Mise-en-Place in the Restaurant for Plated Service
| Site: | DBECloud |
| Course: | Grade 10 e-Hospitality Studies |
| Book: | Mise-en-Place in the Restaurant for Plated Service |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 3:47 AM |
Description
In most restaurants, plated service is the most common type of service. The term is used to describe the service provided by a waiter serving food that has been prepared and arranged on a plate. The stages involved in plated service include receiving the guests and seating them, taking their orders, and servicing their meals. Another important step in plated service is communication with the guests. It is the responsibility of the waiter to attend to the guests, make suggestions and take their orders.
1. Rules for the Receiving and Seating of Guests
- Guests should be warmly welcomed by the maitre d’hotel and asked if they have a reservation. If not, they should be asked where they would like to sit.
- On seating the guests, it is customary to hand service over to a waiter who, after introducing him or herself, is responsible for handing out menus, reciting any specials and taking a drinks order.
- The waiter should make a note of who the host of the table is and when taking orders, start with the guest that is seated to the right of the host, continuing anti-clockwise around the table until the host’s order is finally taken. For formal service, females are served before males.
- When the drinks order is ready, the drinks should be brought to the table.
- Once guests have had enough time to read the menu, the waiter should return to the table to take the food order, again, starting with the guest to the right of the host.
- Bread and other complementary appetizers may often be brought to the table at this stage.
- Food should be served in the order of starters, main meal, dessert, tea and coffee – always starting by serving first to the guest that is seated to the right of the host.
- On occasions, if guests require service while a waiter is busy with another table, the waiter should indicate to the guests that they will be with them as soon as possible.
2. Closing Mise-en-Place
Once a table has completed payment, it is time for the waiter to clear the table of all remaining items – from serviettes and glassware to cutlery and crockery. Each item needs to be cleaned and stored in its usual place. After clearing the table, tablecloths should be removed and sent for cleaning, while any electrical equipment that has been used should turned off, cleaned and packed away. After clearing, cleaning and storing, the tables should be prepped for the next service.