Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1
   Step 1

   Charger

   Dishes, glassware and silverware will all be arranged around the charger, a large decorative plate that serves as a placeholder until the main course is served. You can use a placemat instead of a charger.

2. 2
   Step 2

   Add utensils

   Forks always go to the left of the plate, while knives and spoons always stay on the right. When serving multiple courses, silverware is placed depending on what will be used first. For example, if your meal starts with an appetizer before moving to a salad and then an entrée, your forks will be arranged from left to right in the order they’ll be used: appetizer fork, salad fork and dinner fork. The exceptions to this rule for flatware are dessert spoons and forks. Those should be placed horizontally above the charger or placemat at 12 o’clock.

3. 3
   Step 3

   Add napkins

   Napkins should be placed in the center of the charger or to the left of the forks.

4. 4
   Step 4

   Soup bowls & salad plates

   Soup bowls and salad plates can be placed on top of the charger as these courses are being served. When the entrée arrives, the charger will be replaced by the dinner plate.

5. 5
   Step 5

   Glasses & stemware

   Glasses and stemware will again be placed above knives and spoons. Your water glass or goblet should be over the point of the knife at 1 o’clock. From there, your stemware will be ordered from the outside in, as with flatware. For example, if you’re starting the meal with a champagne toast, then moving to chardonnay, pinot noir and port for dessert, your stemware will be ordered as follows, from right to left: champagne flute, white wine glass, red wine glass, port glass and water goblet.

6. 6
   Step 6

   Add bread plate

   As with the simple dinner setting, the bread plate sits above the forks at 11 o’clock. An optional butter spreader can be placed on top of the bread plate. The spreader should be situated with the handle on the right and the blade facing down toward the plate, either horizontally or diagonally.