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Flat ware:
- Dinner plate: This is the ‘hub of the wheel’ and is usually the first thing to be set on the table. The dinner plate would be placed, with the napkin on top of the plate. (see illusration)
- Napkin: The napkin is folded or put in a napkin ring and placed either to the left of the forks or on the center of the dinner plate. Sometimes, a folded napkin is placed under the forks.
- Salad plate: This is placed to the left of the forks. If salad is to be eaten with the meal, you can forgo the salad plate and serve it directly on the dinner plate. However, if the entrée contains gravy or anything runny, it is better to serve the salad on a separate plate to keep things neater.
- Bread plate with butter knife: If used, the bread plate goes above the forks, with the butter knife placed diagonally across the edge of plate, handle on the right side and blade facing down.
Silverware
Silverware is typically sold in service sets of 5 pieces each. A service set includes a knife, two forks (salad and dinner), a soup spoon and a teaspoon. Flatware sets that are not sold in multiples of ‘5’ generally come in one of two variations, with serving pieces or extra teaspoons or salad/dessert forks. A quality service for 8 - 12 should be fine, with a similarly styled, less expensive set for younger adults and children.
Most (if not all) manufacturers sell service sets which typically include a serving spoon, slotteed spoon, serving fork, butter knife, and sugar spoon. It will be a good idea to get the additional service set even if a few are included with your basic set, because it is almost always that we have more side dishes than serving utensils. Since everyone tends to like different things, and we try to have something for everyone, we almost always have as many side dishes as we do serving utensils.
- Two Forks: The forks are placed to the left of the plate. The dinner fork, the larger of the two forks, is used for the main course; the smaller fork is used for a salad or appetizer. The forks are arranged according to when you need to use them, following an ‘outside-in’ order. If the small fork is needed for an appetizer or a salad served before the main course, then it is placed on the left (outside) of the dinner fork; if the salad is served after the main course, then the small fork is placed to the right (inside) of the dinner fork, next to the plate.
- Dinner knife: The dinner knife is set immediately to the right of the plate, cutting edge facing inward. (If the main course is meat, a steak knife can take the place of the dinner knife.) At an informal meal, the dinner knife may be used for all courses, but a dirty knife should never be placed on the table, placemat or tablecloth.
- Spoons:Spoons go to the right of the knife. Soup is being served first, so the soupspoon goes to the far (outside) right of the dinner knife; the teaspoon or dessert spoon, which will be used last, goes to the left (inside) of the soupspoon, next to the dinner knife.
- Dessert spoon and fork: These can be placed either horizontally above the dinner plate (the spoon on top with its handle facing to the right; the fork below with its handle facing left); or beside the plate. If placed beside the plate, the fork goes on the left side, closest to the plate (because it will be the last fork used) and the spoon goes on the right side of the plate, to the right of the dinner knife and to the left of the soupspoon.
- Coffee cup and saucer: The coffee cup and saucer are placed above and to the right of the knife and spoons. At home, most people serve coffee after the meal. In that case the cups and saucers are brought to the table and placed above and to the right of the knife and spoons.
Glassware: 
The formality or informality of the dining area should have some influence on the types of glasses selected for table use. Tall, long stemmed water goblets are lovely in a full sized dining room where there is plenty of space at the table. However, they may be a real problem on a small table in a tiny dining area. A short-stemmed glass or some type that is not so likely to tip over would be much more practical.
Glasses:Drinking glasses of any kind-water, wine, juice, ice tea-are placed at the top right of the dinner plate, above the knives and spoons. Other dishes and utensils are optional, depending on what is being served. Like most things, there is no simple answer. The amount and type of silverware (flatware) you will require are completely dependent upon the formality of the occasion.
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