Place Settings

• In general, the place settings are arranged so that the utensils to be used first are on the outside. On the right-hand side of the plate, the knives and spoons are placed, while the left has the forks. For a five-course meal, a tiny cocktail fork on the right indicates a seafood cocktail for an appetizer. Use the fork to spear the shrimp. Two forks on the left mean a salad fork and a dinner fork. If there is a third fork, it likely indicates that there is a fish dish prior to the main entree. Sometimes the salad is served after the main entree instead of prior. This will be clear from the placement of the forks. The salad fork is shorter in length than the dinner fork. Dessert spoons and/or forks are placed just above the dinner plate. The napkin may be to the left of the plate, under the forks or beside, or it may be centered on the plate.