o, purse etiquette; what to do? You can always hang your purse on the back of your chair in a restaurant, but only if your back is to the wall; otherwise, it might get stolen. Or, you can use a near-by chair if one is available, but you still have to keep your eye on it. A better solution is to use a purse hook that slips on the edge of the table and has a hook on the other end for your purse to hang by its strap. You can find purse hooks online.