A dastarkhÃÂn (Persian / Urdu: ïóêñîÃÂçÃÂ, , , , , , , , ) or dastarkhwÃÂn is the name used across Central Asia and South Asia to refer to the traditional dining space where food is eaten. The term is a word of Persian origin meaning the tablecloth which is spread on the ground, floor, or table as a sanitary surface for food.
The Mughal Indian cookbook Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh, which details the Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow, emphasized the importance of the dastarkhwan.