{"id":2822,"date":"2021-11-21T12:22:35","date_gmt":"2021-11-21T12:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/?p=2822"},"modified":"2021-11-21T12:22:36","modified_gmt":"2021-11-21T12:22:36","slug":"how-to-order-food-in-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/how-to-order-food-in-french\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Order Food In French? &#8211; Your Guide To An Enjoyable Meal In France"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-bottom:40px;}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container{max-width:1200px;}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container .kadence-info-box-image-intrisic{padding-bottom:52.3333%;width:1200px;height:0px;max-width:100%;}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kadence-info-box-icon-container .kt-info-svg-icon, #kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-info-svg-icon-flip, #kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-blocks-info-box-number{font-size:50px;}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-blocks-info-box-media{color:#444444;background:transparent;border-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-media{color:#444444;background:transparent;border-color:#444444;}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore{background:transparent;border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding-top:4px;padding-right:8px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-left:8px;margin:10px 0px 10px 0px;}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{box-shadow:0px 0px 6px 1px var(--global-palette6, #718096);}#kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover{box-shadow:0px 0px 6px 1px var(--global-palette6, #718096);}<\/style>\n<div id=\"kt-info-box_61f9c2-7b\" class=\"wp-block-kadence-infobox\"><a class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap info-box-link kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-left kt-info-halign-center\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media-container\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-intrisic kt-info-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-to-order-food-in-french.jpg\" alt=\"how-to-order-food-in-french\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" class=\"kt-info-box-image wp-image-2838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-to-order-food-in-french.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-to-order-food-in-french-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-to-order-food-in-french-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-to-order-food-in-french-150x79.jpg 150w, https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-to-order-food-in-french-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-infobox-textcontent\"><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;re in France and you don&#8217;t want to miss out on the local cuisine? Then you need to <strong>learn how to order food in French<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a French coach, I&#8217;m sure you want to have an easy and pleasant experience when you&#8217;re at a restaurant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This article is designed to teach you everything you need to know about eating out in France<\/strong>, including useful vocabulary and tips from a native speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n<style>#kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(#kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}#kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1200px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:var( --global-kb-row-default-top, 25px );padding-bottom:var( --global-kb-row-default-bottom, 25px );padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:25px;padding-right:25px;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}#kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){#kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-rowlayout alignnone\"><div id=\"kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd\" class=\"kt-row-layout-inner kt-layout-id_8c5174-dd\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-gutter-default kt-v-gutter-default kt-row-valign-top kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-m-colapse-left-to-right kt-mobile-layout-row kb-theme-content-width\"><style>.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_692db3-ff{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_692db3-ff > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_692db3-ff\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de:not(.this-class-is-for-specificity):not(.class-is-for-specificity){margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:20px;padding-right:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:20px;border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;box-shadow:0px 0px 14px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);max-width:669px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{color:var(--global-palette2, #2B6CB0);}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de .kb-table-of-contents-title{color:var(--global-palette2, #2B6CB0);font-size:18px;line-height:5px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;text-transform:none;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{color:var(--global-palette2, #2B6CB0);font-size:18px;font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;text-transform:none;margin-top:20px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de .kb-table-of-content-list li{margin-bottom:1px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_bacc5f-de .kb-table-of-content-list li .kb-table-of-contents-list-sub{margin-top:1px;}<\/style><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choose your restaurant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you need to <strong>choose where you want to eat depending on the kind of food you&#8217;re looking for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether it&#8217;s for <em>le petit-d\u00e9jeuner<\/em> (breakfast),<em> le d\u00e9jeuner<\/em> (lunch) or <em>le d\u00eener<\/em> (dinner), there are plenty of choices. Here are some of the most common ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Le caf\u00e9<\/em> (caf\u00e9): Perfect for coffee, tea, drinks and snacks. This is where you go <strong>if you want to enjoy breakfast, take a break between visits or have a small meal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro tip: Don&#8217;t wait to be seated! Snatch the first free table you see<\/strong> and a waiter will come to you with the menu (or call them if they don&#8217;t).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Le bistrot<\/em><em> <\/em>(bistro): Bistros <strong>offer a small menu containing simple and typical home-cooked meals served quickly<\/strong>. They are open only during meal hours (starting from around 11 a.m and 7 p.m).