At Plaza Hotels Andorra we believe in training. In this section you will regularly find instructions on different aspects that have to do with the hospitality trade: how to decorate a room, lay a table correctly or prepare one of our chefs' recipes.

Practice at home, persevere and you will see how you end up mastering a wide range of tasks.


How to lay a table for a celebration

Whether it is a family gathering or a business meal, or perhaps a romantic dinner, the first thing to do is cover the table with a thick cotton or woollen cloth that will be able to absorb any liquids that may be spilt and might stain the diners.

The tablecloth will be placed on top of this absorbent cloth. Tablecloths are usually made from cotton, a fabric that will dress the table perfectly and is also easy to wash and iron. In any case, it is possible to use any tablecloth that you may consider appropriate for the occasion.

To decorate the table, natural flowers or a small plant can be used as a centrepiece, or perhaps a vase with sand and dry flowers, a large candle with a base of stones to hold it in place, flower petals sprinkled over the table, candelabra with small candles and also casual personal motifs for special decorations such as anniversaries, etc. Let your imagination fly while never losing sight of your goal: the type of celebration for which the table is being set.

It is essential not to overdo things, as this might cause the table to be too fussy and this would not cause a good impression. It is necessary always to seek simplicity and achieve an elegant table by respecting the harmony between measurements, sizes and colours of the elements used.

Once all the decoration is in place, remove any surplus or waste that may have been left over. To do so, brush carefully from the centre outwards with particular care not to move the decoration.

Next, the crockery, glasses and cutlery are laid out according to the menu.


Crockery
First of all, the place plate, or presentation platter, is placed in line with the edge of the table. Next is always the bread plate, 3 cm to the top left of the place plate.
The other dishes are determined by the menu: soup dishes for vegetable creams or soups and flat plates for meat or fish, although these are often brought directly to the table already prepared in the kitchen.

Glassware
Next comes the glassware, consisting of a wine glass and a water glass. The water glass is placed first, 5 cm from the place plate and in the centre. Then the wine glass is placed 3 cm from the water glass and closer to the place plate.

Cutlery
The silverware is placed from the outside in and in the order in which it is to be used. The knife goes to the right of the place plate; on the right of this, in turn, the spoon. The fork is placed on the left of the place plate. The dessert fork and spoon are placed in the same order, except that they are centred at the top of the place plate and between the place plate and the glasses.

Finally, the napkin, matching the tablecloth, is placed in the centre of the plate, if possible with an original shape. Here too, it is essential to use your imagination.

Well, if when you do it at home (once or a hundred times) you obtain an acceptable result (even if it is not perfect), show us at the hotel. And don't be afraid if you don't get it right the first time around: the goal is to learn and we want to clarify your doubts to help you improve. So go ahead and try.