How to Serve Food at Hotel & Restaurant

From our today’s tutorial you will learn how to serve the food in an elegant and sophisticated way but in a professional manner in accordance with the set standards of the hotel or restaurant. Guests are ultimate boss in the hospitality business. When they come to your restaurant or hotel, treat them as your dearest friend visit to your house.

Please remember everyone can have food in their house. So when they come to you that means they want to get good service, have delicious food and enjoy some great time. If they get these they will definitely come again and again and even may recommend others as well. So serving food properly is very vital task to perform for each & every waiter and waitress.

Here are few HIGHLY RECOMMENDED F & B Service Tutorials you must read:

Procedures of Serving Food at Hotel or Restaurant

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(1) Pick up the Food from the Kitchen

  • how serve food hotel restaurantAfter all the food orders have been taken and placed in the kitchen properly, the server in charge of the table should ensure that all required cutleries have set up and placed on the table properly.
  • Pick up food from the kitchen and bring it to the guest table. Pick up hot dishes from the hot kitchen and cold dishes and dessert from the cold kitchen pantry.
  • Check to ensure correct orders have been picked up from the kitchen as per order chit and ensure the following:
  1. Correct table number are arranged.
  2. Correct garnishes and condiment are prepared.
  3. Correct and clean crockery are served.
  4. Clean service cloth has served.
  5. Food covers are placed properly over the hot food.

(2) Approach the Guest Table

  • Establish eye contact and approach the guest with a smile in your face.
  • Identify the food order for each guest from the order pad.

(3) Serving the Food

  • Remove the food cover using your right hand to place the food in front of guest and serve from the right hand side of the guest.
  • Always serve children/lady first then an older gentleman or a guest and the host last (move clockwise around the table for serving).
  • Always announce what you are serving to guest. For example: “This is the xxxxx” or “Here is the xxxxx (name of the food)”
  • Always serve the food according to the sequence. Such as:
  1. Appetizer.
  2. Main Course.
  3. Dessert.
  • Make eye contact with a smile by saying: “Enjoy your meal please Mr. /Mrs. /Ms. X.” and leave the table.
  • If the guest has finished any particular course, clear it from the right hand side of the guest (placing of cutlery set together on the plate are indications of completion of meals) and serve the next course.
  • Once the guest completed all course, take tea/coffee order and be ready for service.

(4) Remarks (if there are 2 or more guests)

  • To serve both guests concurrently, serve the first guest with your right hand and hold the second plate with the left hand.
  • Call other staffs to assist you in serving (if necessary).

(5) Points to Remember

  • Always approach the guest in a friendly and efficient manner and speak with a clear and confident tone.
  • Always serve the guest from the right hand side of the guest unless it is required to serve from the left side. For example:
  1. Guests are involved in a serious conversation.
  2. Inadequate space for the arrangement of the table.
  3. Serving or removing items are placed on the left side of the guest.
  • Never give hurry to a guest to complete a meal.
  • Do not clear any plate until everybody has completed the course.
  • Address guests by using their name (if possible).
  • Get the Guest’s name from the following sources:
    1. Reservation book or table plan.
    2. Ask the host person or team leader.
    3. First introduce yourself and then ask for the guest’s name directly.

20 COMMENTS

  1. please am a young guy of 20 yrs of age.
    i will like to know more about food and beverage and precisely how to serve in a restaurant and hotel as well.

    actually i wanna work in a 5 star hotel but need some training from you .
    am interested in ur thoughts and tution .
    hope to hear from you soon and thanks for your usuall cooperation

  2. Am enjoying the lesson but what i know about food serving in the restaurant is we serves drinks from right hand of the guest n food from left hand of the guest by using your left hand but if the client has serious issue about your left hand u can. Use d other hand … Am working restaurant now as supervisor thank u

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