How to set the better table for your dinner at home!
In this particular moment characterized by home dinners, long TV marathons and afternoons spent reading that book you didn't remember you bought for Christmas, we will try to entertain you with a great etiquette classic: how to set the table in a great way.
Yes, because every respectable dinner, even the most informal one, has its own rules. But let's see together what are the main characteristics that a perfect table must have, starting with the tablecloth. First, we suggest to use a protective cloth so that the wood or, in general, the material the table is made of, is protected from heat, wine or oil stains.
Then you can choose a tablecloth large enough to cover the surface of the table, well ironed so you don’t have folds and, possibly, with matching cloth napkins. If you like a more informal table, you can use different colors napkins.
Once you have placed the centerpiece, we will move on to setting! Remember to arrange each seat in a equidistant way, in order to avoid empty spaces or too close guests. The first dish on the table is the flat plate. Even if you serve the dish directly on it, remember that the dish, when the guests arrive, must be on the table. Then you will put the cutlery.
Everyone remembers the famous scene from the movie "Pretty Woman" where the most distant fork from the plate will be the first one to be used.
So, forks go to the left side of the plate. Basically, if the first course is not a soup, there will be just two forks. The knife goes to the right side of the plate, with the blade facing it.
The eventual spoon goes to the right of the knife. The napkin will go to the left while, for those who want to be truly perfectionist, above the forks, there will be a saucer for bread and, above the knife and the spoon, the glasses: one for water, one for white wine and one for red wine. As for dessert cutlery, in the past, they were laid horizontally at the top of the plate, while today they are usually brought to the table with the dessert itself.
And now, with a few simple steps, your table will be perfect and ready to receive guests. Always prefer sobriety and elegance and remember that a nice table, simple and well prepared, will be the best place to combine a good conversation with friends and relatives.