Maybe you’ve decided to take your parents out for a nice dinner and want to impress, or maybe your date comes from a different background and you want to show them that you too can be fancy and well-dressed in a suit and tie. As a result, you’ve decided to book a table at a fancy restaurant that you’ve never been to, but you’ve heard it’s a great place to eat.

The last thing you want to do is end up embarrassing yourself by ordering the wrong dish or looking out of place with your clothes, so here’s the 101 on how to eat at a fancy restaurant.

You don’t know anything, so ask questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Even seasoned diners will ask questions about the wine, they’ll ask for recommendations and they might even ask “what’s this?” and point to things on the menu.

Don’t make a scene

Don’t be out of place, don’t assume you’re higher than anyone in the restaurant and just don’t cause a scene. Be civil, polite and your regular old self.

Hold your wine glass by the stem

If you want to show that you know a thing or two about wine tasting, then hold your glass by the stem.

Don’t be cheap

Whether it’s the tip at the end or the price of the starters, don’t be cheap. If you’re here to impress, then you need to have the money to do so.

Know what you’re ordering

Never order something just because it sounds fancy or you’ve seen it in a show. Ordering the right dish is important, especially when the waiting staff asks for your preferences. To help you out, here’s a brief rundown on the different cuts of steak so you know what to order, but keep in mind that there are many other terms to learn especially if you order different types of food!

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