Dining at restaurants can be a lovely experience if you know how to maintain proper etiquette. It’s nice to cook at home because you have total control over the ingredients being used, you can keep track of the cleanliness of your kitchen, and you know exactly when the food will be ready to eat. All that said, restaurants still provide an experience that simply doesn’t exist when you’re eating at home.
The ambiance inside restaurants can make a significant difference. Some examples of this would be restaurants with pleasant music playing, dedicated staff workers, and aesthetically pleasing artwork on the walls. Eating food in nice establishments surrounded by others who are on the same wavelength as you is a special feeling. Everything you know about etiquette should come into play when you’re dining at a restaurant, regardless of the cuisine. Find out about the one can’t miss restaurant located in every state.
To compile this list of dos and don’ts regarding restaurant etiquette, 24/7 Tempo consulted several food-centered lifestyle publications. These sites include Food & Wine, Tasting Table, and Food Republic.
Do: Honor your reservation by arriving on time
Honor your restaurant reservations.
If you’re eating at a restaurant that requires a scheduled reservation, it’s up to you to honor your reservation by showing up on time. Restaurants don’t appreciate dealing with late clientele. It results in lost revenue for the higher-ups and lost tips for servers. They do not want to spend time holding a table aside for you if you aren’t there on time. Keep in mind that restaurant staff does their best to keep your reserved table free and clear as they eagerly wait on your arrival. When you’re late, they often have to give your table away.
Do: Dress appropriately based on the restaurants dress code
Your outfit should honor the dress code.
In this modern age of technology, all it takes is a quick Google search to find the dress code at your chosen restaurant. Before walking into a restaurant you’ve never been to, it’s important to know what to wear to respect the vibe of the establishment. A restaurant with a stricter dress code might actually turn you away at the door if you show up in a pair of board shorts and flip flops. Shoes and shirts are nearly always required if you want to dine at a nice restaurant, but there are plenty of places with more stipulations on their dress code lists.
Do: Avoid looking at your phone
It might be best to turn off your phone before dinner.
It’s offensive to stare at your phone while you’re dining at a restaurant. It doesn’t matter if you’re with a romantic partner, a group of friends, business colleagues, or family members. Looking at your phone tells everyone you’re with that their presence isn’t an important factor to you.
Making eye contact and engaging in conversation are two easy ways to stay present while eating at a restaurant with others. When you avoid your phone at dinner, it’s a sign of respect. Of course, this rule doesn’t always apply if you need to keep an eye on your phone for important matters like health emergencies.
Do: Say “please” and “thank you” to service staff
Being nice to service staff is key.
The service staff in charge of taking your orders and serving your food deserves to be treated with respect. Unfortunately, too many people believe waiters and waitresses don’t deserve respect based on their job title. This belief system is beyond cruel.
We are all human. Remember that it’s much smarter to be kind to people who are handling your food. You never know what’s happening behind the scenes. Disgruntled restaurant employees have been caught spitting in drinks (and worse) at least once or twice in history.
Do: Place your cloth napkin over your lap while eating
Your napkin should be placed on your lap.
Spills on your lap while eating dinner at a restaurant is the last thing anyone wants to deal with. You can avoid this issue by placing your cloth napkin over your lap before you start eating. The best rule of thumb is to place your cloth napkin over your lap about a minute after you’ve taken your seat. This way, your lap is totally protected if you start sipping on a drink or eating an appetizer before your full meal has been served.
Do: Use the right cutlery
Know about your silverware.
It’s crucial to be aware of the cutlery in front of you. If you don’t know which forks, spoons, and knives to use, it’ll be a dead giveaway to everyone that you don’t know much about fine dining or table etiquette. There will be a couple of different knives to use, but make sure you know the difference between a butter knife and a dinner knife.
There will be a couple of different spoons as well, but make sure you know the difference between the soup spoon and dessert spoon. There will be several different forks including the dinner fork, salad fork, and dessert fork. As long as you know which is which, you’ll be just fine.
Do: Chew with your mouth closed
Chew with grace at restaurants.
It would be a terrible mistake to chew with your mouth open at dinner. No one wants to see chewed food being sloshed around your saliva while they’re trying to enjoy their own meals. The visual of a person aggressively chewing their food across the table is enough to make anyone instantly lose their appetite. Keep your mouth closed while you’re chewing until all your food has been swallowed. Avoid starting conversations while you’re chewing your food also.
Do: Wait until the host starts eating for your first bite
The host should have the first bite.
