How to Place a Fork, Knife and Other Silverware

Proper table setting is a must for formal banquets or fancy dinners.

At high-society functions, the proper placement of silverware around the table is almost an art form. Each meal, be it breakfast or dinner, has different arrangements that must be observed. The actual placement of each piece of silverware is not especially difficult, but remembering which piece goes where for what meal can be a chore at times. This is the U.S. method -- European settings have more silverware and more complex settings -- and is used for the dinner meal. All other meals use this same basic template, just with fewer implements depending on the meal.

Instructions

1. Place the larger dinner fork immediately beside the plate on the left side.

2. Place the salad fork immediately to the left of the dinner fork.

3. Place the butter knife horizontally on the bread plate immediately above and to the left of the dinner plate, with the point facing to the left.

4. Place the dinner knife immediately to the right of the dinner plate.

5. Lay the dessert/dinner spoon immediately to the right of the dinner knife, then lay the teaspoon to the right of the larger spoon.

Tips & Warnings

• There are slight variations in the "formal" table setting for each different type of meal. For nonformal meals, omit the teaspoon setting. For lunch, leave out the teaspoon and the bread knife. For breakfast, only set down the dinner knife, dinner fork and teaspoon.

References

• Oneida: Table Setting Guide