Sit Down to Dinner in 1910, Menu Varies by Social Class

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, meal time was a big deal. For the poor, it was a matter of survival, but for the upper classes, it was an event unto itself.

Let’s take a look at dinnertime class differences in the 1900s.

The Upper Class Dinner

In affluent households, kitchen staff would take an entire day to plan and prepare elaborate meals which had 11 courses.

The courses were:

Hors d’oeuvres
Soup
Fish
Entrée
Remove (a choice of meats and side dishes was offered)
Sorbet
Roast
Salad
A cold dish
Sweets
Dessert

Both women and men changed into evening clothing. Dinner was a formal affair. Men wore tuxedos while women wore evening gowns, jewelry and the latest, stylish hairdo.

Before the meal, the dinner party would gather in a reception room where they might enjoy a cocktail or an aperitif, a mixed drink. When a gong was rung, the party entered the dining room.

The dining room table would have been set before the diners arrived. The place setting included:

Napkin
Champagne glass
Red wine glass
White wine glass
Dinner plate
Side plate
Dinner fork
Dessert fork
Dinner knife
Cheese knife
Soup spoon
Dessert spoon

Servants served each course, offering dishes from a person’s left. A fresh glass of water was served between each wine.

After dinner, women and men often retreated to different rooms. The women drank coffee while the men drank alcohol, smoked cigars and played cards.

The Middle Class Dinner

While the upper class was characterized by opulence, the middle class was characterized by its adoption of Victorian ideals – working hard, duty, prayer and love of country. Nonetheless, their main dish is very recognizable because it is exactly how meals are served today.

Middle class dinners had three courses:

Soup
Main dish (meat with a vegetable and rice, potatoes, or turnips)
Dessert

After dinner, coffee was served.

The Working Class Tea

For the working class, the heaviest meal of the day was the midday meal. The evening meal was what the English called “tea.” It did include tea as well as meat, a side dish and bread.

Updated: 23 October 2020

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Melina Druga

Most kids have an active imagination.My imagination has stayed strong into adulthood, and I’ve funneled that creativity into a successful writing career.I write history, both fiction and nonfiction, because although your school history classes may have been boring, the past is not.My goal is to bring the past to life in all its myriad of colors.