What is Fine Dining Etiquette for Servers?

When people go out for a fancy dinner, they expect everything to go perfectly: from a gourmet menu to attentive service, customers expect staff members to really deliver. If you really want your waitstaff to impress your guests, this guide to fine dining etiquette for servers will teach them how to behave so they can live up to the expectations of upscale patrons.

Fine Dining Server Tips

Even if your staff members already know how to be a good server in a restaurant, working in an upscale establishment has its own set of challenges. So, here are a few tips that your servers should always keep in mind:

• Know the menu: This can help you upsell a meal or help diners decide on what to order should they ask.


• Be organized and focused: If you keep track of your tables, and memorize orders, it’ll be easier to determine which customers will need your attention faster.


• Be informative: Let the kitchen and bar staff know of the customer’s choices as well as of any special requests or dietary restrictions.


• Be friendly: Greet customers and provide excellent service from when they enter the building until they leave.


• Be trustworthy: Servers are responsible for determining the total charges, issuing the bill, taking payment and giving the correct change back or returning the customer’s credit card.


• Keep up with your appearance: You want to make sure your uniform is nicely pressed, your hair is away from your face and you avoid wearing jewelry or perfumes that could distract the customers.


• Learn the policies: It’s important that you know the restaurant’s safety, alcohol and sanitation policies to ensure no one is committing any violations.


• Avoid these fine dining mistakes: Don’t point, don’t touch the guests, don’t engage in informal conversations and don’t eat or drink in front of customers.

What is the Proper Formal Table Setting?

With fine dining, you want to make sure everything looks symmetrical and clean. This means setting the table in an efficient way. When it comes to setting a table for a fine dining experience, you’ll want to pay attention to the following:

• Number of Place Settings – Don’t leave extra place settings on the table if your party contains less people. Remove the settings before they are seated.


• Flatware – Eating utensils are always placed in the order of use. This means forks are always to the left and knives and spoons are on the right. They will be used from the outside going in toward the plate so the salad fork will be the farthest to the left. The dessert utensils are to be placed above the plate.


• Linens – Freshly press all laundered linen before setting them out. The cloth napkin will go on the dinner plate or to the left of the salad fork.


• Glassware – Water glasses are placed to the upper right side of the dinner plate. They are typically followed by a white wine glass, a red wine glass, a champagne flute and a sherry glass. If there will be coffee or tea served, place a teacup and saucer to the right of the spoons and knives.

Steps of Service for Fine Dining

Now that you have the place settings and etiquette down, you can move onto the steps for fine dining service. No matter if you’re wondering how to take orders in a fine dining restaurant or you want to learn how to be a hostess, we can help. With the above tips in mind, follow these steps of service for a great fine dining experience:

Step 1. Present the Menu & Drink List

Once everyone is seated, bring over the menu and wine lists. Be careful not to just dump the menus and run. Match the pace of the table and make sure everyone is comfortable and ready to be served.

Step 2. List Off the Specials of the Night

At the right moment, describe the evening’s specials. Make sure to speak clearly and be detailed in your descriptions. Once you’re done, you can pause to answer any specific questions as well as ask about any dietary restrictions.

Step 3. Provide Open Hand Service

When using the open hand method, your arm will never cross in front of a guest. If you’re serving to the left of a guest, use your left arm and vice versa. Each restaurant has different guidelines when serving guests so be sure to check with the manager to determine which side to serve from.

Step 4. Control the Pace

Every table will have different needs. Read the verbal clues and body language to determine the pace. If you notice all guests are seated and looking around, they are likely ready to hear the specials and look over the menu. If they are in deep conversation, they probably aren’t ready for the check just yet.

Step 5. Clean Up

Once service is over and your table has cleared, you can start cleaning up. Keep in mind, however, you should never stack plates when clearing a table at a fine dining restaurant.

Fine Dining Table Clean Up

Cleaning up is simple, but different than at a casual restaurant. When the time comes to pick up used utensils and plates, follow these tips:

• Ensure guests are finished – Wait until each guest is finished with the course before removing any plates. If the flatware is in a cross position or straight up and down on the plate then you know the guest is finished.


• Remove all used utensils – If you pick up a plate also remove any used knives, forks or spoons. The server mise en place station should have additional flatware that can be used for the next course.


• Remove any condiments – If there are condiments that won’t be needed in the next course, it can be removed from the table.


• Clear the table from the right – Typically, servers clear any plates or flatware from the right of the guest and continue in a clockwise motion around the table.


• Do not stack dishes – While this may save you time, this is a no-no when in the fine dining business. Instead, remove plates one by one and stack them on a serving tray that’s out of everyone’s direct line of sight.


• De-crumb the table – Use a handheld tool to swipe any crumbs from the table onto a small plate. This can be done between courses if needed. Just be sure to get the job done without interrupting guests’ conversation.