This good manners expert warns about this clumsy gesture that we almost systematically make in restaurants. We’re pretty sure you didn’t know that.
This evening, you are invited to a gourmet restaurant. The atmosphere is chic and cozy: the lights are dim and you almost believe that people are talking in whispers. In this kind Of place, you’re always afraid of making a wrong move. For the moment, you are focused on choosing the order of cutlery: should you use the ones located towards the inside or the outside first? While waiting to decide on this dilemma, you consider the card… “At least with the menu, I don’t risk making any mistakes.“, you sigh discreetly. Oops, you spoke a little quickly! In fact, it is precisely when analyzing the menu that the most common blunder is committed. Etiquette expert Myka Meier returns to the importance of the way you hold your menu: for impeccable dress in the restaurant, this rude gesture should be avoided!
If Myka Meier is nicknamed “the queen of etiquette” by the Daily Mail, it’s not for nothing. The founder of Beaumont Etiquette, a consultancy firm dedicated to this subject, was also a consultant for the production of the hit series Downton Abbey. It features British aristocrats at the beginning of the 20th century whose conduct is more than ever dictated by etiquette. Today, the expert returns to a much more current habit, which dies hard in restaurants: maintaining the menu. When you go to a chic or gourmet restaurant, you quickly fall into the same trap. Indeed, as mentioned above, the atmosphere is intended to be soft and cozy in this type of establishment. And very often, this goes hand in hand with candle lighting or subdued lighting. So, to read your menu more easily, you have the (bad) reflex of lifting it to bring it closer to your face. Driving error: “In formal meals, the menu should always touch the table at one point“, explains the expert to Food & Wine magazine. Of course, you have the right to tilt the menu towards you, but make sure that the bottom of it is always in contact with the table. Even if the The idea of hiding behind your menu is tempting in this type of place, this gesture could be misinterpreted Yes, being good at a restaurant also means knowing how to hold your menu correctly!
So, the next time you find yourself in the privacy of a chic restaurant, you can remember this little anecdote. By mastering this aspect of etiquette, you’ll add an extra touch of sophistication to your dining experience…if you want.
