How to Set a Table
Everything you need to know for holidays or everyday meals, according to an etiquette expert.
By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.
Whether you’re hosting a casual dinner party or formal holiday meal, table setting is about so much more than where to put the salad fork or bread plate. For more info on how to set a table for all sorts of events, we consulted Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter of etiquette expert Emily Post, co-president of The Emily Post Institute and co-author of Emily Post's Etiquette, The Centennial Edition.
Why Table Setting Is Important
How you set a table creates the tone for the meal and guides diner expectations. “For the diner, having a sense of awareness and knowing what to expect is really helpful,” Post says. “There’s a lot of clues within a table setting as to what might be coming. If you see a fish fork and a fish knife, good chance you’re having a fish dish! And that can be really reassuring to guests to have that familiarity and to not feel like every single moment at the table is going to be a surprise.”
Or, if the salad fork and knife are set closest to the plate, that indicates that you’ll be having salad after the main course rather than before it.
General Table Setting Rules and Etiquette
Forks are placed to the left of the plate, except for the oyster fork which is placed to the right of the place setting.
Knives are placed to the right of the plate, with the blades facing toward the plate.
Spoons are placed to the right of the knives.
Dessert utensils can be served with the course or set ahead of time above the place setting. Place the fork with the handle pointing to the left and the spoon stacked above the fork with the handle pointing to the right. Post notes that contemporary place settings also have the fork stacked above the spoon.
Napkins are to the left, folded into either a triangle or a rectangle, or pulled through a napkin ring. Sometimes the napkin is placed in the middle of the charger for more formal occasions. Forks should not be placed on top of napkins unless it’s a casual setting.
Plates are in the middle of the setting. Ensure that the bottoms of the utensils and plate are all level. If using a bread plate and butter knife, place the plate in the upper left corner, above the forks, and set the butter knife on the plate with the handle pointing to the right (toward the diner).
Glasses are in the upper right corner of the place setting. The water glass acts as the anchor and is placed closest to the right, closest to the setting, at about a 45-degree angle off the tip of the knife.
Other glasses, such as champagne flutes or coupes and wine glasses, can be clustered around the water glass, so that the first glasses used are set closest to the setting and the ones accompanying later courses placed toward the back of the group. Alternatively, they can be arranged in a line cascading down and to the right of the setting, with the first glass to be used at the end of the line and the final one closest to the water glass.
How to Set a Table for Everyday Meals: Step-By-Step
Use this template for everyday dinners or weekend breakfasts. Many families or restaurants will be even more casual, Post notes, placing all the utensils on top of the napkin, or by placing the fork on the napkin to the left of the plate and the knife to the right of the plate. If a spoon is needed, it might be next to the knife.
You’ll need: a placemat, a dinner plate, salad fork, entrée knife and fork, spoon, a napkin and a water glass or goblet.
Step one: Arrange the plate and placemat. Lay the placemat on the table. Put the dinner plate in the middle of the placemat.
Step two: Lay the utensils. Place the fork to the left of the plate and the knife to the right of the plate with its blade facing in. Make sure that the bottoms of the utensils and plate are all level.
Step three: Add a napkin. Lay the napkin to the left of the fork. (Alternatively, you can also put the fork on top of your napkin, if desired.)
Step four: Add glassware. Place the water glass above the knife or at a 45-degree angle to the right of the knife.
How to Set Table for Semi-Formal Meals and Events
Use this template for dinner parties and luncheons or three-course meals. Think of it as a step up from everyday settings, but not too stuffy for a Friday night with friends. Plates and bowls are typically brought out as courses are ready to be served.
You’ll need: a placemat, salad and appetizer forks and knives, entrée fork and knife, soup spoon (if using), bread plate and butter knife, dessert fork and spoon, water glass or goblet and wine glass.
Step one: Set the placemat. Lay the placemat on the table.
Step two: Arrange the forks. Place the salad and appetizer forks to the left side of the placemat. Place the entrée fork on the inside of the salad fork.
Step three: Add the knives and spoon. Place the salad and appetizer knife to the right, blade facing in. Place the soup spoon to the right of the knife.
Step four: Set the bread plate and bread knife. Put the bread plate in the upper left corner, above the forks, and place the butter knife on the butter plate with the blade facing in toward the diner.
Step five: Add the napkin. Lay the napkin to the left of the fork.
Step six: Arrange the dessert utensils. Place the dessert fork above the plate with the handle pointing to the left and put the dessert spoon above the fork with its handle facing to the right.
Step seven: Add glassware. Place the water glass above the knife or at a 45-degree angle to the right of the knife. Place the wine glass to the right of the water glass.
How to Set a Table for Formal Meals and Holidays
Use this template for holidays and special occasions. Follow the informal dinner setting and build on it according to additional courses being served and add special touches.
You’ll need: a tablecloth and/or runner, placemat, salad and appetizer forks, salad and appetizer knives, entrée fork and knife, soup spoon (if using), bread plate and butter knife, dessert fork and spoon, water glass/goblet, wine glass(es) and charger.
Additional step one: Add oyster forks. If using oyster forks, remember that those go to the right of the place setting.
