Basic Dining Etiquette

Basic Dining Etiquette

By Catherine Gray

When it comes to business or social functions over dinner, no one wants to appear to have poor dining etiquette and risk losing a potential client or offending those around you. Unfortunately, many people's everyday table etiquette is not enough to make a good impression at formal dinners.

These are some basic dining etiquette rules that many of us know, but fewer of us employ. These tricks can help you make a better impression the next time you are asked to a formal dinner.

• Take small bites - Often when attending a formal dinner, you will be asked to converse with those around you, especially during business functions. Smaller bites allow you to chew through your food faster, allowing you to respond quicker.





• Chew with your mouth closed - This goes in conjunction with taking smaller bites. Many individuals take bites of food that are too big, and result in their making chewing and smacking noises. This is a rather unpleasant sound to be heard, so make sure you chew with your mouth closed. In addition, the visage of seeing someone chew with their mouth open is rather unpleasant as well, and should be avoided at all cost.





• Don't eat with your hands - For some reason people still pick at items on their plate with their hands, even though mothers across the world have told their children while growing up not to eat with their hands. While I admit there are certain foods that require the use of hands while eating, generally speaking they are unlikely to be served at a formal dinner or a nice business meeting. Even Japanese food should be eaten with chop sticks, and dipped into soy sauce fish side first, not rice side first.





• Don't put your elbows on the table - Another dining etiquette rule touted by mothers across the world, the act of resting your elbows on the table is generally a sign that you are tired and/or bored. This is generally not the impression you want to give others while you are attending a formal dinner.





• Watch your drink - Unless at a celebratory function like a wedding, drinking in excess is generally not the best social form, especially when conducting business over a meal. At most you should have two drinks during a business function as you still have to be accountable for your words and actions.

Remember dining etiquette consists of rules that are made to ensure that everyone, including you, has a good time. Therefore, remember to relax and have a good time while you're out.

Catherine E.P. Gray is the President & Founder of Inside-Out Beauty, LLC a full service image consulting company based in New York City that enables clients to achieve their personal and/or professional image goals by addressing all the interrelated aspects of one's image.

For more information on Inside-Out Beauty and how they can help you achieve your goals, please visit http://www.insideout-beauty.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Catherine_Gray


http://EzineArticles.com/?Basic-Dining-Etiquette&id=6277655

Image courtesy google