Table clothing

For official dinners, white tablecloth is the only solution ; for dinner with friends or family, you can use a fancy clothing. It always has to be made of "noble" tissue and be associated with assorted napkins.

Try to have a look at it a few days before your reception, and check that there is no special mark on it.
Preferably run the iron over it just before setting your table in order to avoid bad looking creases.

Glasses

They have to be stemmed glasses. You need to have different types, at least three. Of course you need Champagne glasses, which we call "flutes" because of their long shape and they are only used for this beverage. Then you will need classical shaped stemmed glasses, larger for water and smaller for wine. If you wish to be more sophisticated, you can add a third of smaller size which will enable you to serve red and white wines into different glasses (smallest for white wine).

Order of display on table is from left to right, starting biggest : (Champagne flute) - water glass - first wine glass - (second wine glass). If you only have one size glasses, put two side by side per person (you absolutely need to have one for water and one for wine).

Cutlery

Knives should be displayed on the right side of the plate, the blade turned towards the plate.

Forks are displayed on the left side, prongs on the tablecloth.

Soup spoon is displayed alongside the fork, outside.

Teaspoon or cake fork are displayed on the top, between the plate and the glasses.

If you have to display several pieces on the same side, the rule is to display in the order of use.You may display a different number of pieces on each side.

If you wish to make your life easier, have one different service setting per course : salad setting, meat setting, cheese setting, cake server and even foie gras special knife.

Plates

Plates must be placed 2 centimeters /1 inch away from the table edge. If they are decorated, the pattern is displayed on the top side ; the plates should be around 60 centimeters / 25 inches apart.

At first, you must not display one plate on another, except for a soup entrée where you may put the soup plate on a dinner plate.

You must use the same set of tableware, except for cheese and dessert which can be different, or if you use a very specific pieces like a soufflé dish or a gratin dish. In this case, prefer white dishes, which will perfectly match with any other set of plates.