Proper Serving Order

Ever wonder what is the correct order to serve your guests? The following should help you out.

At a formal restaurant or banquet, food should be presented to guests in the following order: 

   1. Guest of honor 
   2. Female guests 
   3. Male guests 
   4. Hostess 
   5. Host 


After the guest of honor, first the women, then the men, are served in one of two ways: 

Dishes can be presented to guests in the order of their seating, starting at the host's right 
Dishes may be presented in order of seniority, starting with the most influential and proceeding down to the least prominent guest. 
Clearly, using the latter system requires the hosts to furnish information regarding the order of service ahead of time. In restaurants, most groups include neither guest of honor nor hosts, so the meals will simply be served first to the women, then to the men.