How do you set a table according to etiquette?

Hosting a dinner but can't quite remember all the table-setting rules? No problem — in this guide we walk you through it step by step. In under 10 minutes your table will look stunning!

Setting a table according to etiquette is no rocket science. In this guide we walk you through it all, step by step.

Cutlery

You start with the cutlery that sits furthest from the plates. Forks go on the left, knives and spoons on the right. The blades of the knives face toward the plate. Lay the forks overlapping each other like roof tiles — this creates a neat stepped effect. Need a spoon? Place it to the right of the knives.

Dessert cutlery

Dessert cutlery goes above the plate. The spoon points left and the fork points right.

Handy memory tip: the Spoon points Left, the foRk points Right. If you need both a spoon and a fork, the dessert spoon goes at the top.

Plates

Place the plates directly in front of the chair, 2 centimetres from the edge of the table.

Stack the plates from largest to smallest: first the charger plate, then the dinner plate, the starter plate, and finally a soup bowl. The charger plate is usually purely decorative.

Glasses

Glasses are placed to the upper right of the plates and cutlery, arranged in a triangle. The water glass sits at the bottom left, the red wine glass slightly above it (in the centre), and the white wine glass at the bottom right.

Red wine is always poured into the larger glass. As with the cutlery, the rule applies: what is furthest away gets used first (working from the outside in). If you have fewer than three glasses, arrange them in a diagonal line — white wine glass above the outermost knife and red wine glass above the innermost knife.

Napkins

Place napkins on top of the plate, to the left of the forks, or on the charger plate. Make sure your guests can easily reach them — they shouldn't have to move anything before placing the napkin on their lap.

Have some fun with it: roll the napkin into a napkin ring or fold it into a decorative shape. You can go for paper napkins, but linen or cloth napkins add a more elegant touch.

Tablecloth

A tablecloth gives your table a beautiful, inviting feel. Choose one that suits the theme of your dinner. It shouldn't be too long or too short — it should simply cover the table well. Pay attention to the material too: cotton and linen tablecloths crease easily, so for a polished look, polyester or poly-cotton is the better choice.

Tip: If you really want to go all out, place a table runner beneath each plate. Choose a colour that complements the tablecloth so the overall look doesn't feel too busy.

Candles

A dinner is the perfect occasion to create a warm, cosy atmosphere — and nothing sets the mood better than candles.

Go for dinner candles — these tall candles look beautiful above the table setting. Place them in the centre of the table, or alternate tall and short candles for a playful effect. Dinner candles come in all kinds of styles and colours. The swirl dinner candles, for example, have a twisted shape that makes them a real eye-catcher.