You’ve been using your restaurant napkin all wrong, but help is available from etiquette expert William Hanson.
Mr. Hanson has one TikTok video that has gone viral, with more than 670,000 views, in which he explains the do’s and don’ts of napkin wrangling.
In the video, also posted to Mr. Hanson’s Instagramthe Merlin of manners explains that when you leave the table and plan to return – for example to use the toilet – the napkin is placed on your chair, or on the armrest of the chair if there is one.
Pro tip – “Never place it on the back of the chair.”
Mr Hanson continues: ‘If you leave the table completely because you have finished eating, it will be placed in a neat pile on the left side of your table. You don’t have to fold it neatly.’
William Hanson has produced a TikTok video that has gone viral, with over 670,000 views, in which he explains the do’s and don’ts of napkin wrangling
And Mr Hanson added in a caption: ‘And definitely don’t fold it into a swan – usual!’
Are there places on the table that are not allowed when you place the napkin on the table when you are finished?
Mr Hanson told MailOnline Travel: ‘Yes, avoid anything like the plate or cutlery. All you need is an empty surface; usually the space to the left of the setup where the bread plate was when you started eating, but that is cleared again after the starter or main course.’
Do the same rules apply to paper napkins?
Mr Hanson said: “Generally yes. Paper napkins have a tendency to fly away, especially if you eat in a draft or outside. It would be okay to tuck the napkin under your plate when you’re done to weigh it down.”
In the video, the Merlin of manners explains that when you leave the table and plan to return – for example to use the toilet – the napkin is placed on your chair, or on the armrest of the chair if there is one. Pro tip – “Never place it on the back of the chair.” And never fold it into a shape
If someone’s napkin contains crumbs, what is the etiquette for throwing it away?
Mr Hanson replied: ‘You can brush them gently on the floor, but only if there are a few of them. If not, leave them there and pay attention to how you fold the napkin at the end to try to keep the crumbs in.”
Is the napkin not only intended to catch crumbs on your lap, but also to wipe both hands and mouth?
Mr Hanson commented: ‘Yes, the napkin is multi-functional, although there really shouldn’t be too much dirt on the napkin when you dab the mouth clean. The food is meant to go into the mouth, not around it. If you have a dirty napkin at the end, something went wrong.”
For more information from Mr. Hanson, visit his TikTok And Instagram profiles. His new book, Just Good Manners (Penguin Random House), will be released on September 12, 2024. It’s billed as ‘a witty and authoritative guide to British etiquette’, in which William shares ‘his definitive guidelines on how to charm and surprise those around you with quirky authority in any situation’ .