The standards of restaurant dining etiquette have become less stringent in recent years, but formal dining conduct is still taught at etiquette classes and finishing schools. They are honoured at many fine-dining establishments, including the best restaurants in Sector 5, Kolkata.
If you have been nervous about where to put your napkin on your lap or how to excuse yourself to use the restroom, you should find this write-up worthwhile.
1. Never Lift the Menu of the Table
When it comes to formal dining, the menu should always remain on the table in one place. So, if you are exploring the menu, make sure to have the bottom, or at least a part of it, still touching the table, even if you feel like bringing it closer to your face.
2. Sip from the Exact Same Place
When you take a sip from the glass, you want to drink from the same place on the glass. You have to do that to avoid forming that lip ring anywhere else, whether it is from natural oils, lipstick, or chapstick. After that, you have to put the glass back in the same place where you picked it up.
3. Never Clink Glasses
Clinking for a toast might damage the glass, especially if you use very fine glassware. Also, if you are fine-dining in a very formal setting at one of the best restaurants in Sector 5, Kolkata, you have to try to make as little noise as possible.
4. Do Not Ask for an Oyster Fork
Do not ask for an oyster fork, even if it is not present on the table. The absence of an oyster fork means the oyster is already loosened and ready to be consumed. If, however, there is a bit of oyster attached to the shell, you can use a knife to loosen it. After you finish the oyster, turn over the shell on the plate to let them know you are done.
5. Keep the Rim of the Plates Clean
You need to do this out of respect for the service staff who have to clear the plates and will be grabbing the edge of the plate.
6. Discarded Things on the Upper Left Part
If you need a spot to keep the discarded stuff, use the upper left part of your plate. For instance, if you have a lemon rind you do not want to eat, put it on the upper left part of the plate. It may also be a fishbone.
7. The Bread Should be on the Plate
Keep the piece of the bread on the plate at all times unless you are eating it. In other words, butter the bread while it is still on the plate. Also, avoid buttering the entire slice at once. Break off the piece you want to eat. Butter it and then lift it to your mouth. This applies to muffins, bagels, biscuits, and other bread-like products.
8. Fold the Napkin with the Crease Toward You
Napkins must be folded in half with the crease facing toward you. Never wipe a stain. Dab it instead and close the napkin so that the stain stays closed on the inside.
More Advice
Apart from the ones described above, there are a few other fine-dining etiquette you should be familiar with before visiting one of the best restaurants in Sector 5, Kolkata. For instance, never say that you are going to the restroom. Just excuse yourself and leave. Never say “Bon Appetit,” either, because it makes people think you are too hungry and want to dive into the food as soon as it reaches the table.
