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Formal, Relaxed, Basic: 3 Ways to Set the Dining Table

Whether formal or relaxed, discover the different ways to set the dining table and glam up your food presentation

Rashmi Haralalka 20 February 2019

Houzz India Contributor. I am a blogger who's passionate about not just home decor but little things around that to the aesthetic appeal. It could be your own kitchen garden or even just sprucing up the lights in the doorway. And it's amazing how these minuscule items add up to the bigger picture. Writing and sharing these is my idea of rejuvenation therapy!

Houzz India Contributor. I am a blogger who's passionate about not just home decor... More

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In this age of TV dinners, the concept of sharing a meal together on the dining table is an enticing idea. An attractively set table is not only visually appealing, it enhances the culinary experience for the diner and shows that you care. What I am sharing with you are not rigid rules; rather, they are helpful guidelines that you can make your own to serve your cherished recipes with a touch of class.

Robert Kaner Interior Design

A dining table setting can fall under one of three broad categories – formal, relaxed or informal, and basic. The basic table setting is essentially a simplified version of the relaxed or informal layout and requires limited dinnerware, cutlery, and so on. The formal table setting is a more elaborate affair, but with these tricks up your sleeve, you can ace the set-ups in no time.

American Traditional Dining Room Traditional Dining Room

1. Formal dining table setting
The formal table setting is meant for sit-down dinners, with a place setting for every diner. The service or main plate goes at the bottom, the salad plate in the middle and soup plate right on top (arranged in the order the courses are served). In this picture, a charger or service plate is at the bottom, which serves as un underplate for the courses preceding the main course, at which point it is removed and replaced with the main plate. If using a tablecloth, make sure it hangs down evenly from the table edges, or opt for fancy mats.

Jours & Nuits

Knives and forks

The cutlery should be arranged in the order of use, from the outside in. On the left side of the plate, the salad fork comes first, followed by the main dinner fork.

Follow these eight steps to a perfectly set dining table

Jours & Nuits

Similarly, on the right side of the plate, the soup spoon is placed first, followed by the dinner knife (preceded by the salad or fish knife, depending on the courses). Here, a steak knife is at left of the salad knife. The butter knife and dessert spoon are arranged above the plate.

Tip: The edge of the blade of the knife always faces the dinner plate.

Schranghamer Design Group, LLC

Glasses

Usually two glasses per diner suffice for the formal layout – one for water and the other for wine. If you are serving both red and white wine, then three glasses are used. The water glass is placed just above the knife with the wine glasses on its right.

Jours & Nuits

Napkins and serviettes

The napkin or serviette can be folded and arranged decoratively like a swan or a crown for a graceful finish.

Vision Interiors

Alternatively you can insert the serviette into a stylish napkin ring or fold it neatly and place it next to the plate, too.

Here are some spectacular dining table settings to bring in the festivities

Transitional Dining Room Sovereign Court

Centrepiece

The centrepiece is a decorative object that is the focal point of the table setting. In a formal dinner setting, the centrepiece is often elaborate – like beautiful flower or fruit arrangements, candles in decorative stands, and so on. However, it should not be too large, obstruct the view across the table, or be a hindrance when serving.

You can have more than one centrepiece too (like the two vases here) – as long as they are strategically spaced to complement the table setting.

Eclectic Dining Room Eclectic Dining Room

2. Relaxed dining table setting
As the name indicates, the relaxed, casual or informal table setting is just right to serve up oodles of style with your luncheons, family brunches and other such gatherings. In this setting, the soup bowl or salad plate is placed on top of the main plate with the napkin on the side.

Garden Studio

This layout eliminates extra cutlery and only the basic dinner fork, spoon and knife are used. You can have either one or two glasses – if serving both wine and water. Like the formal table setting, the glass is placed above the knife because it is convenient to reach.

Chango & Co.

Centrepiece

You can keep it simple, like these flowers in a vase, without any fancy arrangements.

Nandita Manwani

3. Basic dining table setting
The basic layout is all about keeping it elegant and clean-lined for everyday meals. So you can just put a spoon or fork and a main plate. The convenience of having flatware and serving bowls on the table is an added bonus.

Welcome Home Design Group

Introduce colourful plates, glasses and mats to add pizzazz to your everyday meals. Nothing fancy – just a simple arrangement served with lots of love and warm food.

Anette Sharvit Designs

Centrepiece

While you can do away with a centrepiece in this layout, a no-fuss one gives an added zing to the everyday setting. A decorative bowl or accessory, or an eclectic candle stand (as shown here), work well as they don’t require frequent changing.

Read more:
4 Ways to Set Up an Inviting, Festive Table
10 Best Dining Tables for Relaxed Get-Togethers

Tell us:
Which of these table settings have you tried at home?