Knife and fork handed back for next course; customary in France?
Recently, whilst dining in France I have noticed a custom that seems strange to me.
Typically in the UK I will expect a clean knife and fork for my main course after finishing my starter. However, on multiple occasions in French restaurants I have been handed back my knife and fork after having my starter dishes removed.
If this is indeed customary, is there a rationale for it? I can't imagine that it's done to reduce the amount of washing up to be done.
Best Answer
You could just as well turn the question around: What's the rationale for bothering with several sets of knifes and forks? Minutes traces of food surely aren't a big problem and it does involve quite a lot of work, not only for cleaning but also for the service staff. One way or the other, such things are necessarily customary and this only strikes you as peculiar because you are used to something else.
That said, most restaurants in France will in fact provide a clean knife and fork and fancy restaurants will have several sets of utensils and a plate already on the table when you arrive. You start with the outermost set and then move on to the next one. The cutlery for the main dish are “stand-ins”, the staff will replace them with the correct ones depending on what you ordered shortly before bringing the food. Similarly the plate will be removed and replaced by the actual plate containing the food.
Simpler restaurants will have no plate and a single set of knife/fork and only bring special utensils like a meat knife as needed (possibly even putting it on the plate itself, e.g. with the blade under a steak to hold it in place). I have seen that in cheap café-restaurants, possibly some brasseries or chain restaurants. It does not bother me but I would not say it's common in France.
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How do French people hold their knife and fork?
The fork will be placed to the left of the plate, and the knife on the right. The knife with the sharp edge towards the plate. Not that your knife should be used with your right hand, even if you are left handed\u2026 It may not be practical, but that's what good French table manners dictate!What is typically served during each course in France?
A typical French lunch will consist of: a starter (une entr\xe9e), such as a mixed salad, soup, some terrine or pat\xe9. A main course, (le plat principal), typically a choice of meat or fish, with potatoes, rice, pasta and/or vegetables; a cheese course (often a selection of local cheeses) and/or a dessert.What is the etiquette for eating with fork and knife?
To cut the items in your plate, hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left hand, the tines facing down. Bend your wrists so that your index fingers are pointing down towards your plate. Then, hold the food down with the fork by applying pressure through the index finger.Where do you put your knife and fork when finished?
Where do you put your cutlery when you've finished eating? The knife and fork go either straight up and down in the centre of the plate with the handles resting on the rim, or pointing between 10 and 4 o'clock. In each case the tines of the fork should be facing up, and the knife edge pointing in.The Right Way to Use Your Fork and Knife
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Answer 2
This is common practice in Spanish restaurants. The more upmarket types will replace your cutlery after each course, but most mid-priced to lower-cost eateries will expect you to use the same knife and fork for your first (paella!!) course and the fish and chips or whatever you have for the second course. I initially found this curious after moving to Spain, but soon got used to it.
Answer 3
NEVER. Unless you are trying to be be a (very) casual restaurant. If you have taken the cutlery up (either on the plate or it was handed to you), you always replace the cutlery with a clean set, appropriate for the next course. However, if it is not a formal restaurant and the client/ guest wants to use the same for the next course, no problem.
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