The rule of cutlery is simple: forks on the left of the plate, knives and spoons on the right, and you use them from the outside in, one course at a time. Everything else is detail. This guide follows the European way of setting a table, the one most restaurants and hotels use.
Where does each piece go? Forks go on the left of the plate, prongs up. The knife goes on the right, with the sharp edge turned toward the plate. The soup spoon goes on the right, outside the knife. The dessert spoon and fork lie flat above the plate: the spoon handle points right, the fork handle points left. The bread plate sits top left, and the glasses top right, above the knife. Leave about 2 cm between the pieces, and line up the ends of the handles about 2 cm from the edge of the table.
Which one do I use first? The one furthest from the plate. The table is set in the order of the meal, so with each course you move one step in. If you are unsure, wait a moment and follow the host.
How do I hold a knife and fork? Fork in the left hand, knife in the right, with the handles resting inside the palm and the first finger along the top. Cut one bite at a time. A spoon, or a fork used alone, goes in the right hand.
How do I show I am only pausing? Rest the knife and fork on the plate in an open “V”, tips toward the centre, without letting them touch the table again. This tells the waiter you have not finished.
How do I show I have finished? Place the knife and fork side by side on the plate, handles pointing to the lower right, like the hands of a clock at twenty past four. The plate can then be taken away.
How much cutlery does a home need? For everyday life, one set of four pieces for each person: knife, fork, spoon and teaspoon. A 16 piece set serves four people; a 24 piece set serves six. Add cake forks and serving spoons when you start to host.
Three quick answers
Does the fork go on the left or the right? On the left; knives and spoons go on the right.
Which fork do I use first? The outer one. Work from the outside in.
What is the “finished” position? Knife and fork together on the plate, handles to the lower right.
