To entertain guests the French way, is a real art. There isn’t an ideal number of guests. Some say six is a good number to help the conversation flow. In any case, you should avoid inviting 13 people. Fleury Epi collection Energie collection Setting the table Laying a beautiful table is an exercise in style that follows very specific rules. Start with the cutlery. The knife should be positioned at the right, sharp edge facing the plate. The fork should be at the left, prongs pointing down. The dessert spoon and the cheese knife go above the plate, handles to the right. Lay the entire cutlery from the inside out, in order of use. In France, it is customary to place the bowl of the spoon up to show the engraving of the coat of arms. Take your Cristal d’Arques Paris stemmed glasses and place them from left to right from largest to smallest. Begin with the largest, the water goblet; it should be placed furthest to the left. Next, place the wine glasses next to the water goblet, in a slightly diagonal line. Ideally, you should have a glass for each of the wines served during the meal. Go from big to small! The (optional) presentation plate serves a backdrop for other plates. The soup plate, teamed with a dinner plate is used for soups or broths. The main dishes: meat or fish will be served in the dinner plate. The bread plate goes to the top left of the presentation or dinner plate. Make sure you leave sufficient space between the plates. Add your own personal touch to the decoration with matching napkins and tablecloth... Choose a theme with attractive colours that will set the scene for the party! However, do not overlook important details: a round tablecloth should not have any crease. Creases are acceptable on a rectangular tablecloth as long as they follow the long side. Finally, add the finishing touch with a Diamax® vase filled with a bunch of fresh flowers on the table or a beautiful Cristal d’Arques Paris bowl garnished with fruit. Add small and subtle touches of candlelight here and there to bring it all together. Time to eat: where to sit your guests It is customary for the host and hostess to sit face to face in the middle of the table. The place of honour for a woman is at the right hand side of the host and for a man at the right hand side of the hostess. Alternate men and women and separate couples unless they have been married for less than a year. If there are many guests, do not hesitate to add small name cards near the glasses. During the meal, serve the ladies first, from the eldest to the youngest, then the men in the same order. The hostess presents the dishes from the left of the guests who then helps themselves. The host pours the wine from the right. Apart from soup, cheese and dessert, always present the dishes twice.
Fleury Epi collection Energie collection Setting the table Laying a beautiful table is an exercise in style that follows very specific rules. Start with the cutlery. The knife should be positioned at the right, sharp edge facing the plate. The fork should be at the left, prongs pointing down. The dessert spoon and the cheese knife go above the plate, handles to the right. Lay the entire cutlery from the inside out, in order of use. In France, it is customary to place the bowl of the spoon up to show the engraving of the coat of arms.
Fleury Epi collection
Take your Cristal d’Arques Paris stemmed glasses and place them from left to right from largest to smallest. Begin with the largest, the water goblet; it should be placed furthest
to the left. Next, place the wine glasses next to the water goblet, in a slightly diagonal line. Ideally, you should have a glass for each of the wines served during the meal.
Go from big to small! The (optional) presentation plate serves a backdrop for other plates. The soup plate, teamed with a dinner plate is used for soups or broths. The main dishes: meat or fish will be served in the dinner plate. The bread plate goes to the top left of the presentation or dinner plate. Make sure you leave sufficient space between the plates.
Add your own personal touch to the decoration with matching napkins and tablecloth... Choose a theme with attractive colours that will set the scene for the party! However, do not overlook important details: a round tablecloth should not have any crease. Creases are acceptable on a rectangular tablecloth as long as they follow the long side. Finally, add the finishing touch with a Diamax® vase filled with a bunch of fresh flowers on the table or a beautiful Cristal d’Arques Paris bowl garnished with fruit. Add small and subtle touches of candlelight here and there to bring it all together.
Time to eat: where to sit your guests
It is customary for the host and hostess to sit face to face in the middle of the table. The place of honour for a woman is at the right hand side of the host and for a man at the right hand side of the hostess. Alternate men and women and separate couples unless they have been married for less than a year. If there are many guests, do not hesitate to add small name cards near the glasses.
During the meal, serve the ladies first, from the eldest to the youngest, then the men in the same order. The hostess presents the dishes from the left of the guests who then helps themselves. The host pours the wine from the right. Apart from soup, cheese and dessert, always present the dishes twice.