Dessert and Coffee

Dessert cutlery is often placed horizontally above your plate, though some restaurants bring it with the dessert. To use it, bring the fork down to the left and the spoon to the right. A fork alone for cake or a spoon alone for ice cream is fine, but for a plate like warm cake with ice cream, steady it with the fork and eat with the spoon.

Stir coffee or tea quietly, without clinking the spoon against the cup. Add sugar cubes with the sugar tongs provided. Once you’ve stirred, don’t leave the spoon in the cup — rest it on the saucer, behind the cup. Hold the cup by its handle; there’s no need to lift the saucer. At a low table, such as a sofa seat, you may lift the saucer to chest height along with the cup.

If you need to leave the table during or after the meal, wait for a natural pause in whatever story is being told and say a quiet “Excuse me.” There’s no need to say where you’re going. Leave your napkin loosely folded on your chair seat to show you’ll be back. If a call you’ve been expecting comes in, don’t answer at the table — step away first and keep it brief.