Entertaining: When do you serve coffee and tea?

Here is an interesting dinner party etiquette. Did you know that the most traditional and common way to serve coffee or tea during a dinner party is just after dessert? The rule is that you should wait till your guests finish eating and only then you bring on the hot beverages.

Balazs and I like to be more practical, so we tend to offer coffee up front as soon as our guests arrive. It’s probably because most of them are huge coffee lovers anyway and they are always up for it. The good part is that while Balazs takes care of brewing, I get a few extra minutes to sort out the table.

And of course, we also serve another portion of coffee/tea just before the dessert for the same reason. Some of the guests like to enjoy it with the dessert while others have a quick espresso shot before-hand and then they pair up their sweet treat with a glass of wine.

I’m totally curious, how do you do it? I know that there are so many ways depending on cultures. So do tell, when do you serve coffee or tea while having people over for a dinner? Can't wait to read your customs. xo

P.S: Tricks and tips to a perfect dinner party and this snazzy progressive-dinner in Paris.
P.P.S: All things coffee and the photo below made me giggle.

(via The Kitchn. Photos by Leo Patrone for Kinfolk, 16House & Luisa Brimble)