The French Table Dining Etiquette
During the reign of Louis XIV (the Sun King) and his opulent court at Versailles, French rules of etiquette became increasingly rigid.
The courtly realm adhered to strict guidelines for polite dining, conversation, dress, and other aspects of royal conduct1.
Ordinary people outside the court would not likely have learned much about these elaborate rules.
Drawing Room Etiquette: After dinner, the ladies of a dinner party would withdraw to the drawing room, leaving the gentlemen at the table. The tablecloth was removed, and the gentlemen engaged in conversation, often accompanied by brandy, port, and sometimes cigars. Eventually, they rejoined the ladies in the drawing room.
did you know that in French dining etiquette forks and spoons are placed in a closed position with the tines always facing down this curious tradition has its roots in the time of Louis the 14th the Sun King as he was known was famously paranoid about potential violence at the dinner table leading him to insist on this particular utensil Arrangement the long hanging sleeves of the period’s costumes also made this orientation more practical moving forward to the 17th century the etiquette of French dining evolved the aristocracy began to place glasses on the right side of the plate a tradition that continues to this day by the 19th century the most formal of occasions often involved guests retiring to a drawing room for coffee and Liquors after the meal how does one know when a French dinner party is coming to an end the answer lies in the coffee the act of pouring coffee signals the conclusion of the event it’s a subtle elegant way of indicating that the evening is winding down without resorting to blunt announcements