Fine Dining Tips and Tricks to Elevate Your Next Event

Whether you make a living hosting dining events or you just do it for fun from time to time, it is nice to have a few tricks up your sleeve to step things up a notch if needed. There are plenty of awesome products out there that make fine dining simple, but let’s combine those products with a few best practices.

Location, Location, Location

Restaurants do their best to set their dining rooms up so that everyone is seated to look at something interesting. If you are at home and you are hosting a small group, don’t be shy in re-arranging the future and popping a table up in a room that is not the kitchen or dining room. Build a table setting in front of the fireplace or find a flat spot in the yard on a nice day. This can be even easier when you use place settings made for elegant convenience.

Ambiance

Even if you did build a table in an unusual spot, we still want to set the table and the mood the best we can for the occasion. Simple decorative items on the table can make a world of difference when guests arrive and find their seats. This can be as simple as a champagne flute with a flower or two (like pictured) or some candle light.

But looks are not everything you know. It is well-known that the surrounding sounds has a great influence as to how the meal is enjoyed. Playing classical and jazz music softly is a proven way to grow the sophistication of your gathering. If you are outside, evaluate if some light music would be best or if nature is providing its own pleasant sound track.

Timing

For whatever meal you are hosting, it is important that you are prepared and have the meal timed properly. Things can get sticky and drawn out if you are not prepared to keep things moving. One great trick we can steal from fine restaurants is the service table. Most of us have some sort of small end table or tray we can set up on the outskirts of the dining area. This table is the perfect place to keep condiments, water, extra napkins and utensils handy; this service table is key to saving time and table space.

Another way to make sure we’re not wasting our guests’ time and providing them with a nice experience is to clean as we go. As you are preparing to host you should be cleaning dishes as you prepare. Make sure you take the trash out just before hosting. An empty receptacle is vital to clearing plates and getting rid of garbage during your event. Hosting more guests than usual? Use disposable utensils and place settings so you can get rid of the filth as you go.

While these are just a few ideas, I encourage anyone (business or individual) to take a minute or two well before each event to evaluate their preparation. In many cases we can discover changes or opportunities that will not only improve our guests’ experience but will keep hosting nice and simple as well.