What's the most interesting traditional or formal politeness behaviour or table manners in your culture? Or for any service personnel, in your restaurant?
I love all the ritualized behaviour, secret meanings and unexpected taboos - standing up when someone of higher status stands, elaborate rules for serving and eating, tapping the table to thank the server, never refuse a toast from a superior, stuff like that.
Whether it's about meals or anything else, I'd love to hear about any uncommon politeness standard or similar social behaviour that goes on in your location, culture or restaurant!
I feel like this is a global thing but here it goes
When serving dinner the women are served first, then the men.
They do this from oldest to youngest.
So, first person to get food/wine/water/wtv served is the oldest woman, and the last person to be served is the youngest man...
Edit: I got the tittle wrong I thought it was only formal setting stuff.
This is only done in very formal settings. Like an extremely important ceremony on the military branches of my country for instance.
We don't do that here (UK), there's no order in which people are served their food. It doesn't really matter, as it's "polite" here to only start once everyone has got their food.