Odiot was founded in 1690, and for over three centuries this company of silversmiths maintained its fabulous tradition of creating exceptional pieces in precious metals. Through the generations the House of Odiot has always remained devoted to the same task of handing down a heritage of “savoir-faire”, intelligence, honor and renown.

Under royal patronage, Odiot rapidly became one of the most prestigious silversmiths of the 18th century. During the Empire period it acquired exceptional status under Jean-Bapstiste-Claude Odiot, who was both Napoleon’s and the Imperial Family’s master silversmith. This is how Odiot came to produce, in association with the goldsmith Thomire, the ceremonial cradle for Napoleon’s son, the King of Rome.

Today, as always, each piece designed by Odiot is handcrafted with the same passion and expertise.

Odiot has a collection of tools, molds and drawings which constitute a heritage of several hundred years old, to produce models using the same techniques and know-how established by yesterday’s goldsmiths.

Here you can find helpful table setting tips, exclusively from Odiot.

Please find some advices to set your table, following the rules of a table in “French style”.

1. First, your table should be set with a tablecloth. The guests should be placed 40 or 50 cm from each other and the plate about 2/3 cm from the edge of the table.

2. Only the charger plate dish plate should be placed on the table at the start of the meal as well as the bread plate. It must be at the top left of the charger plate with its butter knife. However, if you plan to serve a soup as a starter, you can use a rim soup plate on the charger plate.

3. For cutlery, place a maximum of three on each side of the plate. It means that there will be three services. If there is an additional service, bring cutlery with the new dishes (and therefore the new plates).

4. Regarding the arrangement of cutlery, forks are placed on the left, knives and spoon on the right. And this, in their order of use, from the outside to the inside. Thus, cutlery for starter will be placed furthest from the plate.

5. Unlike the «English» arrangement, the curved face of spoon is not placed against the table but in the air. In the same way, in France, forks land their teeth on the tablecloth.

6. In addition, dessert cutlery is always forks in “French style and teaspoon are not used. Dessert cutlery are placed between the glasses and the plate.

7. The main difference between English and French styles concerns the placement of the glasses. In France, glasses should be placed at an angle, above the cutlery and the plate, in order of magnitude. So from right to left it will give: the glass for white wine, the glass for red wine, then the water glass. The red wine glass should be aligned with the large knife. The champagne flute is placed in a second row, behind the other glasses, between the water glass and the red wine glass.

8. Napkins should take place on the plate, folded in three or four.

9. To finish the decoration of your table, you can use table accessories, like our decorative bowls with some flowers.