Additional step two: Arrange the glassware. Place wine glasses to the right of the water glass; the first glasses you’ll use should be closest to the setting, and the ones accompanying later courses placed toward the back of the group. Alternatively, you can arrange the glasses can be arranged in a line cascading down and to the right of the setting, with the first glass to be used at the end of the line and the last one closest to the water glass.
Additional step three: Lay the charger. Place a charger in the middle of the setting. It will stay there until just before the main course, at which time the charger and previous course’s plate will be cleared away to make room for the dinner plate.
Additional step four: Mind your centerpieces. If you include a floral centerpiece, be sure that it’s low (approximately 10 to 12 inches from the tabletop) so that it doesn’t block diners’ views of one another or impede conversation.
Everything You Need to Set a Table
While there are several common elements of table setting, you don’t have to use all of them at once to create a gorgeous environment for diners, Post says. “You can have a beautifully laid table for a formal meal without a tablecloth. Placemats aren’t necessarily just for kiddos; they can actually add a lot of color and help define a diner’s eating area,” she says. “There’s a lot of room even within the very common elements to engage or not engage with them.”
The main categories of table setting elements include:
Cutlery/Silverware
Forks: There are five types of forks: the entrée fork, which is the largest; salad fork; fish fork, which often has a little curve on one of the tines to help remove bones; and a dessert fork. Post notes that dessert, salad and fish forks can be used interchangeably. The fifth type of fork is an oyster fork, typically used for oysters, shrimp cocktail or mussels.
Knives: There are three types of knives: the entrée knife, or a serrated/steak knife if the entrée is tough to cut; salad knife, which are not as common in modern silverware sets; and a fish knife, which has a broad, flat curve to help lift the fish skin more easily, plus a curved point on the tip to help remove bones.
Spoons: Three types of spoons include teaspoon, demitasse spoon (which comes out with tea or coffee) and soup spoon. The teaspoon can also double as a dessert spoon as well as for tea or coffee.
Dishware
Plates: The main types of plates are a bread plate, dessert plate, salad or appetizer plate, and the dinner plate. Chargers can be considered as a service plate and are used in formal place settings. “It stays on the setting through the start of the meal and up until the end of the course that is before the main course. When that course is finished, use the charger as almost a tray, pick that up and the course that’s sitting on top of it, and remove it,” Post says.
Bowls: Common types of bowls include a soup bowl, shallow bowl, pasta bowl and dessert bowl.
Glassware
Different types of glassware include water glasses or goblets, wine glasses, champagne coupes or flutes, and teacups and saucers for after-dinner coffee or tea. Traditionally, highball or rocks glasses are part of cocktail hour and are not brought to the table for dinner. Shot glasses are not typically brought out, unless it fits the theme of the dinner, such as serving grappa or limoncello at the end of an Italian-style meal.
Linens
Linens include tablecloths, runners, placemats and napkins. The tablecloth goes over the entire table, while a runner goes down the middle of the table. Post notes that sometimes people opt to use both a tablecloth and a runner to layer colors and create depth. Placemats can be used with or without tablecloths; when layered over tablecloths, placemats can be an effective way to add a pop of color.
Serveware
For any meals that are served family-style or in a communal setting, you’ll need serving vessels and utensils like platters and tongs. Make sure communal bowls or platters have dishes underneath to catch any drips. Other common serveware elements include salt and pepper shakers, butter plates, gravy boats and salad dressing containers.
Decorative Items
You can decorate your table with “everything from candlesticks to centerpieces to all kinds of table cheer. It might also include decorative place card holders or place cards,” Post says. Candles are especially effective at creating a warm ambiance, even if you don’t dine by candlelight alone.
Table Setting Tips and Tricks
The simpler the meal, the simpler the setting. “Your table setting is going to 100 percent be based on what you are serving for this meal,” Post says.
Keep it basic with BMW. Bread on the left, meal in the middle, water on your right.
Consider the rule of 3. “Emily Post was one of the first people credited with suggesting that you not have more than 3 courses worth of utensils on the table at the same time,” Post says, though she adds that “that rule is bendable.” Additional utensils should be brought out with subsequent courses.
Remember FORK. This acronym can help you remember where to place specific elements: F for placing the fork on left side, O to put round plate in middle, R for moving to the right of the plate, is where we find K, the knives and spoons. The only exception is the oyster fork, which is placed to the right of the setting.
Work from the outside in. Utensils are placed in the order of use, from the outside in. As a diner, this rule helps you remember to use the outer utensils for the first courses; the ones closest to the plate will be for the last course.
Make OK signs with your hands. Touch the tips of your thumbs to the tips of your forefingers to make a lowercase "b" with your left hand, which is where bread and butter go, and a lowercase "d" with your right hand, which reminds you that drinks go on the right.
Add your personal style. “Lean into what inspires you, what you like,” Post says. Incorporate vintage silverware or family heirloom serveware items, experiment with flowers by sprinkling them along the table with votive candles instead of a traditional centerpiece, or play with different types of centerpieces, like assembling a collection of items united by a color in place. For example, Post’s mom collects bunny figurines, and every year at Easter, she sets out her collection of silver, porcelain and wood bunnies.
Don't force it. “It’s interesting to see what happens when you go too far outside the box,” Post says. “People get annoyed when they see the “creative” version of a table setting where someone has stacked a fork, knife, spoon in the dessert utensil area. When you break that familiarity, people are jarred by it.”
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