Tatiana Polyakova is an expert and she has been reviewing etiquette for more than 20 years.

She tells how to behave exactly at a table, what things you should discuss with people you don’t know, and what topics are strictly prohibited to talk about. And even though Tatiana herself is a true expert in this subject, she thinks that some rules can be broken. It’s just a matter of knowing which rules are okay to break and which ones are set in stone.

We share Tatiana Polyakova’s most useful pieces of advice.

How to behave at a table in a restaurant

point 32 |

• Don’t put your mobile phone or your laptop on the table.point 190 |
• Sit on 3/4 of the chair and keep your knees together as if they were buttoned up.point 255 |

• A lady’s bag should be on the chair next to her or behind her back.point 55 | Never leave the bag on the floor.point 82 | First, because it’s not safe for your valuables, and second, a server may trip over it.point 156 |
• Phrases like, “I’m trying to lose weight,” or “Is this gluten-free bread?” are prohibited.point 243 |

  Subjects such as health (along with politics and religion) should never be discussed.point 73 | People don’t need to know the details of your digestion.point 122 |

• During lunchtime, napkins should be opened only halfway on your lap and at more important events, the knees should be covered completely.point 238 |

point 0 |

• During a business lunch, you may start talking about a business only once the order is made.point 186 |
• If you see a bug or a worm on your plate, don’t scream or call for help.point 244 |

  Just quietly tell the server about the issue.point 38 | This is a delicate matter, so there’s no need to make it public.point 92 |

• If you need to leave for a moment, don’t say you’re going to the restroom to check your hair or to make a call.point 184 | Simply say, “Excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back.point 234 |

  ” This is your way of telling everyone that you are not leaving for good.point 61 | You can also use napkins to specify this: a napkin hanging on the back of the chair means you’ll be back, and if the napkin is on the seat — you’re leaving.point 192 |

• Many attractive women say they don’t have to leave tips.point 241 |

  However, tips are necessary no matter what.point 37 | Just consider tips to be something that must be paid.point 81 |

How to serve the tablepoint 99 | 1

point 99 |

• Restaurants should have the silverware from the same set but if you’re making dinner at home, different sets will do.point 309 |

• It’s also good manners to serve a plate with bread and a special separate knife for butter.point 77 |
• When serving a table at home, try to make sure that the middle of the plate is in line with the middle of the fork or knife.point 175 | This way, everything will look even neater.point 212 |

• According to serving rules, the place settings should be at a 2-finger distance from the edge of the table.point 89 |

How to eatpoint 97 | 1

• When we take a fork or a knife from the table, it should never return to the table.point 163 | Forks, spoons, and knives should stay on the plate.point 206 |

• Don’t act like a monkey and bite off pieces of bread.point 45 | Break off a small piece of bread you can eat and put butter on.point 95 |
• Cream soups should be placed in the mouth with the edge of the spoon and soups with pieces of food in it should go straight into the mouth.point 207 |

  Also, remember not to put the soup onto the spoon “rowing” it toward yourself.point 69 | You should move the spoon away from your face.point 107 |

point 107 |

How to drink alcoholpoint 234 | 1

• Remember that people often forget your name but they remember the drink you chose.point 69 |
• Think through the alcohol menu in advance: consider the drinks and foods that can be mixed and the ones that can’t (for example, wine with wine is okay).point 197 |
• Try different drinks to make your opinion and understand what you like and what you don’t.point 274 |

  In different restaurants and different cities, the same drink can be made differently and give you completely different feelings.point 111 |

• If you invite a lot of people to dinner, there’s a huge chance you won’t surprise them with your cooking.point 201 |

  Because of this, offer your guests drinks that they don’t regularly taste.point 65 |

• Knowing wines and the names of the different types of glasses is important.point 128 | This is a way to present yourself.point 156 | Your clothes and your shoes don’t present any interest to others when there’s something more interesting to talk about.point 261 |

point 0 |

• Hold a glass of champagne by its stem, pressing the little finger against the bottom of the glass.point 191 |
• A woman can open a bottle of champagne on her own if she is the host of the house.point 255 |

  She should be able to do it.point 22 |

• Always leave about 10% of a drink at the bottom of the glass.point 71 | This is how you will show everyone that you don’t have an addiction and you were just enjoying the taste of the drink.point 169 |
• When drinking, look into other people’s eyes.point 210 |

  This is good manners.point 18 |

• Drinking before the actual dinner is a sign of attention.point 66 | So you can’t say something like, “I don’t drink,” or “I’m driving”.point 136 |
• The quality of a restaurant can be determined by its wine menu.point 188 | A restaurant owner that truly values their chef won’t choose a bottle of wine you can buy at any supermarket.point 280 |

  Such owners create a good compilation of wines to highlight the taste of the food.point 68 |

Conversation rules for people that don’t know each other wellpoint 122 | 1

point 122 |

• “My husband is a famous lawyer” is a phrase that doesn’t make any sense because if a person is famous, people already know that or will know during the conversation.point 374 |

• “Our child is a champion,” is a personal statement.point 47 | You never know what people around you are going through — there could be a couple that recently lost a child and a statement like this would be painful for them to hear.point 186 |
• If someone gives you compliments on the way you look, don’t rush to explain yourself by saying something like, “Oh, I got this on sale,” or “This is an old jacket!” Just thank the person.point 349 |

There you have it! Hope it helps you in the future!point 41 | 1