A TOAST, a clink of champagne glasses, and a "bon appetit" at a high-end restaurant – nothing could be classier, right?
Actually, wrong. Etiquette coach Myka Meier reveals to The Sun that there are common mistakes you might be making at restaurants that could make you look unsophisticated – but luckily, they're easy to fix.
CLINKING GLASSES
What's a "cheers!" without the glass clink?
Classier, it turns out, if you're at a fine dining establishment.
"Avoid the embarrassing mistake of clinking fine glassware or crystal champagne flutes provided at a high-end restaurant, where an overzealous cheer may easily chip the glass," says Meier, who trained under a former member of the Queen's royal household.
"Instead, simply raise a glass to your dining companions, make eye contact, and then drink."
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SAYING "BON APPETIT"
Another faux pas? Saying "bon appetit" before digging into your dish.
"While this age-old restaurant signal for one to tell their guests to begin the meal may seem commonplace, it’s actually incorrect in French to say this before eating," Meier explains.
"It actually implies for one to have good digestion," she says.
"Instead, simply saying 'please enjoy' to your guests if you are the host at a restaurant is suggested."
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DIGGING IN TOO FAST
When you're ready to eat, make sure you're not taking your first bite before everyone at the table has been served.
"Always make sure everyone at a restaurant table of 10 or less has their food before you begin eating," says Meier.
On the flip-side, though, if you're the only one waiting for your meal, it's nice to give everyone else the go-ahead to start.
"If your food is still not out, it’s important to tell the rest of the table. 'Please, everyone begin while the food is still warm,' and the guests should begin.
ASKING FOR MORE SEASONING
"At a formal restaurant or whenever a chef is within eyesight of your table (think sushi chefs who sit near guests), avoid asking for sauces, seasoning, or condiments that were not offered to you," says Meier.
"For example, at a fine dining steak restaurant, asking for BBQ or steak sauce that is not offered implies it’s not cooked or seasoned well enough and you need additional flavoring, easily offending the chef."
WRISTS ON THE TABLE… MAYBE
Some rules, like where hands should rest, are different depending on the country.
"In America and Great Britain, hands go below the restaurant table until you are using them to cut and food or reach for your glass," says Meier.
"In many other western countries, however – including most European countries such as France and Germany – wrists should rest above the table, and it’s considered very rude at a restaurant to put your hands under the table."
THE WRONG PASTA TECHNIQUE
Your mom may have thought you that the well-mannered way to twirl your spaghetti is into a spoon.
She's wrong – but maybe don't tell her that.
"Don't ask a server for a spoon to twirl your spaghetti in, and instead only use the fork provided for you in your dominant hand to twirl," says Meier.
FINISHING FIRST
It can be tempting to wolf down good food at a record pace, but best to keep that urge in check.
"If you’re always the first one done, you probably are eating too fast," says Meier.
"Eating fast can look sloppy and unappetizing to the other guests at the table."
While the "golden rule" is that the most VIP person at the table should finish first – and everyone should finish shortly after – it's probably best, in general, to try to match your pace to your dining companions.
"It can be awkward to have someone watch you eat," says Meier.
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"CHECK!"
Most of us know – hopefully – that it's rude to snap at a waiter to ask for the check.
But frantic waving, making a checkmark signal, or creating a fake signature in the air can also come off as condescending to waitstaff.
"Instead, put two fingers (your middle in index) together slightly above your shoulder and make eye contact to ask for the bill," advises the pro.
Meier certainly knows what flies in upscale circles, having co-founded the Plaza Hotel's Finishing Program and authored several books – but she insists good etiquette is for everyone.
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