Table service: silver, family, American, French, Russian, gueridon and bar counter
In table service, guests are seated and served at a laid table. Styles differ in who portions food and where: plated, silver, family, French, Russian, gueridon or bar counter.
Styles of table service
| Style | How food reaches the guest | Speed and skill | Where used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver (English) | Waiter serves from a flat or dish onto the guest's plate with service spoon and fork, from the left | Slow; high skill; elegant | Banquets, fine-dining hotels |
| Family | Food in large dishes placed on the table; guests help themselves and pass dishes around | Quick; little skill; homely; portions hard to control | Family restaurants, homestays, some hostel tables |
| American (plated) | Food portioned and plated in the kitchen and placed before the guest | Fast; uniform portions; less skill | Most restaurants, conferences, hospital private wards |
| French | Waiter presents the dish at the guest's left and the guest helps himself | Slow; guest controls the portion | Formal private dinners |
| Russian | Food arranged whole and decorated on platters in the kitchen, shown to guests, then portioned and served by the waiter | Slow; showy; skilled staff | Banquets, formal state dinners |
| Gueridon | Food finished, carved, filleted or flambéed on a trolley (gueridon) beside the table | Slowest; highest skill; costly | Fine-dining restaurants: carving a raan, flambé desserts |
| Bar counter | Guest sits at a counter and is served from behind it | Quick; informal | Juice bars, snack counters, coffee bars |
Silver service vs plated (American) service
How silver service is done
- 1Place hot plates before each guest, from the right.
- 2Show the dish to the host and guests.
- 3Hold the dish on a folded service cloth on the left hand, close to the guest's plate.
- 4★Serve from the guest's left with the service spoon and fork in the right hand, placing the main item nearest the guest.
- 5Serve vegetables and accompaniments next, then sauces.
- 6Move round the table, serving ladies first and the host last.
★ one-way, controls the pace
Choosing a style
The style depends on the type of establishment, menu, price, guests' expectations, time available, number of trained staff and equipment. Fine dining uses silver or gueridon service; busy restaurants and hospitals use plated service; homely places use family service. Books disagree on French and Russian service (American books use 'French service' for tableside cooking, and some British books use 'Russian service' for a table laid with dishes from which guests help themselves), so write the meaning given in your class notes and define it clearly.
Plated (American) service suits hospitals and conferences: the dietitian can check each plate's portion and diet before it leaves the kitchen, which silver or family service cannot guarantee.
2 marks: “What is gueridon service?” A style of table service in which food is finished, carved, filleted or flambéed on a trolley (gueridon) beside the guest's table.
5 marks: “Differentiate between silver service and American (plated) service.” Silver: portioned at the table from a dish by the waiter, elegant, slow, skilled. Plated: portioned in the kitchen, fast, uniform portions, less skill, less personal.
10 marks: “Describe the different styles of table service.” Define table service; explain silver, family, American, French, Russian, gueridon and bar counter with how food reaches the guest, merits and where used; factors in choosing a style.
Table service: 'Some Families Always Find Rich Gulab jamuns Best': Silver, Family, American, French, Russian, Gueridon, Bar counter.