An attractive table is a sign of welcome to guests but also a very important element for a successful meal. First cover the table with a silence cloth or a quilted pad to protect it from stains and wrecks. Afterwards place a perfectly laundered cloth that hangs 30 cm down the sides of the table. If your tablecloth is not very long you can try this romantic arrangement: with a nice satin or taffeta cloth dress the table to the floor and use your tablecloth on top. Naturally, the color of the cloth is very important thus it has to blend in with the plates , cutlery and centrepiece. You can lay the table in another way, called “all’Americana”, using individual place mats in straw, linen, cotton, with fine embroidery, etc. If the serving table is not uniform or in perfect shape, it is better to use a table cloth. A glass table can be also used.
Have the tablecloth and napkins spotless, and perfectly pressed. If it’s been a long time since their last use it’s better to control them in advance and iron them properly. There is always a dinner set for everyday use and another for 'special occasions' therefore the last one should be properly washed and cleaned in order to be used.
At formal dinners a handsome plate known as the service plate is placed for each guest. In this style of service the place before the guest is always occupied by a plate on which the other plates are positioned. These plates can be of various types, precious silver, colourful ceramic, varnished metal, crystal or simple glass, wood or wicker for a more rustic style table. Whatever kind of service plate is used, it is important that it matches the tablecloth and the other plates.
If a service plate is used place the flat plate over it, otherwise, if you prefer the classic way of laying the table, place it directly over the table cloth. When soup forms the first course, soup plates are placed directly over the flat plates. Soup can be either served from a soup tureen from the table or presented already in the plate.
At formal dinners, soup should be presented already on the table. This should be done just before sitting at the table, thus the guest should find the soup plate half full as he or she takes his o her seat. At informal dinners soup can be served directly at the table. Place the soup tureen on a tray and make the portions, then pass them to every guest. If you wish to serve the consommé you should use the proper cup and saucer. If served as a complement to starters, cup and saucer should be placed to the right hand side of the guest. Otherwise, if served as a first course, cup and saucer should be set on top of the flat plate located in front of the guest.
Bread and breadsticks (grissini) are set on the individual bread plates placed to the left hand side of the main plate. The most refined table should have bread plates in silver, specially if silver cutlery is used; but bread plates in fine china, crystal or glass, are also elegant since they complement almost every kind of dinner set.
Another important plate is the salad plate. It can be normal or half moon shaped and should be positioned in front of the main dish slightly to the left side. This plate should be presented just before serving the salad and as a good rule should be taken away before the next course.
Now that the plates have been taking care of, we should choose the cutlery.
The most noble material used for cutlery and that which should always figure on a refined and elegant table is silver. On the other hand, simple cutlery that harmonize with the plates is always elegant. We all know that cutlery should be placed on the sides of the dish according to the order they are used in, in fact the ones which are further from the dish are those which are used first.
Forks are placed at the left hand side of the dish with their tines up; two large forks (main course forks) if the first course consists of pasta or risotto, one fish fork and one large fork if the main course is fish. At the right hand side of the dish the knives are placed with their blade towards the dish. First comes the large knife (main course knife) followed by a fish knife if fish is served. If fish is not on the menu, no other knifes should be placed, eventually they should be brought in with the other plates.
If soup is served as a first course, a soup spoon must be placed next to the knife; or a smaller spoon if consommé is served instead. Many people place medium size forks on the right side of the dish for dry first courses. Dessert spoons and forks are placed horizontally in front of the each dish and if necessary a dessert knife with the blade facing the dish can be inserted in between. Both dessert spoon and dessert knife should have their handle towards right, while the dessert fork’s handle towards left. Fruit knife and fork must be placed on the fruit plate before it is served on the table. The same should be done when cheese is served; having in mind that is only served in the evening.
Glasses: for a complete set of table glasses, at least four different sizes are necessary for each table companion. They should be laid in front of the dish: the large glass for water is positioned in the center, at it’s right hand side a medium size glass for red wine and next to it a smaller glass for white wine (if served). Finally, if champagne is served one more glass (the flute glass) is usually placed behind the red wine glass, lightly shifted to the right.