How To Set Knives At The Dinner Table Properly

If you are setting a dinner table for a fancy event or maybe an evening meal with friends, you want to make sure you are setting your table properly, but what about knives, which way do they face?

When setting a table, your knives should be facing the dinner plate rather than facing away.

We’ve discussed below in more detail how to set your dinner table cutlery, different knives to set at a dinner table and some tips for getting the most out of your dinner setting.

What’s The Proper Way To Set The Table?

If it’s your first time setting the dinner table for a formal occasion then you want to make sure you’re following the correct guidelines. 

We’ve listed them down below.

• Lay your forks to the left and spoons and knives to the right, dinner plates need to be in the centre.
• Make sure the knife blade is facing toward the plate and the fork facing upwards. 
• Side plates should be on the left of the dinner plate. 
• Water glass and wine glasses should be above the plate and on the right side on top of the knife.
• Fold your napkin and place it on the side plate next to the main dinner plate. 
• The dessert spoon or fork should be above the plate, the spoon should face to left above the fork while the fork faces to the right.

What Knives Should I Use At The Dinner Table?

Depending on the kind of food you are serving for dinner, you might need to set different knives, for example, a steak knife if on the menu. 

We’ve listed the different kinds of table knives down below. 

• Butter knife – This knife has a rounded blunt end, used for spreading butter and essentials if you’re serving soup and bread as a starter.
• Fish knife – Fish knives have a wider blade and sharper point, they are paired with fish forks and are meant to make eating fish and cutting easier.
• Steak knife – A steak knife is an essential dinner knife if you are eating steak, it has a serrated blade to make cutting the tough meat easier.

Tips For Setting The Dinner Table 

A well-set dinner table is important for an event, we’ve listed some of our best tips for setting a presentation plate and cutlery down below.

• Have an extra salad plate/bowl – Salad plates and bowls are great for putting dips and sides on at the dinner table. 
• Make sure your knives are sharp enough – Avoid blunt dinner knives at the dinner table, this goes especially for steak knives. 
• Use small fresh flowers – Flowers can add to the feel of your dinner table and make it pretty, just ensure they are not too bushy that you can’t see the guests.
• Buff your knives – Avoid setting dirty knives at the dinner table, buff them with some tissue or a dry table cloth to get rid of watermarks or fingerprints before serving.

Last Words

Overall, when setting the dinner table, your knife should be on the right side of your dinner plate and with the blade facing the dinner plate, forks should be on the left side of the dinner plate.

Always make sure you’re getting the right kind of knife according to the food you’re serving and buff it to get rid of any marks.