Visitors find themselves in visitor's dilemma more often than you think. Understanding local etiquette is always a challenge. Even people who are quite polished in their understanding of etiquette find themselves struggling in a foreign country.
1. One way out of this dilemma is to watch a local person. For example. American way of using the silverware is quite different from the European way! Many Americans do not even realize that they are violating the European etiquette when they keep switching their fork from left hand to right hand while dining. The European etiquette is to always use your right hand for knife and left hand for your dinner fork. You are not supposed to cut your steak with the knife and then start eating using the fork again in your right hand after you have neatly set the knife across the dinner plate.
2. Another European nuance that is not understood by Americans is the difference between various types of forks. In the US, one finds dinner fork and dessert forks. Both these forks have four prongs. In the Europe, a typical table setting has three types of forks. The dinner fork has four prongs, salad or appetizer fork has three prongs and dessert forks may have four or three prongs. The dessert fork is always shorter in length and that is a good clue.
3. It is customary to be served all the courses while dining in Europe. In the US, people are more practical by opting out a course or two. Some European hosts many find it impolite when you opt out of a course.
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