Table setting

A table setting is the arrangement of dishes, utensils, glassware, and linens for a meal. Its layout reflects the meal’s courses, service style, and social conventions.

Place setting: The dishes, utensils, glassware, and linens arranged for one diner. A table setting consists of individual place settings arranged around the table.
Formal dining: A structured style of dining governed by explicit conventions of service and etiquette. Formal dining typically uses a carefully ordered setting for multiple courses.
Table manners: Social conventions governing behavior while eating at a table. Placement conventions and dining behavior together shape expectations at a meal.
American service: A style of meal service in which food is plated in the kitchen and served to diners. It generally needs less elaborate tableside equipment than service performed at the table.
Dinnerware: Plates, bowls, and related dishes used for serving and eating food. Dinnerware establishes the dishes and serving pieces in the arrangement.
Casual dining: An informal style of eating with relaxed service and fewer prescribed conventions. Casual dining often simplifies the setting and relaxes placement rules.
Dining etiquette: Rules and customs for polite conduct during meals. Etiquette explains why certain utensils and glasses occupy particular positions.
French service: A style of dining service in which food is presented or finished at the table by attendants. Its tableside preparation can require serving equipment absent from simpler settings.
Cutlery: Knives, forks, and spoons used for preparing, serving, or eating food. Cutlery placement follows conventions tied to handedness and course order.
Buffet: A meal in which diners select food from dishes arranged on a shared serving table. Buffet service shifts some dishes and utensils from individual settings to a serving area.

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