During the Belle Époque, Parisian high society abandoned the old "French service" (all dishes placed together on the table) in favor of the "Russian service": dishes paraded one after another, hot, presented by servants. A refined dinner, like those served at Madame de Caillavet's salon where France reigned as a conversationalist, followed a ritual order: soup opened the meal, then came a relevé (fish or fine poultry), the roasted piece de resistance, a sweet entremets, and finally one retired to the salon for coffee, chocolate, or liqueurs. Preserves and jams from the pantry completed the year.

The "black diamond" is the absolute emblem of the great French table of the Belle Époque. It was slipped under the skin of poultry, perfumed sauces: an aromatic luxury that marked the gourmet refinement of the Parisian dinners France frequented.