Table etiquette are always a daunting topic — whether it is a business dinner you are going for, a black-tie event that you wish to attend or a casual brunch on a day out with friends. From types of cutlery, styles of eating different cuisines there are different levels of etiquettes that are followed throughout the world depending on the occasion. Tushar Nagar, Food and Beverage Manager, Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru, and Ishan Shah, Director and Co-Owner MAIA – Eat, Bake, Mom, Bengaluru, tell us how to get the right table etiquettes.1. Getting Started: If you are invited to have dinner with someone, it is always a good idea to respond, even if an RSVP is not requested. This helps with planning. When you are dining at the home of a friend, it is a good idea to bring a gift for the host or hostess. Some dinner parties are formal and have place cards where the host or hostess wants you to sit. 2. Know your glasses: If you have more than one glass on the table which resembles a wine glass, you can tell which one is for what purpose by the following simple guide. The water glass is always a thicker one with a substantial stem as opposed to wine glasses. Within the wine glasses, the dessert wine glasses have a wider mouth and smaller bowl, the champagne flutes and more elongated than others and the white wine glass has a wider mouth and a narrower body. 3. Use of cutlery and hands: If there are a lot of forks and knives on either side of your plate, always start the meal by using the cutlery on the outer most end and work your way in. Do not keep your knife and fork crossed on the plate at any time as that is considered rude. If you are drinking from a stemmed glass, hold it by the stem. A typical rule of thumb is to start with the utensil that is farthest from your plate and work your way toward the centre of your place setting. Dishes such as pizza, sushi pizza, the nagiri sushi, and your breads are meant to be eaten with hands so use of cutlery is not always the right thing to do specially if you are with a Japanese or an Italian, in this case.4. When to eat: If you are eating out, you should wait until all the members of your group have been served before picking up your fork. For dinners where food is served at the table, the dishes should be passed in a counter a counter-clockwise flow. 5. While eating: It is always advisable to turn off your cell phone before sitting down, to avoid talking and texting while dining. It is rude in the company of others or guests.

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