhygienic. After a slice of meat, sausage or fish is put on a sandwich with a fork.
A teaspoon is needed only for stirring tea. After that, they put it on a saucer, in no case leaving it in a cup.
If you want to share the fruit with someone, then give the bigger and better half, it will say a lot about your manners.
