Yes, There Is Etiquette For Eating Bread And Butter At A Restaurant. Here's What To Know

Dining at a fancy restaurant can be intimidating because of all the subtle unsaid rules that are meant to be followed. While a lot of dining etiquette is a form of courtesy, some rules are meant to help appreciate the elevated food you're eating. For example, the visually stunning amuse-bouche can be complicated to eat, but when done right, it can take you on a culinary journey in the span of a single bite. Knowing your way around the dinner table at a restaurant also ensures that your fellow diners have a pleasant experience ... and who doesn't want to look sophisticated when dining at a nice restaurant?

There are certain guidelines even for simple aspects of the experience, like napkin etiquette at a fancy restaurant. Meanwhile, eating bread and butter is another one you wouldn't expect to be as nuanced as it actually is. There is specific etiquette when it comes to sharing a communal bread basket for the table. Equally important is how you eat. Bread must be torn into chunks; only the piece you've torn off must be buttered, as opposed to the entire slice, wedge, or roll. In addition to being good form, tearing lets you appreciate the bread's texture and crumb, feeling the contrast between the crust and interior with your hands before you put it in your mouth. Trust us, you might just end up eating bread like this at home as well.

A bread basket is usually the first course of food placed on the table, so it's good to know how to approach it, especially if it's placed closest to you. Offer the basket to others at the table before selecting a piece of bread for yourself. There may be several different types of bread rolls, slices, and wedges in the basket. Whichever one you choose, pick the entire piece up and put it on your plate as it's not polite to tear a piece for yourself and put the remaining bread back into the basket. If there is a communal butter dish, serve yourself some butter. Take enough to cover the bread on your plate, but don't put it all on the bread at once.

Next, use your hands to tear a piece that's no larger than two or three bites. This works especially well for plump dinner rolls that may be awkwardly sized or too large to take a bite out of. Butter the piece you've torn off, then enjoy it in small bites. You can adjust the amount of butter every few bites according to your taste. 

Refill your plate with butter and bread as required, but don't have too much on your plate at once. Ideally, your plate should only have two pieces of bread — the one you're eating, and the rest of the roll from which you've torn the piece. Knowing your way around a fancy restaurant's bread basket can help at eateries like NYC's Quality Bistro, which is famous for its elaborate butter service.