Whether as a host or guest, proper table etiquette is important at any formal dinner party. As a general rule of utensil and dinnerware etiquette, one should eat from the left and drink from the right. That is to say, any food plates or bowl to the left and any drinks to the right belong to the same place setting.

In terms of course order, the utensil furthest away from of each side of a place setting is meant to be used first and so on. With beverages, the first drink meant to be enjoyed will be poured into the glass furthest to the right of the place setting. There are several different categories of utensil that each has its own rules of proper use and placement.

The Utensils

• Salad Fork

  Of the forks at a place setting, the salad fork is both the first and smallest utensil that should be used. The salad fork should be the utensil furthest to the left of the place setting as it goes with the traditional first course of a formal dinner, the salad course.

• Soup Spoon

  A soup spoon is easily identified. Not only will it be the utensil furthest to the right of a place setting it is slightly longer than most other spoons and has a wide, deep bowl perfect for sipping broth.

• Dinner Fork

  The dinner fork is the second fork meant to be used at a place setting. It can be found to the right of the salad fork and is the second furthest left from the dinner plate. Dinner forks are the largest non-knife utensils at a place setting and may have one less tine than a salad or dessert fork.

• Teaspoon

  The teaspoon is generally a beverage spoon that should not be used until after the soup spoon has been used, removed or the second course has begun. As a rule, the teaspoon is much smaller than the soup spoon and should only be used to stir hot drinks. If a cool drink requires a spoon, such as a tall glass of iced tea, it will be served with a long handled teaspoon.

• Dessert Fork or Spoon

  The utensil closest to the left side of a dinner plate will be the dessert fork. If that fork is not included in a place setting then the dessert will be served with the needed utensil. A dessert fork is smaller than a dinner fork but slightly larger than a salad fork. For example, if the correct utensil for the dessert being served is a dessert spoon, which is about the same size of a teaspoon, then the utensil will come served with the dessert course itself and will not be a part of the place setting.

• Dinner Knife

  The dinner knife is the most self explanatory utensil on a place setting. It will be placed closest to the right side of a dinner plate and is meant to be used with the main course or entrée. The dinner knife is not meant, however, to be used to cut bread, spread butter or stir drinks. There are other utensils assigned to those roles.

• Butter or Bread Knife

  A butter or bread knife will be added to a place setting outside of the central set up in the upper left corner of a setting. The bread or butter knife is traditionally placed, and kept throughout the meal, on the edge of a bread plate. The addition of a bread or butter knife negates the diner’s need to use the dinner knife incorrectly.

The utensils used in a formal dinner party place setting follow a simple rule of placement and use. As long as a diner can remember the “left to right” and “outside to inside” rules, proper utensil etiquette should not be a problem.