The Art of Dining

"The art of dining well is no slight art, the pleasure not a slight pleasure"

Michel de Montaigne

A huge white banquet damask tablecloth that falls to the floor. This is a throwback to the ancient past when the tablecloth was used as a napkin to clean one's fingers (as most of the time people did not use forks!!!). Some antique damask tablecloths are real works of art and priced accordingly.

One should always set a table with a minimum of two glasses, the water glass on the left and the wine glass on its right. When there is red and white wine the white wine glass should be positioned at the far right.


However it is altogether appropriate to have a formal service with an elegant but short tablecloth. And all the better for a woman to show off her legs.

Of course it's always possible to have the best of both worlds, a formal service with a tablecloth that reaches the floor and a shorter cloth placed on top to the best effect. This one for example has elaborate embroidery which is set off by the colored cloth underneath.

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