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Etiquette Tips for Visiting a Fine Dining Restaurant in Bangkok

While restaurant etiquette standards have relaxed in recent decades, formal dining conduct is still the expected behaviour at many high-end establishments around the world, including a fine dining restaurant in Bangkok.

If you’ve ever been nervous about where to put your napkin, which fork to use and how to summon the waiter, these tips are for you. They might just help you put on the social occasion of the season in your own home too!

And remember, these rules have not been put in place to scare you off or make you feel uncomfortable; they are for the dining pleasure of all restaurant patrons. After all, there is a good reason we choose to dine out and not cook for ourselves. It’s the pageantry of the affair that draws us in, including everything from the impeccable service and ubiquitous utensils and meticulous décor and mood lighting. 

And so, without further ado, let’s let at the top ‘rules’ when it comes to fine dining: 

  • Food is served from the left and cleared from the right.
  • Handle wine glasses by their stems and silverware by the handles.
  • Once you sip from a glass, you must sip from the same place the rest of the meal. 
  • Don’t clink wine glasses, not even for the perfect Instagram post because it could very easily crack the fine glassware.
  • Never ask for an oyster fork. The lack of one present means that the oyster is already loosened enough to eat.
  • Keep the rim of your plates as clean as possible. This is out of respect for the service staff who has to clear the plates away by grabbing the edge.
  • Place ‘discards’, for example, a lemon rind or fishbone, on the upper left part of your plate. The bottom right is for butter and sauces.
  • Never say you are going to the restroom. If you have to leave to use the bathroom, excuse yourself and go, but do not say why.
  • Fold your napkin with the crease toward you before putting it in your lap.
  • Always leave one bite of food on your plate. This shows that you enjoyed the meal, but you weren’t so hungry that you cleaned the lot (which could indicate that the portion supplied wasn’t sufficient).

We hope you’ve enjoyed these tips and that your next experience at a fine dining restaurant in Bangkok is a great success!