Etiquette expert reveals how to sit properly in a restaurant

“Please don’t be left behind.”

That’s a request from etiquette expert William Hanson in a tiktok video in which he explains how to sit properly in a restaurant.

You’ve been doing it all wrong, so listen carefully.

“When we eat, we don’t sit with our backs touching the back of the chair,” he says.

‘It forces us to have “dinosaur hands” [when using a knife and fork] And that’s not very elegant.

The solution?

“Instead,” says William, “[sit] with your butt pressed back into the seat as far as you can.

In reality, your back does not touch the back of the chair.

And we keep our wrists down when we cut. Much more elegant.

Would correct dining posture apply to all types of restaurants? Or could exceptions be made for a more casual venue?

William told MailOnline Travel: “The context of the occasion always overrides any strict guidelines, but in general it’s quite difficult to eat when you’re sitting very far back in the chair and hunched over.”

‘It’s also not ideal for digestion. medical organizations [confirm] that the digestive tract should be as straight as possible, rather than bent, so that we can properly process what we have just chewed and not gain as much weight.’

Are “dinosaur hands” a known problem in etiquette circles?

“It’s certainly something that worries me and my fellow industry professionals at night,” William says.

In general, are restaurant chairs designed to support the position you advocate?

William told MailOnline: “A dining chair is designed differently to a chair you might use to relax at home or in a bar, which is why we should be able to sit upright more easily.”

Are there other advantages of ‘low wrists’?

William said: “Yes, keeping your wrists as close to the plate as possible, except for the hand holding the fork, which brings the food to your mouth, is generally better for easy access to cutlery.”

Is it okay to lean back in your chair after eating?

William added: “It’s more permissible, especially if everyone else is doing it.” But again, context matters. Are you at a very formal meal in elegant clothes? Then you probably won’t do it. But you’re at your friend’s house in Elstree and you’ve just enjoyed a microwave meal? In which case, lie down however you want.

For more information about Mr. Hanson, visit his Tik Tok and instagram profiles. His new book, Just Good Manners (Random Penguin House), is due out on September 12, 2024. It is billed as “a witty, authoritative guide to British etiquette,” in which William shares “his definitive guide on how to charm and delight those around you in every situation with idiosyncratic authority “.