Serving and dining

thumb|right|Traditional Romanians|Romanian tablecloth made in [[Maramureș]] thumb|Cover for a square table, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, 1736–1795, China. Cut and voided silk [[velvet.]] thumb|right|Detail of crochet tablecloth

thumb|upright=1.3|Formal dining table laid for a large private dinner party at Chatsworth House thumb|upright=1.3|Table laid for six at the Royal Castle, Warsaw, (18th–19th century fashion)

thumb|A rolled napkin inside of a napkin ring. A napkin, serviette or face towelette is a square of cloth or paper tissue used at the table for wiping of the mouth and fingers while eating. It is also sometimes used as a bib by tucking it into a shirt collar. It is usually small and folded, sometimes in intricate designs, colors, and shapes.

thumb|right|upright=1.3|A typical bento from a grocery store A is a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal of Japanese origin, often for lunch, typically including rice and packaged in a box with a lid (often a segmented box with different parts of the meal placed in different sections).

Meze ( ; also spelled mezze or mezé) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian stuzzichini. A meze may be served as a part of a multi-course meal or form a meal in itself. Meze are often served with spirits such as arak, rakia, raki, oghi, ouzo, or grappa at meyhane and ouzeri.

thumb|right | Tapas bar and restaurant at Plaza Mayor, Madrid|Plaza Mayor, Madrid

thumb|Swedish smörgåsbord buffet

thumb|Brass tray inlaid with silver, Egypt or Syria, 19th century

Smorgasbord or Smörgåsbord (, ) is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and mainly cold dishes. It assumed its present form in the 19th century, following old traditions.

style of Chinese cuisine of bite-sized portions served in small steamer baskets or plates

serving of food accompanying the main course

thumb|upright=1.2|A Waterfall furniture|Waterfall-style sideboard A sideboard, also called a buffet, is an item of furniture traditionally used in the dining room for serving food, displaying serving dishes, and for storage. It usually consists of a set of cabinets, or cupboards, and one or more drawers, all topped by a wooden surface for conveniently holding food, serving dishes, or lighting devices. The words sideboard and buffet are somewhat interchangeable, but if the item has short legs, or a base that sits directly on the floor with no legs, it is more likely to be called a sideboard; if

thumb|North Indian cuisine|North Indian style vegetarian thali served in a restaurant

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thumb|In , a nude woman's body serves as a food plate.

meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner

tertiary sector of the economy

Banchan ( ; ; ) are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. Banchan are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as galbi or bulgogi, and a shared pot of jjigae. Bowls of cooked rice and guk (soup) are set individually. Banchan are served in small portions, meant to be finished at each meal and replenished during the meal if not enough. Usually, the more formal the meals are, the more banchan there will be. Jeolla Province is particularly famous for serving many different varieties of banchan in

A dastarkhān (Persian / Urdu: دسترخوان, , , , , , , , ) or dastarkhwān is the name used across Central Asia and South Asia to refer to the traditional dining space where food is eaten. The term is a word of Persian origin meaning the tablecloth which is spread on the ground, floor, or table as a sanitary surface for food.

Zakuski (, ; ) is the term for an assortment of cold hors d'oeuvres, entrées and snacks in Russian food culture. They are considered to be an integral part of any Russian festive meal, as well as often everyday meals.

article used to rest beverages upon

thumb|An assorted spread of dishes at a potluck in Alberta, Canada

group of matched tableware or flatware for one diner

large piece of dishware

device for serving chocolate fondue

work of silver

art of modifying, processing, arranging, or decorating food to enhance its aesthetic appeal

kitchen utensil

thumb|upright=1.35|Silver cruet stand (1720-23)

a lunch carried to a destination

turntable placed on a table or countertop to aid in distributing food

thumb|240px|Two household placemats, made with cork (material)|cork (top, Plancius's map) and [[wool (bottom)]]

filled bread dish

dish for holding salads

type of formal of dining

thumb|Traditional Kerala sadya

kind of lunch box used widely in South Asia for tiffin meals

Dosirak () refers to a packed meal, often for lunch. It usually consists of bap () and several banchan (side dishes). The lunch boxes, also called dosirak or dosirak-tong (dosirak case), are typically plastic or thermo-steel containers with or without compartments or tiers. Dosirak is often home-made, but is also sold in train stations, convenience stores, and some restaurants.

300px|thumb|A silver porringer created by John Coney (silversmith)|John Coney, c. 1710, [[Birmingham Museum of Art]]

vessel used to contain water for finger rinsing

type of formal dining

hotel service

thumb|Representation of ears of ripe wheat used as a table linen thumb|Armenian Needlelace thumbnail|Eliza A. Jordson, Brooklyn L.I. 1848. Algae or seaweed specimen, pasted on colored construction paper, framed by paper lace doilies. Brooklyn Museum. thumb|A crocheted doily in use thumb|Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II holds a doily-wrapped posy. thumb|Macarons on a paper doily

pre-packaged frozen meal

thumb|Rococo silver centrepiece of the Prince-Bishop of Hildesheim, 1763 thumb|A surtout de table tray centrepiece at the Hôtel de Charost, home of the ambassador of Great Britain, Paris thumb|Joseph Fauchier, c. 1760, [[Musée de la Faïence de Marseille]] A centrepiece or centerpiece is an important item of a display, usually of a table setting. Centrepieces help set the theme of the decorations and bring extra decorations to the room. A centrepiece also refers to any central or important object in a collection of items.

ring used for containing a napkin

buffet of salad components for people to assemble their own salads

container used to hold napkins

cover for keeping food warm and protecting it

food packaging that uses exothermic reactions to heat its contents

Ornamental or utilitarian containers in the form of a fanciful model of a ship; some were made as drinking vessels, while others were made as receptacles for salt, dining implements, or napkins

kitchenware

covered baskets for carrying food and utensils

containers used to package and sell biscuits

thumb|upright|Cruet bottle, 1780–1800, V&A Museum no. 118-1907

storage furniture with a lower and upper part, with cupboards and drawers in the lower part and (open) shelves in the top part, used to store and display crockery and cutlery in a kitchen, scullery or dining room

furniture type

small kind of food cart used to display or deliver food.

Hawaiian meal

thumb|A verrine, here with sprouting|sprouts. A verrine () is a glass container, often small, in which is served a starter, main course or dessert, rather than a drink. The glass might be able to be used for drinks, but when used for food, it is referred to as a verrine, and indeed the dish itself can be named ″a verrine″. This French word is usually left untranslated because there is no single English word for it.