Table
Setup
Table setting (laying the table) refers
to the proper way to set the table with
tableware. A single dinner
arrangement is called a place setting.
The table can be set using a tablecloth
or place mat to cover it. Setting up a
table cover must be convenient not
only to the guest, but also to the
waiters. It must be attractive, well set
with a balance.
When we say cover, it is:
1. the allowed space of 50-
70 cm table setting for one
guest based on the menu or
service type; and
2. the number of guests in a
specific function, either a
meeting or a social activity.
Guidelines for Setting a
Table
Set the table
The
Charger/Service
Flatware
with a
Centerpiece
plate
tablecloth.
An attractively set table is almost as important to a great meal as the
food. The way the table is set can add appeal to the food being
served.
Guidelines for Setting a
Table
Cruet Sets,
Table Napkin Ashtray, & other
Service
Glass wares
meal
Trays/Salvers
accompaniments
Rules in Handling Tableware
and Glass ware
Flatware must be polished and
handled at its waist, not at the
bottom nor at the top.
Use table napkins or hand
gloves in handling flatware to
avoid leaving fingerprints on
it.
Carry glassware using a bar
tray or salver.
Rules in Handling Tableware
and Glass ware
Handle stemmed glass at the stem,
while unstemmed glass about 1 1/2
inch from its bottom. Never handle the
glass on the rim. If glasses are
unstemmed, hold them at the base.
Never touch the rim of the glass.
Handle dinnerware with your four
fingers under the plate and your
thumb on the outer edge of the
plate.
Types of Table
Setting
Informal Table Setting
At an informal meal, the table setting is not
cluttered, and all the flatware are laid on the
table. The dessert flatware will be set up before
the service of the dessert. Dessert plates and
flatware can be brought to the table as an option
for the guest.
Formal Table Setting
It is very common to have three flatware on
either side of the cover at a time. However,
there is an exception for oyster (cocktail)
fork; it is placed on the last spoon and
considered as the fourth flatware on the right
side of the cover.
American Table Setup
American service is best known for its elegant
and sophisticated setting. This table setup is
common in most restaurants, especially in the
United States.
Silver Service Setup
Silver service is a dining service where food is brought and served to
your plate, rather than traditionally plated up in the kitchen and then
brought to your table. Silver service, like all formal food services, is
oriented for a right-handed waiter; left-handed waiters may use their
right hand. To serve the food, the waiters stand behind the guest and,
to the guest's left, hold or support the platter with their left hand and
serve the food with their right hand. It is common for the waiters to
hold the serving fork above the serving spoon both in the right hand,
and use the fingers to manipulate the two as a pincer for picking up,
holding, and transferring the food.
French Table Setup
In French table setting, eating utensils are
placed in the order in which they are to be
used. The utensils farthest from the plate are
the ones that will be used first.
Russian Table Setup
The historical form of service à la russe, which means
"service in the Russian style," is a manner of dining
that involves courses being brought to the table
sequentially, and the food being portioned on the
plate by a waiter (usually at a sideboard in the dining
room) before being given to the diner. Today, Russian
table setting is used for formal dinners and banquets.
References
https://yachting-
Fundamentals in Food
pages.com/articles/stunning-
Service Operations, Yap C.,
superyacht-service-standards-and-
2022 standardised-table-settings.html
Thank You
