As of: December 13, 2023 12:00 p.m
Place cutlery, plates and glasses correctly: A well-set table is not only beautiful on special occasions such as Christmas. What goes where? How can you set accents with decoration?
Hosts and guests are happy about a perfectly set table with matching decorations, and not just on holidays. This also includes positioning cutlery and dishes correctly. But where do knives and forks, soup bowls and wine glasses belong? Rules and tips.
The cutlery: A simple rule helps when setting: from the outside to the inside and from bottom to top, in the order of the dishes or courses. The spoon for the starter soup goes to the right, next to the knife, the edge of which points towards the plate. The fork is on the left. If there are two sets of cutlery, the smaller salad fork is on the left and the smaller knife is between the large one and the spoon. The dessert cutlery is placed across the plate. The cake fork lies directly above the plate with the handle to the left, the spoon with the handle to the right above the fork.
The plates: A soup bowl or a soup plate as well as a starter plate go on the plate for the main course. This in turn can be placed on a charger plate, which is often set for festive occasions and remains on the table during the meal. To the left of the plates there is space for a small plate with a butter knife for the bread.
The glasses: In the classic arrangement, all glasses form a line. The water glass is at the top right of the plate because it remains on the table during the meal. Wine glasses are added as needed, slightly offset to the top left of the drink sequence. The white wine glass stands above the knife for the main course, with the red wine glass above the white wine glass at a 45 degree angle. If there is a dessert wine, the glass is placed to the left of the red wine glass.
Alternatively, the glasses can also be arranged in the shape of a triangle, for example if there is not enough space on the table. Here too, the white wine glass is above the knife, the water glass is below to the right and the red wine glass is above to the right. A dessert wine glass is positioned to the left of the red wine glass.
Die napkins: Napkins made of fabric, such as linen, are particularly elegant. If you starch them while ironing, they look particularly beautiful. Another advantage: They can be easily folded up and set up decoratively without tipping over. Alternatively, you can fold them up or roll them up and add a pretty napkin ring or ribbon. Napkins usually stand or lie on the top plate or next to the left row of cutlery.
The table mat: A white linen tablecloth is a classic and elegant choice, especially on holidays or festive occasions. If you like something a little more rustic, you can also use a colored tablecloth or a cloth made of coarser fabric, placemats, sets or a table runner.
The table decoration: Flowers, candles, small arrangements or seasonal figures. There are no limits to your imagination when it comes to decoration. However, the table should not be overloaded and decorative objects should not interfere with eating and drinking.
Further information
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This topic in the program:
My beautiful country TV | December 20, 2020 | 12:05 p.m