The napkin can go on the left side of the plate, on the plate, above the plate, or on the right side of the plate. Most traditionally the napkin is placed under the fork/forks on the left side of the plate.
The napkin can go on the left side of the plate, on the plate, above the plate, or on the right side of the plate. Most traditionally the napkin is placed under the fork/forks on the left side of the plate.
Yes. You have the fork ( close to the plate), knife, and then spoon. The napkin can go under these things, but some people now also put it on the plate/charger combination. Use a napkin ring, to the extreme right of the plate. Some people find getting the napkin out from under utensils a bit tricky.
Napkins can either be twisted neatly and placed in a fancy wine glass or water glass or, the napkin can be folded and laid to the right of the place with the knife on top.
It is polite to put it on the left side. (Your drink goes on the right, and if you're at a restaurant then your bread goes on the left.)
It is polite to put it on the left side. (Your drink goes on the right, and if you're at a restaurant then your bread goes on the left.)
The napkin goes to the left of the plate. It is also acceptable to twist a cloth napkin from the bottom and place it in an empty wine glass that is placed just above the plate on the table. The placement on the left is one steeped in dining tradition dating back to the early Middle Ages in Western Europe and "supposedly" allows the left hand to access the napkin to wipe one's face(back then they left them on the table...now we put them on our laps) and leaves the right hand (sorry all you left handers!)reasonably able to go for a weapon...the reason the knife is on the right!
For general place settings, the napkin is usually place on the left of the plate. This works with cloth or in more informal settings paper napkins. In some settings a cloth napkin is decoratively folded and placed in a glass, or directly in front of the plate. It is also acceptably for it to be folded neatly and placed on the plate. For more information on table settings and napkin folding, please see the related links below.
A typical setting, such as often seen in small cafés, consists of simply a knife, fork and spoon. Occasionally, there may be a butter plate provided. Moving from Left to right would be: Napkin, Fork, PLATE, Knife (blade facing plate), Spoon. In some cultures, the napkin is placed beneath the fork. Optionally, a coffee cup may be placed above the knife and spoon. Quick-serve restaurants often dispense with etiquette rules and opt for functionality by placing the Fork, knife, and spoon atop the napkin. In those scenarios, the entire collection of cutlery is placed to the right of where the plate will eventually go.
At a formal dinner setting the napkin is commonly placed across the dinner plate at the beginning of the meal. In some settings the napkin is folded and placed to the left of, and is some cases beneath the forks. At breakfast and again at luncheon the napkin is folded (sometimes artfully) to the left of the place setting. At an informal or family style dinner the napkin may be tucked into a napkin ring and placed either on or to the left of the plate. At a buffet the napkins are found folded on the buffet table in proximity to the flatware. At good restaurants and dinner parties napkins are appearing artfully folded on the dinner plates, above the setting and on occasion in the wine glass. This is the only time the napkin is found on the right of the place setting. During a seated meal your napkin should be a placed across your lap, never tucked into your collar or waistband. When leaving the table during dinner your napkin should remain on your chair until your return when it is replace on your lap. At the end of a formal dinner, as everyone is leaving the table the napkin is placed loosely to the left of the place setting.
Utensils like forks are typically placed on the left of the plate, while items like napkins or bread plates can be found on the left side of the table setting. Food dishes are placed directly on the plate in the center.
The napkin can go under the fork on the left or the plate, or folded in the center of the dinner plate. The napkin can also be: Before a sit down meal. - artfully folded and placed above the dinner/luncheon plate. - artfully folded and tucked into a wine glass. - artfully folded and placed in the center of the dinner/luncheon plate. - rectangularly folded and placed, short side up, under the fork(s) -dinner/salad - rectangularly folded and place, short side up, in the center of the dinner plate - triangularly folded and place across the bread plate. - folded or gathered through a napkin ring (informal/family style meal) Before a buffet meal. - artfully folded into "pockets" with flatware in them - folded and stacked on the buffet table (near the flatware) During a meal, when seated - unfolded and placed across the lap - NEVER tucked into the neck/collar During a meal when you must leave your seat but plan to return. - on your chair seat - NOT refolded or bunched on the table After a meal, when you leave the table - placed neatly next to your plate or place setting if the dishes have been removed.