Who exactly planned the dinner you’re enjoying? Pay attention to the host who brought everyone together before you indulge in your first bite. Everyone at the table should wait until the host starts eating before they dig in themselves. This is a sign of respect to the person who invited you out. Regardless of how hungry you might be, it’s more thoughtful and respectful to wait until the host has had their first bite.
Do: Keep your elbows off the table
Elbows should never go on the table.
One of the tackiest things to do at a restaurant would be eating with your elbows on the table. While the position of having your elbows on the table might feel more comfortable than having them dangling at your sides, it doesn’t look chic or classy to have your elbows on the table. Even if you accidentally forget this tip and catch yourself with elbows on the table for a second, simply remove them before anyone else has a chance to point it out.
Do: Taste your food before adding seasoning
Try not to offend the chef.
Before you start adding additional seasoning to your food, give everything a taste. It can be slightly insulting to the chef if you feel the need to start adding seasoning to dishes they’ve concocted before you even tried them as they were. Usually, chefs know exactly what they’re doing in the kitchen. They are professionals, after all! It’s okay to trust them for a moment before trying to season things your own way.
Don’t: Encourage a clinking cheers moment
Clinking glasses is a no-go.
Regardless of how fun clinking chairs videos might look on social media, this isn’t something you should encourage at fine dining establishments. It’s possible that the glasses will end up getting damaged or cracked if you accidentally clink them together too aggressively.
Don’t: Slurp your soup or drinks
Slurping is unacceptable.
Slurping your soup or drinks is another unacceptable thing to do at a restaurant. This is an obvious etiquette rule you wouldn’t want to break. When you slurp your soup or drinks, it makes a loud and obnoxious sound no one wants to hear while they’re eating their food.
Don’t: Double dip in shared table appetizer
If everyone at the table is enjoying a shared appetizer at the center, it wouldn’t be right for you to double dip. Once you’ve dipped a piece of bread, a vegetable, or something else into a shared dipping bowl, don’t dip your bitten food item again. This way, you’ll keep your germs to yourself.
Don’t: Reach across the table
Never reach across the table.
Reaching across the table at a restaurant is incredibly rude. This is an easy etiquette rules to follow since all you have to do is ask anyone else at the table to pass what you need to you. Whether you need more salt, the water pitcher, or something else, someone else at your table can certainly hand it to you if you ask.
Don’t: Announce your bathroom departures
No one needs to hear about your bathroom trip.
No one needs to know that you’re leaving the table to go to the bathroom. Announcing your bathroom departures is an easy way to abandon the rules of etiquette at a restaurant. If you have to go to the bathroom, simply excuse yourself without telling anyone why. Keep in mind that your bathroom trips aren’t anyone else’s business.
Don’t: Pick food out of your teeth with your fingers
Picking food from your teeth is a no-go.
You absolutely shouldn’t be picking food out of your teeth with your fingers while at a restaurant. If there is a nugget of food stuck between your teeth, ask a waiter or waitress for a toothpick and handle your issue in the bathroom where no one can see you. Picking food out of your teeth at the table is a great way to ruin other people’s appetites.
Don’t: Rearrange name cards
Rearranging name cards is a problem.
It’s wrong to rearrange name cards if everyone is supposed to be sitting in specific seats at a restaurant. The host who’s arranged for everyone to get together likely has certain intentions and plans with the table guests and seating arrangements. To move name cards around would be beyond rude and careless.
Don’t: Lift your menu off the table
Your menu shouldn't block eye contact.
One etiquette rule that isn’t always remembered revolves around the placement of your menu. Instead of lifting your menu off the table to read up on the items you want to order, make sure your menu is always touching the table to some degree. This way, you’re never accidentally blocking eye contact with the other people you’re dining with.
Don’t: Leave your chair askew when leaving the table
Always push your chair in.
Whether you’re temporarily leaving the table for the bathroom or you’re done eating for the night, you shouldn’t leave your chair askew. Pushing your chair in as soon as you stand up to leave the table is more polite. This serves as a safety measure keeping everyone else in the restaurant safe from bumping into your chair and falling down.
Don’t: Wait until the last minute to request split checks
Warn your servers about splitting the check.
You don’t want to wait until the last minute to request a split check with the waiter or waitress in charge of your table. If you and the people you’re with know you are planning to pay for your own individual portions of the bill, let the staff know ahead of time. This way, they can work on itemizing your check ahead of time without the stress of handling this request at the last minute. Find out about the 21 things you never order at a restaurant.