Originally Posted by maroush

Formal Dinner event (Western)

When at a formal dinner, you should wait until the host starts eating before you do.

Eat to your left, drink to your right. Any food dish to the left is yours, and any glass to the right is yours.

In general, if there are several pieces of cutlery, use forks, knives or spoons starting from the outer side, working your way in.

Once used, your utensils, including the handles, should not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.

If there is a side plate for eating bread rolls, use the plate on your left-hand side. Put some butter on the side of the plate. When eating a breadroll, you should break off a piece and butter it rather than butter all the roll.

Eat soup quietly, without lifting the bowl off the table.

To be very polite, you should eat temperamental food (like peas) by squashing them against the reverse side of your fork.

Don't blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, just wait.

Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.

Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed.

Cut enough food for the next mouthful. Eat in small bites and slowly.

For more formal dinners, from course to course, your tableware will be taken away and replaced as needed. To signal that your are done with the course, rest your fork, prongs up, and knife blade in, with the handles resting at five o'clock an tips pointing to ten o'clock on your plate.

Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room.

Turn off your mobile phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode before sitting down to eat, and leave it in your pocket or purse. It is impolite to answer a phone during dinner. If you must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table and step outside of the restaurant.

Do not use a toothpick or apply makeup at the table.

Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit, all men seated with her should stand up.

Do not push your dishes away from you or stack them for the waiter when you are finished. Leave plates and glasses where they are.

Foods you may eat with your hands:

Small sandwiches (cut large ones up before consuming).

Sushi (eaten whole, never bitten into).

Olives (remove the pit with your fingers)

Fried Prawns/Shrimp (picked up from the tail, eaten with fingers).

I'll write more later.....