Food and Drink: Dining Etiquette

Meals are a social event in Mexico, and eating comes secondary to socializing.

At dinner parties, the host will typically sit at the head of the table.

Table Etiquette

Seating may be assigned at dinner parties in Mexico, and guests should wait to be told where to sit before claiming a seat at the table. The host will typically sit at the head of the table, or if a couple is hosting a meal, they will sit across from one another. The guest of honor sits to the right of the host. The start of the meal is typically marked by declaring Buen provecho (Enjoy the meal), but it is impolite to start before the host begins eating.

Mexicans hold the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, and keep their hands visible throughout the meal. Communal dishes may be passed around the table, always to the left. Some foods, such as tacos, are always eaten by hand, and it is considered snobby to use silverware to eat these foods. Diners should leave a little food on their plates, to signal that the meal was satisfying. When finished, the fork and knife are placed parallel on the right side of the plate. Lengthy conversation is expected after meals, and in order to give diners time to sit and talk, waiters will typically not bring the bill until it is requested.

Social Dimension of Dining

Meals are a social event in Mexico, and eating comes secondary to socializing. Mealtimes are often severely delayed from the stated time. Diners should not be anxious to eat, because any attempt to expedite the arrival of food is seen as an attempt to escape current company. At a minimum, guests should plan to arrive 30 minutes later than dinner plans are made; any earlier would be considered inappropriate. Getting a table at a restaurant can take 30 minutes, and once seated, drinks and conversation can take another 30 minutes before the waiter takes food orders. When invited to a dinner party, it is polite to bring flowers for the host. Guests may introduce themselves at large gatherings, but in small settings, the host will likely handle introductions. Only men give toasts in Mexico.