If you're a keen cook and enjoy entertaining guests, here are our tips for setting a warm and elegant French table.
Step 1
First of all, to protect your table and prevent creases in your tablecloth, place a
fleece underneath. Next, lay your pre-ironed tablecloth so that it falls at
least 30 centimetres on either side of the table, and is about 6 centimetres
off the floor so that guests can slide their feet underneath. For a luncheon,
you can use a colorful tablecloth or placemats of your choice, but for a formal
dinner, a white embroidered or damask tablecloth is a must.
Plates should be placed 3 centimeters from the edge of the table and spaced 30 to 40
centimeters apart, so that guests feel comfortable. In general, each guest should have only one large plate, but if you're serving soup, you can place a soup plate on top of the main course plate. Appetizer plates are served during the meal. Don't forget to place a bread plate at the top left of the main plate.
The number of place settings should not exceed thirteen and depends on the number of courses served. Flatware and appetizer cutlery are placed on either side of the plate, with forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right, in order of use. Cutlery used first, like that for starters, is placed further away from the plate. Forks face the tablecloth, while spoons face upwards. Knife holders are not recommended for formal meals, as cutlery is changed between courses. Dessert and cheese cutlery are placed in front of the plate, with the knife and spoon on the right and the fork on the left. In France, a fork is used for dessert, unless it includes a cream or coulis. A butter knife is placed on the right-hand edge of the bread plate.
Step 4For formal meals, use cloth napkins that match your tablecloth. For lunch, fold the napkins into a triangle or square and place them on the main plate. For dinner, fold the napkins into a rectangle and place them to the left of the plates and forks. This custom dates back to the fact that dinner traditionally began with soup already served on the plate.
Step 5Glasses are placed at an angle at the top right of the plate, in descending order of size: from the left, the water glass, the red wine glass and finally the white wine glass. If you wish to add a champagne flute, place it behind the other glasses, between the water glass and the red wine glass.
