What does the position of the knife and fork on the table and on the plate mean?

“The way you treat the director doesn’t say anything about you. But the treatment of the waiter can say a lot, ”said Del Leonard Jones, Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist.

The main people in the restaurant are, of course, you. But do not forget about the host. Not only the speed and quality of service, but sometimes even the mood of the whole evening depend on a properly built dialogue with the waiter, this guide to the world of delicious food. And the way you communicate with the waiter can tell a lot about you both to the restaurant and to your companion.

“Usually words are enough for communication. But, besides them, there is also the language of cutlery, with which you can easily explain that you want to take a break, are waiting for a change of dishes, or have finished your meal. And also – to express your opinion about the restaurant: to thank for a delicious dish or complain about the bad service. These gestures are optional, but are accepted in restaurant etiquette. And the fact whether the staff perceives them correctly speaks of the class of the institution and the attention of its owners to the guests. By the way, in the language of devices, as in any other, there are local differences. For example, in Russia and Europe, forks are placed with the prongs up, and in America – down. “

There are many options for how to fold the appliances to convey your intentions and emotions. We will tell you about the basic rules adopted in restaurant etiquette.

I am now, do not take away

You want to go out to powder your nose or take a photo on the summer veranda. In order for the waiter not to think that the snacks on the plate are over, at an acute angle on the left we put the fork on it with the handle down, and on the right we put the knife, always on top of the fork and with the tip to the left.

And the same appliances, folded in a mirror, with their handles down, will make it clear that the service disappointed you, the waiter should not count on a generous tip, and the manager should not count on the fact that you will be back soon.

Do not hurry

A restaurant is not only about food, it is primarily about dialogue and atmosphere. And if in the process of eating you want to slow down with changing dishes and take a break without getting up from the table, then a fork and knife, located along the edges of the plate in the form of an open corner, will help to warn the waiter about this.

We hurry

When events take a rapid turn and you are in a hurry to move from light snacks to the main course, then criss-crossed cutlery will help speed up the serving. The fork should lie with the prongs up and the knife with the blade down.

Belissimo! It was delicious

Mark the dish you like and convey gratitude to the chef for his art, and the waiter will be able to serve it horizontally with a fork and a knife lying parallel to it with the blade up. Such a sign of attention will not only be pleasant to the chef, but may well be marked by a delicious surprise on his part.

And this is tasteless

There are spots even in the sun. If you don’t like one of the dishes, then you can express your discreet disappointment without attracting the attention of others by folding the devices in such a cunning way. After this gesture, the chef will have to think about what went wrong and how to return you to your good mood and mood.

Dinner is over