1. After eating, do not put your unused cutlery on the plate or tray, you should leave it where it is.
2. When you order, ask or say "thank you" to a waiter, keep your eyes on the other person.
3. When the waiter introduces himself to you, try to remember his name. When you need to communicate with him throughout the meal, address him by name whenever possible.
4. If you have to go to the restroom, you should say "excuse me" as you stand up and leave your seat.
5. When the waiter serves you dessert or asks you something like, "What kind of dressing do you use on your salad?" When the waiter serves you dessert or asks you something like, "What kind of dressing do you use on your salad?", it's a good idea to ask back, "What are the choices?" That way, you can avoid the embarrassment of ordering something the restaurant doesn't have.
6. Don't barf and don't make a sound when you chew.
7. Don't chew with your mouth open.
8. Don't talk when your mouth is full of food. Sometimes people talk with their hands over their mouths. Don't do that, you have to swallow everything in your mouth before you talk.
9. If you get something in your teeth, don't get it right away, wait until you get to the bathroom and pick it out.
10. Don't make a sound when you eat or drink.
11. Don't play with food in your hands.
12. If you drop your fork, napkin or any other utensil on the floor, you don't have to pick it up. It is vulgar and unsanitary to put things back on the table that have fallen on the floor. If you do pick up something that has fallen on the floor, hand it directly to the waiter, say "I'm sorry," get up, wash your hands, and come back to the table. In this case, the best thing to do is to ask the waiter to help you change the cutlery, and leave the cutlery on the floor, don't worry about it.
13. Eat with utensils, but the following kinds of food can be eaten with your hands:
a. pizza; b. savory meats; c. cookies; d. bread usually has to be torn into bite-sized chunks to be eaten, and if you want to butter it, don't smear the whole slice of bread with it, but finish a bite and smear it again; e. corn with the cob should be eaten horizontally, not nibbled around in a circle; f. hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches including hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches should be eaten horizontally, not nibbled in circles; h. hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches including hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches should be eaten in a horizontal position, not in a circle. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches including breakfast snacks; g. French fries, chips; h. Fried chicken; i. Asparagus; j. Small fruits like grapes with stems, apples, oranges, and carrots.
14. Don't cross someone's plate to get something. You should say, "Could you pass me the salt, please?"
15. don't eat what's on your plate until you sit down.
16. When you eat in a restaurant and your food is served, don't start eating right away, wait until everyone's food is served.
17. You should never complain if there is a long line, the food is not good, or you have to wait. You don't want to be the one to ruin the fun, do you?
18. If you're not sure which cutlery you should use, the easy way is to start with the fork, knife or spoon furthest from your plate. On your left side, the fork for salad should be on the outside and the fork for the main meal on the inside; on your right side, the furthest away from you is the soup ladle, then the coffee spoon or teaspoon, then the salad knife, and closest is the main meal knife. The cutlery placed above your plate is used for dessert.
19. When you're done eating, don't push your plate away from you; leave it where it is. If you want to show that you're done eating, you should put your knife and fork side by side on your plate. Place the fork with the tines pointing down and the blade side facing you, where the fork is closer to you.
20. Don't put your used cutlery back on the table, put it on a plate or tray.
21. When you sit down to eat, you should immediately spread your napkin over your large front. If the napkin is wrapped around the cutlery, you should open it and lay it on your lap as soon as you sit down.
22. When you finish eating, you should place your napkin loosely on the left side of your plate, not crumpled, because that makes it look messy. Don't fold it too neatly either, or you'll look as if you think someone else in the restaurant is going to use it again. Don't leave the napkin on the chair; doing so actually implies that it is too dirty to be put on the table. In some countries it is customary to leave your napkin on the chair as a sign that you never want to come back to the restaurant.
23. Never put your elbows on the table.
24. Eat with one hand, unless you're chopping something or putting butter on your food or something. And never hold a fork in one hand and a glass in the other.
25. Don't lick your fingers. The purpose of a napkin is for you to wipe your fingers, not to lick them to clean yourself.
26. Speak to the waiter, not like a servant, but with respect and kindness. Remember, they are the ones who keep an eye on the preparation of the food for you and bring it to you. You don't want to get on their bad side.
Lastly, it's also important to remember that whether you're eating at a fast food restaurant or anywhere else, you're responsible for your trash after the meal. When we're done eating, it's up to us to clean up what we're supposed to clean up, including wiping down the tables, checking the floor of the dining area for any missing trash, and so on. Very important: make sure you don't throw trash wherever you are.
It's important to note that certain details of etiquette will vary slightly when eating Western food in different countries, such as the United States, France, or Italy, Russia, etc., but most of the points in this article apply to most countries where Western food is eaten.