At a formal dinner, plates are served and cleared from one side only, the left side, a method that makes the guests feel less enclosed by someone constantly hovering about them with arms suddenly appearing left and right. The server’s right hand clears a used plate, and the left hand slides a fresh plate into place.

Always bring all appetizers, entrees, and desserts at the same time. Never leave one guest hungry while everyone else is enjoying their food. Serve from a guest’s left, using your left hand, and clear from their right, using your right hand. Cutlery crossed in an X means a person isn’t finished with their plate.

How do you serve and clear the plates from the dining room table at a dinner party? In America, the rule of thumb is to “serve on the left!” Plates, along with other serving dishes, are served on the left side of the guests. Plates are cleared from the table on the right side of the guests.

11 Fine-Dining Etiquette Rules You’ve Probably Broken Your Whole Life

• Never lift your menu off the table.
• Once you sip from a glass, you must sip from the exact same place on that glass for the rest of the evening.
• Don’t clink.
• Never ask for an oyster fork.
• Keep the rim of your plates as clean as possible.

banquet. noun. a formal meal prepared for a large number of people on an important occasion.

The guest of honor seated on the host’s right is always served each dish first. If there is serving help, servers move around the table counter-clockwise from her, serving the host last. When food is served directly from the kitchen, service is also counterclockwise from the host’s right, with the host served last.

The rule of thumb: the plate should be 1” from the table edge (use thumb). Bread/butter plate—top left, above the salad plate. Salad plate—lower left, above the napkin. Soup bowl—on plate or separate.

You can do this if you want to keep with tradition and the occasion is quite formal. Otherwise, choose one end of the table and move around it in a clockwise fashion, regardless of the genders of your guests. Pass all dishes from the left. Guests and servers should pass dishes from left.

To enable the guest to serve himself comfortably, the platter is held about 1 inch above the guest’s plate. To avoid spills and make access to the platter easy, the platter is held partially over the table in a level position. A separate utensil is provided for each food on the platter.

When you think of formal dinner, the following things come to mind: formal attire, proper behavior, formal dinner setting, and perfect arrangements. These instructions are for people who would like to be a great host at their home, who also have limited knowledge of how to organize a formal dinner, with all the small details and tips.

Prearranged courses are served on a platter: At a formal dinner, to make service of each course easy for the guest, individual portions are prearranged and presented on a platter. The platter is held in a position that facilitates service. To enable the guest to serve himself comfortably, the platter is held about 1 inch above the guest’s plate.