How to Set a Breakfast Table for Guests

Learning how to set a breakfast table can come in handy for surprising your guests with an interesting breakfast presentation. It's the best way for them to leave your home with a great impression of you.
How to Set a Breakfast Table for Guests

Last update: 19 June, 2020

Everyone should know how to set a breakfast table. This is because it’s an important skill when your friends or acquaintances come to visit. Also, if they’re going to stay for several days, you should take care of even the smallest detail, especially when it comes to serving meals. We must be good hosts and surprise our guests. So, we’ll show you how to prepare a breakfast table for your guests.

The best way to satisfy people’s needs is through food, hence the importance of giving the best food accompanied by good presentation. This is a demonstration that you care about their well-being.

There’s nothing better than sitting at a table and having everything available to satisfy your appetite. Of course, it’s advisable that everything is in order and that there’s the correct variety of food on the table. Therefore, these aesthetic aspects must be taken care of.

Breakfast on a tray

A tray with breakfast.

The best way to surprise guests is by making them breakfast in bed. For this, you’ll need a sturdy tray table to put the breakfast on. This should be placed next to the bed since it might be heavy and makes it easier to put the food aside for later.

What things are we going to need to set the table and present this breakfast? As we’ve said, a wide tray with handles on the sides to carry it, making this system much more comfortable.

As it’s meant to make breakfast as simple as possible, having a glass of juice, a plate with toast, already cut fruit and a cup of coffee is more than enough. You must not overload the tray so it’s too heavy, or overcrowd the tray.

The main objective here is to provide comfort.

Something simple can also be satisfying

A breakfast on a placemat.

There’s no need to turn breakfast into a big banquet to satisfy your guests. With the basics, you can make a decent presentation and make the first meal of the day a healthy one.

In the living room, you can use a table that is smaller than the dining room table. We’re talking about a meal that should be functional.

The tablecloth can be informal, dynamic, and not overly elegant. However, there’s also the option of using placemats instead of a tablecloth as it offers simplicity.

Food must be arranged on plates: cookies, biscuits, toast, fruit, etc. Butter or cheese is best in a tub or small bowl.

Similarly, you can’t leave out the cup and saucer and the glass of juice. These are essential to breakfast.

Finally, you can finish decorating the table with a small vase of flowers to make the environment more natural.

A small buffet at home on a breakfast table

A yummy breakfast.

Another way to impress guests is through breakfast with a wide variety to choose from. We’re referring to what we commonly know as an open buffet, which offers all kinds of food.

Like the previous breakfast, the glass, cup, and plate will already be set. Likewise, don’t forget the silverware – forks, knives, and teaspoons.

To put out all the food you want, it’s preferable to use several functional and decorative trays, keeping them in order and distributing them in an organized way. Of course, there should be no shortage of available food.

When serving items such as fruit, it can be presented already cut, or simply in a large bowl with different pieces so that the guests can choose. Also, fruit adds color to the table.

Impress with a breakfast table on the terrace

How to set a breakfast table outdoors.

If you want to impress and use an unrivaled setting, the terrace is the ideal spot. The goal is for breakfast to become an unforgettable moment, and being outdoors is probably something your guests aren’t used to.

To do this, it’s best to use a medium-sized table, but, above all, informality should be sought. In this case, try not to decorate too much and complement the table decoration with the landscape in front of you.

Thanks for reading, we hope you’ve enjoyed this article. You can now set a proper breakfast table!

 


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  • Domènech Virgili, M. (2013): El protocolo y las fiestas populares. Revista Internacional de Protocolo: Ceremonial, Etiqueta, Heráldica,  Nobiliaria y Vexilogía.