How to Set a Table for Dinner: Everything You Need to Know

Whether you’re hosting a lavish dinner party or a casual get-together, knowing how to set a table for dinner will give your event a touch of class. Walking into a room where the table is fully set creates a great first impression. Once you know the basics, you’ll be able to add fun touches like centerpieces, cloth napkins, and festive napkin rings. 

While it may seem a bit overwhelming at first, setting a table doesn’t have to be complicated! These simple tips will help you get started. 

How to set a basic table setting

If you’re setting the table for a regular Tuesday dinner or Sunday brunch, you’ll need just a few basics. This includes:

• A placemat
• Cutlery (fork, knife, spoon)
• A water glass
• A napkin
• A dinner plate

To set your table, follow these simple steps:

1. Lay your placemats on the table, centered in front of each chair.
2. Place the dinner plate on top of the placemat, directly in the center.
3. Place your napkin on the left-hand side of each plate.
4. Next, place the fork on top of the napkin.
5. Place the knife next to the plate on the right-hand side with the blade pointing in towards the plate.
6. Place the spoon next to the knife.
7. Check to make sure the bottoms of the utensils are even with each other and with the bottom of the plate.
8. Place the water glass in the upper right area of the placemat.

That’s it! Now, your table is all set for everyone to take a seat and enjoy a delicious meal together. 

How to set a casual table

Planning a casual dinner party or an impromptu gathering? If so, knowing how to pull together a casual table setting is sure to come in handy. In addition to the items listed above, you may need some extra plates, glasses, and cutlery. Generally, you’ll only want to put out items you plan to use.

Supplies you will need

Depending on the menu, you may need:

• A salad plate
• A soup bowl
• A soup spoon
• White wine glasses
• Red wine glasses

To avoid over-cluttering, consider what you’ll be serving. For example, if there’s no soup, skip the soup bowl and spoon and if you’re only serving white wine, don’t bother putting out red wine glasses. 

Steps to set a casual dinner table

Once you’ve gathered up all the items you need, follow these steps:

1. Lay down your placemat on the table, centered in front of the chair.
2. Place the plate in the center of the placemat.
3. Place the salad plate on top of the dinner plate and the soup bowl on top of the salad plate.
4. Lay your napkin to the left of the dinner plate and place the dinner fork on top of it.
5. To the right of the plate, place the knife with the blade pointing inward and place the soup spoon next to it.
6. Place the water glass directly above the knife.
7. Place the wine glasses to the right of the water glass, slightly above it.

If you have individual salt and pepper shakers for each place setting, you’ll want to center them at the top of each placemat. Otherwise, if you have one set of shakers for the table, put them in the middle of the table. For larger groups, it’s great to have two or three sets, so you can place them in the middle of each section. 

How to set a formal dinner table

Planning to host a formal dinner party with a three-course meal? If so, you’ll want to know how to set an elegant, formal table. One of the primary differences between a casual and formal dining table is the use of decorative presentation plates, called chargers. Formal tables also usually forego placemats, although you can place a round, decorative placemat under your charger if you want to create an even more formal look. 

Supplies you will need

In addition to all the items listed above, for a formal dinner setting, you’ll also need:

• A tablecloth
• Chargers
• Bread plates
• Salad forks
• Butter knives
• Dessert spoons
• Cloth napkins

Steps to set a formal dinner table

If this seems like a lot, don’t panic! Once you understand how to set a casual dinner table, you’ll find that setting a formal dinner table isn’t that much different. To get started, follow these steps:

1. Place an ironed tablecloth over the dinner table.
2. Put a charger on the table in the center of each seat and place a soup bowl in the center of it.
3. Place a bread plate to the top left of the charger (between 10 pm and 11 pm if the charger were a clock face).
4. Place the butter knife horizontally on top of the bread plate, with the blade pointing down towards the seat and the handle pointing to the right.
5. Lay the napkin to the left of the charger, then place the dinner fork closest to the plate and the salad fork next to it towards the outside of the napkin.
6. Place the knife to the right of the plate, with the blade pointing inwards, then place the soup spoon to the right of the knife.
7. Check to make sure the bottoms of all the utensils line up with each other and with the bottom of the charger.
8. Center a dessert spoon directly above the charger, with the handle pointing to the right.
9. Place a water glass directly above the knife.
10. Next, place a white wine glass to the right of the water glass, just a bit less than an inch below the water glass.
11. Place your red wine glass to the right of the white wine glass, just a bit above it.

If you’re using place cards, place each one directly above the dessert spoon. Once your table is set, you may also want to add some candles and decorative centerpieces.

When serving a formal dinner, you’ll remove the soup bowl when that course is finished and replace it with a salad plate. Once the salad course is done, you can remove the salad plate and the charger, replacing them with the dinner plate, or put the dinner plate directly on top of the charger. 

Start planning your next dinner party today

Now that you know how to set a table for dinner, you might be excited to show off your new skills. The good news is, you can plan a jaw-dropping dinner party without ever going to the grocery store.

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