Watch your table manners!

Italy: No spoons please

How to eat spaghetti—with or without a spoon? There is only one correct way. “Adults, at least,
should use only a fork. You neatly wind the spaghetti around it on the side of your plate,” says an
Italian translator Mario Giacchetta. “It does take a little practice, but you soon get the hang of it.”
The one thing that is worse than using a spoon is using a knife. “Cutting up your spaghetti is an
absolute no-no,” says Mario.

France: As madam pleases

In the land of Michelin and Gault & Millau, people don’t only insist on outstanding food and fine
wines—they also set great store by impeccable table manners, at least in up-market restaurants.
“Never put your elbows on the table—and it is the fork that goes to the mouth, not the mouth to
the fork,” says Stéphane Calmeyn.
The French are old-fashioned about paying the bill, too. “It’s usually the man who pays,” says
Calmeyn. “In expensive restaurants, women are often given a menu with no prices. The men pay.
If she wants an aperitif or a starter, then he will order one, too.”

Portugal: Never pick your teeth at the table

The Portuguese are easygoing people who are very tolerant of foreign visitors’ ways. But this
tolerance suddenly evaporates if you start picking your teeth at the table. Hanna Immonen
remembers the time she asked the waiter for a toothpick in a Lisbon restaurant: “Our Portuguese
friends were really shocked.”
Mário Costa has this advice: “Never use a toothpick at the table in Portugal, not even if you hide
it behind your hand.”

Thailand: Show your appreciation

It’s always a nice gesture to know some words and phrases in the local language. In Thailand, the
words you need to know are “Mai pet kah” for the ladies and “Mai pet krap” for the gentlemen.
They mean “Not hot, please.” If you like to breathe a bit of fire after eating, give “Ped nid noi
kah/krap” a try. “Show that you appreciate the fine food you’ve been served,” says Ingo Fast who
lives in Thailand. “Make a bit of noise munching and smacking your lips.”
Too shy to do that? Well then, there is another phrase you should know: “Aroi mak mak—really
delicious!”

India: Careful with that bowl

At the end of a meal in a restaurant that serves traditional Indian food, the waiter might place bowls
containing warm water and a lemon slice next to each diner. These are not some sort of Ayurvedic
after-dinner drinks! “They are finger bowls, as many local patrons prefer to use their hands to eat
Indian food,” explains Gagan Dhillon. “When it comes to paying, get ready for a battle of ‘who’ll
pay the bill’, especially if you have been invited for a meal,” says Chitra Subramanyam. “If your
host insists on paying—which he or she will—it is best to graciously thank them. If you would
like to split the bill, settle that question beforehand.”