On my last
weekend, I went to a reputed restaurant for having my dinner with some of my
friends. That was a memorable experience for us all. But unfortunately I
noticed was the improper manner of some people dealing with the restaurant environment
that left a negative impression and irritated me most. Therefore, I felt the
urgency to write something over the issue.
Eating is the conventional
work we perform twice or thrice a day to keep fit. It does not matter what we
eat. There is some standard dinning etiquette. Sometimes the etiquette differs
from region to region (such as people in West use cutleries, while people of
East use their right hand fingers). It is not mandatory to maintain all the principle
dining etiquette when you are alone at home. But the problem occurs when we lack
the proper manner during dinning at outside of home. The situation turns
embarrassing for us. Here I have penned some basic tips to guide you dinning at
a restaurant.
Reservation: Reservation is the first thing to do before you go
dine at restaurant. It also helps to get a preferable seating arrangement. You
may also order the menu during the reservation. And if you are the host, let
your guests know about the venue and dining calendar, and arrive before them.
Dress Code: Before you
arrive at the restaurant, get dressed properly. If possible try to know if
there is any specific dress code for the occasion because a gentleman always
follows the dress code.
Take Your Seat: Take your
seat on the reserved table silently. Before you seat on the chair, remove the
napkin, spread and keep it on your lap until the meal ends. Keep the napkin
semi folded on your left side after the meal. It is imperative not to use the
napkin for wiping face or cutleries.
Choose the menu: You have
two options to decide the menu. Select it while you reserve the table or choose
it when you are at the restaurant. Spend less than one minute to choose the menu.
It is another standard etiquette of dinning at restaurants. If you have any
ambiguity over any item, ask help from the waiters. And please do not discuss
or argue about the prices.
Dining: Start from the
knife, fork or spoon farthest to your plate. In American style the fork will be
on your left hand and the knife rests on the right. But the fork is switched on
the right to eat. In European style the fork is on left hand and the knife is
on the right, and the fork remains on the left when you eat. There are
different utensils for different courses. It is better to use them for their
respective course.
If you forget what
to do on the table, follow the Bread
Meal Water (BMW) method. Dishes on your left and glasses put on your
right are yours. Do not start eating until everyone is served and eat bit by
bit. If you have allergy with any dish, explain it o your host. Do not talk or open
your mouth while chewing and drink water or wine from glass, not from the
bottle. Never rest your left hand on the table.
Do not order
wines before your host orders. And if you are the host, take a nod from your
guests to order it. Order a bottle of falls or wallington wines to make the
dining enjoyable.
Cell Phones: Never place
your cell on the table. Keep them switched off, or in cases of emergency you
can set it on vibration. Excuse yourself attending the phone calls.
Paying the Bill: If you
are the host, inform the waiter in advance. Never snap fingers to draw the
waiter’s attention. Signal the waiter with due respect to collect the bill. You
may offer hard cash or cheque or your credit card. And if any dispute arises,
settle it tactfully.
Tipping: After having a
dinner, it looks impolite if you do not reward or leave a tip for the waiter who
attended you with his/ her quality service. The standard minimum tipping is the
15 per cent of the total bill (exclusive tax). Count the tip amount without
using any calculating devices when the bill arrives. Over tipping is not an
excellent idea to grab the waiters’ attention.
Happy Dinning!!!
Author Bio:
James Whitfield is a ghost writer by profession
and been exercising writing on DIY tips, clothing &fashions, music &
entertainment, foods & recipes, web technology and many more. He is fond of
dinning at restaurants and recommends http://www.tastecanowindra.com.au/
as the best in New South Wales, Australia.