Heading out for a nice dinner on February 14th? Avoid these four fine dining faux-pas
1. Not Checking Your Coat
At a nice restaurant, there will be a place away from your table to hang your coat. Your server can also take any bags and hold them for you while you dine. Typically at nice restaurants, you should only bring with you what is needed for your dining experience. If you have a purse, you can bring it with you and drape it on the back of your chair, leave it on an empty chair, or ask for a purse hanger or stand. You should avoid leaving it on the floor.
2. Sitting In The Wrong Place
The rule of thumb when dining out is that the guest (or guests) get the best seat. If you’re on a date, and you’re the host, then make sure you give the best seat (most comfortable) to your guest. If you are a guest, however, your only rule is to wait until the host has sat down or otherwise indicated where they’d like you to sit. Do not take the best seat unless it is offered to you.
3. Sitting Straight, But Still Incorrectly
It is common dining etiquette to not slouch at the dinner table, but where some still go wrong is by pressing their back against the seat. You want to leave a little space between you and the back of your chair, not actually touching it. This will improve your posture, too.
4. Elbows On The Table
Contrary to popular belief, you can have your elbows on the table at a nice restaurant, but only when you aren’t eating. If you have a utensil in your hand and an elbow on the table, that is considered bad form. But, between courses or even between bites, you can gracefully set your elbows on the table.
