Dining Etiquette
Be successful at any professional dinner with these guidelines.
1. Entering the Meal
Follow the host to the table and introduce yourself professionally. Observe proper place setting.
- Introduce yourself with a firm handshake.
- Follow the host to the table and let them lead when to begin the meal.
- Enter the table on the right of your chair and sit down from your left side.
- Place personal items under your chair.
- Place the napkin on your lap.
- Bread plate will be on the upper left of your place setting and drinks will be on the upper right.
- Use silverware from the outside in.
2. Manners
It takes 7 seconds to make a first impression. Manners matter!
- Remove yourself from the table by saying “excuse me” and placing your napkin on the chair.
- Be mindful of your posture.
- Put your silverware down before gesturing.
- Dab mouth with napkin.
- Swallow food before speaking.
- Politely ask for items to be passed to you.
- Say please and thank you.
- Turn electronic devices on silent.
3. Networking and Conversation
Regardless of proper dining etiquette, the purpose of the event is to interact with other attendees.
- Know your setting. During a cocktail hour, you will likely meet multiple people and have shorter conversations. At a seated dinner, you will converse with only a few people on more in-depth topics.
- Embrace your personality. Do not try to be someone you are not.
- Ask questions of others to fnd commonalities and unique interests.
- LISTEN. Talk less than or equal to 50% of the time.
- Avoid controversial topics: religion, politics and money.
- Ask for a business card and follow up with the people you meet after the event on LinkedIn or via email.
4. Salad, Soup and Bread
The meal may be served with a salad and/or soup and a dinner roll.
- Carry food to your mouth with an inward curve of the fork.
- Do not return silverware to the table.
- Pass salt and pepper together.
- Bread and butter travel together.
- Break of a piece of bread and butter and eat that portion before breaking of another piece.
- Stir soup to cool; never blow on it.
- With soup, scoop away from you and eat from the side of the spoon.
- Eat crackers with soup, not in the soup.
5. Main Dish
Main entrées may be plated individually or buffet-style.
- Dishes are served on the left, cleared on the right.
- Utensils are your tools. Never touch food with your hands.
- Keep your elbows close to your sides and of the table.
- Cut items into small pieces and eat one at a time.
- Place your fork and knife in a “V” when you are still eating but not using your utensils at the moment.
- Place your fork and knife parallel to each other to signal you are fnished eating.
6. Dessert
Dessert may be plated on the table prior to the meal, located on the end of a buffet or delivered after the main dish.
- Use the fork or spoon placed above your plate for dessert.
- Wait to eat your dessert until after the main dish.
- Keep your napkin in your lap through dessert.
- Do not put your dessert plate on top of your entrée plate when you are finished eating.
- You may place your napkin on the table after the meal has ended.
7. Alcohol
Social drinking often occurs at professional events. Be responsible.
- Only order alcohol if your host does at a meal.
- Only order 1-2 alcoholic drinks over the course of the event. Keep the length of the event in mind when determining how many drinks to order.
- Take sips of your drink occasionally.
- If you prefer not to drink, you can order a non-alcoholic beverage. Ask for a soda in a tumbler if you want to look like you are drinking.