WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Place settings can be confusing. The general rule for silverware
is to work from the outside in as the meal progresses.
1. Dinner plate: The centre of the place setting. When finished eating, do not push the plate away from you. Instead, place both your fork and knife across the centre of the plate, handles to the right. Between bites, your fork and knife are placed on the plate, handles to the right, not touching the table.
2. Soup bowl: May be placed on the dinner plate. If you need to set your soup spoon down, place it in the bowl. Do not put it on the dish under the bowl until finished. (Note: not pictured)
3. Bread plate: Belongs just above the tip of the fork. Bread should be broken into bite-sized pieces, not cut. Butter only the piece you are preparing to eat. When butter is served, put some on your bread plate and use as needed.
4. Napkin: Placed to the left of the fork with the fold on the left. Sometimes placed under the forks or on the plate.
5. Salad fork: If a salad fork is used, it belongs to the left of the dinner fork.
6. Dinner fork: Placed to the left of the plate. No more than three forks to the left of the plate. If there are three forks, they are usually salad, fish, and meat, in order of use, from outside in. An oyster fork always goes to the right of the soup spoon.
7. Butter knife: Place horizontally on bread plate.
8. Dessert spoon: Placed above the dinner plate.
9. Cake fork: Above the plate.
10. Dinner knife: To the right of the plate. Sometimes there are multiple knives, perhaps for meat, fish, and salad, in order of use from outside in.
11. Tea spoon: To the right of the dinner knife. (Note:not pictured).
12. Soup spoon: If needed, to the right of the tea spoon.
13. Water glass: Just above the tip of the knife.
14. Red wine glass: To the right of the water glass. A glass of red wine is held on its stem to preserve the chill.
15. White wine glass: To the right of the red wine glass.
16. Coffee cup and saucer: If needed, bring at time of coffee service. (Note: not pictured).
