How to place spoon and fork after eating

Q: What is the position of fork and spoon after eating?

Once youve started eating your meal, your utensils should never touch the table. They should only rest on your plate. Remember this rule while dining, so your server can understand your utensil positions.

01/9Cutlery gestures which reflects your thoughts about food

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01/9Cutlery gestures which reflects your thoughts about food
02/9“I am ready to eat”
03/9“I am not finished”
04/9“I am ready for my next meal”
05/9“I did not enjoy the meal”
06/9“The meal was excellent”
07/9“I will surely come again”
08/9“I did not like the service”
09/9“I am finished”
Where do you put your cutlery when you've finished eating?
Reader Interactions
What is the position of fork and spoon after eating?
How do you place your fork when you are done eating?
How do you lay cutlery after a meal?

How often have you wondered what is the right way to place your cutlery on the table or on your plate. Should you cross them or place them on the sides of your plate or should they be kept with face up. In fact the way you keep your cutlery might have a meaning and it may gesture something you don't know-like asking for more food, conveying that the meal was good or saying that you are done with your meal. Here are some cutlery gestures that all fine diners should know.

02/9“I am ready to eat”

If you keep your cutlery this way, it means that you are about to start the meal.

03/9“I am not finished”

This means that you are talking to someone and have paused eating.

04/9“I am ready for my next meal”

If you keep the cutlery this way, then it means you are ready to eat the next dish.

05/9“I did not enjoy the meal”

When you do not like the taste of the food, you keep the cutkery by crossing this way.

06/9“The meal was excellent”

This way indicates that you liked the food and appreciate it.

07/9“I will surely come again”

Keeping the fork upside down on the plate means you will definitely come again.

08/9“I did not like the service”

Inserting the knife into fork tines indicates you did not enjoy the service.

09/9“I am finished”

Keeping the cutlery parallel to each other means you are done.

You're out to dinner, you've finished your meal, now what? According to etiquette, where do you put your cutlery when you're done eating? You have two proper options and here they are.

Picture it. You're out for dinner and you've finished with your meal. You're done. At home, you'd simply stand up and wander away from the table knowing full well the dish would disappear, get clean and be returned to the cupboard at some point in the evening.

That's how it worked for my father anyway.

But in restaurants they like non-verbal clues. Indications that they can take your dirty plate away. A sign language of sorts. The waiter or waitress reads the secret code spelled out through your dirty utensils and napkin.

If the waiter doesn't happen to see you licking your plate (which is the International sign of "Yup ... thems was good eatin'. I'm done!") how are they supposed to know if you're finished eating?

They know by where you've placed your cutlery. Honestly, they do.

Where do you put your cutlery when you've finished eating?

The knife and fork go either straight up and down in the centre of the plate with the handles resting on the rim, or pointing between 10 and 4 o'clock. In each case the tines of the fork should be facing up, and the knife edge pointing in.

Your napkin should be half heartedly folded to the left of your plate.

Do NOT rest the cutlery on the table.

Do NOT cross the cutlery over each other in an X.

Do NOT put your napkin on your plate.

Do NOT perfectly refold your napkin.

Do NOT put your napkin on your chair.

Do NOT fold your napkin into the shape of a swan or a dead chicken and then leave the restaurant wearing it as a hat.

You are now fully prepared to attend the Royal Wedding. Have fun.

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Reader Interactions

What is the position of fork and spoon after eating?

Once you've started eating your meal, your utensils should never touch the table. They should only rest on your plate. Remember this rule while dining, so your server can understand your utensil positions.

How do you place your fork when you are done eating?

Signals to Let a Server Know You Want Your Plate Taken Away American dining rules suggest you place your knife and fork alongside each other at either the four-o'clock or six o'clock position pointed toward the head of the plate. If you prefer Continental signals, make sure the fork's tines are facing downward.

How do you lay cutlery after a meal?

Place your knife and fork together in the centre of the plate, pointing to twelve o'clock. This will indicate to your attendee that you have finished. It is okay to place it pointing any position on the plate as long as the utensils are parallel to each other.