2. Order politeness
When everyone is seated, the restaurant staff will greet you and place a napkin on your lap to introduce the restaurant features and other off menu items in detail. If you are the guest who is taken out to dinner during the ordering process, please do not order the most expensive dishes on the menu. When ordering, consult the host and try to order dishes at the same price as other guests. Similarly, if your host, client, and boss order only one dish, then don’t order more.
Politeness is very important in Western food etiquette. Therefore, both the restaurant staff and the food and wine waiters should treat each other politely and remember to thank the waiters intermittently for their help. If you have any questions about the menu, ask the waiter. The best way to get their attention is to make eye contact with them and carefully signal that you need their help. It’s impolite to raise your hand or click on your finger. Similarly, it is basic courtesy to take care of the guests at the next table. Make sure that you and your guests don’t make too much noise or say dirty words during the meal, so as not to affect others’ dining. If a guest leaves the table when serving, it is polite to wait until he comes back. Of course, if the host allows it to start, there is no problem.
3. Common sense of dining
After ordering, it will enter the formal dining link, which has many details to pay attention to.
First, bread will be placed in the middle of the table or next to your plate, ready to eat. When eating bread, you can break half of it by hand, cut a piece of butter with a butter knife, put the butter in your side plate, and spread the butter on the bread in your side plate. It should be noted here that knives are not used to cut bread.
Second, when drinking soup, you should use the outer edge of the spoon to scoop along the near side to the far side of the bowl, and suck a small bite from the edge of the spoon, instead of putting the whole spoon in the mouth.
Third, if it’s a shared side dish, it’s polite to entertain the guests first, and then enjoy it yourself. When serving dishes, make sure to use public tableware. It’s better to ask the waiter to serve the guests for you.
Fourth, if you need something on the other side of the table, ask someone close to you to help pass it to you, instead of getting it by yourself. If the napkin or tableware falls on the floor, ask the waiter to replace it for you. Do not use it any more.
Fifthly, when you leave for the bathroom or answer an important phone call, find an appropriate excuse for yourself, such as “I’m sorry, I’ll go out for a while” or “I’m sorry.”.
3、 After dinner
When the banquet comes to an end, it does not mean that there is no need to pay attention to etiquette. On the contrary, only consistent politeness can make a perfect impression on others. This involves three aspects.
First of all, when you have finished eating, put the knife and fork on the plate to indicate that you have finished eating. The fork is placed on the left side, and the knife is placed next to the fork. The cutting surface of the knife is against the fork. The waiter will come to pick up the plate when he knows. Don’t fold the dishes or pass them directly to the waiter. Their job is to clean your table in time for the next dish.
Second, if you’re a guest, it’s impolite to look at bills or checks. Let the host pay or tip.
Finally, if you are the host, be sure to tip the staff according to the customs of the country. In Australia, for example, you may not tip, but as a result of courtesy and recognition of your dining experience and the care of the staff, you will tip 10% or more. In the United States, however, tipping is part of the deal, with 20% or more depending on the restaurant’s rating. Although tipping is not mandatory in the legal sense, it actually constitutes the majority of employees’ wages, so it is necessary whether it is out of courtesy or thanks for the service they provide.