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>La brasserie<\/em> (brasserie): This is where you get your comfort food. Brasseries are similar to bistros, except they are <strong>open from morning until dawn non-stop and offer a large variety of traditional French food.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro tip: If you&#8217;re looking for the typical French food experience, brasseries are your best option!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>La cr\u00eaperie<\/em> (creperie): Go there to <strong>taste the famous French cr\u00eapes and galettes<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Try a savory <em>galette<\/em> (buckwheat pancake) as your main meal, followed by a sweet <em>cr\u00eape <\/em>for dessert. There are various filling options to choose from (salmon, eggs, cheese, vegetables, potatoes, meat, ice cream, chocolat, fruits, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Le restaurant<\/em> (restaurant): This is the place to go if you&#8217;re looking for a meal in a more formal setting. <strong>The service is usually super attentive and<\/strong> <strong>you get to experience the delights of French cuisine<\/strong> over 3 courses (starter, main meal, dessert).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro tip: In France, you&#8217;ll find plenty of <\/strong><strong><em>restaurants gastronomiques<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong>(gourmet restaurants) <strong>with Michelin star chefs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The prices are more expensive than in a normal restaurant, but <strong>the cuisine is of the highest standard, with original dishes and excellent wines<\/strong>. <strong>They offer an amazing experience<\/strong>, so<strong> <\/strong>if you have the opportunity to try one, go for it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make your reservation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There&#8217;s nothing worse than going to a restaurant, only to be told there&#8217;s no free table!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re planning to go to a real <em>restaurant<\/em>, <strong>make a reservation beforehand to avoid any bad surprises.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The easiest way is to phone the restaurant and say <\/strong><strong><em>Bonjour, je voudrais r\u00e9server une table pour deux personnes<\/em><\/strong><strong> (Hello, I&#8217;d like to book a table for two people).<\/strong> If needed, just replace <em>deux<\/em> by the number of people that will be attending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The waiter will ask you <em>Pour quand ?<\/em> (For when?). Reply with the date and time you want to make your reservation for. For example, <em>Pour samedi 21h<\/em> (For Saturday 9 p.m.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you want to be seated somewhere specifically, let the waiter know:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>J&#8217;aimerais une table sur la terrasse <\/em>(I&#8217;d like a table on the terrace)<\/li><li><em>Je voudrais une table pr\u00e8s de la fen\u00eatre <\/em>(I&#8217;d like a table near the window)<\/li><li><em>Je pr\u00e9f\u00e8rerais une table \u00e0 l&#8217;int\u00e9rieur<\/em> (I would prefer a table inside)<\/li><li><em>Je pr\u00e9f\u00e8rerais une table \u00e0 l&#8217;ext\u00e9rieur<\/em> (I would prefer a table outside)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, you&#8217;ll get the question <em>\u00c0 quel nom?<\/em> (Under whose name?). Simply respond with your surname.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the reservation is written down, the waiter might tell you <em>C&#8217;est not\u00e9<\/em> (It&#8217;s noted).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure to thank them with <em>Je vous remercie<\/em> or <em>Merci<\/em>, and hang up. <strong>Congrats, you&#8217;ve successfully booked your table!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get to your table<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you enter the restaurant, a waiter will welcome you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let them know you have a table booked by saying <em>J&#8217;ai r\u00e9serv\u00e9 une table au nom de \u2026<\/em> (I&#8217;ve booked a table under the name \u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t give this info yourself, they&#8217;ll ask you <em>Vous avez une r\u00e9servation ?<\/em> (Do you have a reservation?). Reply with <em>Oui, au nom de \u2026<\/em> (Yes, under the name \u2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you didn&#8217;t make any reservation, you&#8217;ll be asked <em>Vous \u00eates combien ? <\/em>(How many are you?) or <em>Pour combien ?<\/em> (For how many people?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply respond <em>On est trois <\/em>(There are three of us) or <em>Trois personnes<\/em> (Three people) for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The waiter will then guide you to your booked table or will find you a free table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you have no reservation, in some rare cases, you might be asked to wait until there&#8217;s a free table available. <\/strong>For example, you&#8217;ll be told <em>Il y a quinze minutes d&#8217;attente<\/em> (There&#8217;s a fifteen minutes waiting time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That&#8217;s why booking a table is highly recommended! You won&#8217;t have to waste time waiting!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Decipher the menu<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Once you&#8217;re seated, the waiter will give you <\/strong><strong><em>la carte <\/em><\/strong><strong>(the menu).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll typically have 2 options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can select <\/strong><strong><em>un menu <\/em><\/strong><strong>or <\/strong><strong><em>une formule<\/em><\/strong><strong>. These two words mean a &#8220;set menu&#8221;<\/strong> and are used interchangeably depending on your restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll get to choose from a set menu at a fixed price (starter + main course, main course + dessert, starter + main course + dessert). For each category, you&#8217;ll be able to pick between a few dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Un menu<\/em><\/strong><strong> or <\/strong><strong><em>une formule<\/em><\/strong><strong> is usually the cheapest option when you want to eat on a budget.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can also choose your meal <\/strong><strong><em>\u00e0 la carte<\/em><\/strong><strong>. This means you can select any dishes you want from the menu<\/strong> (starter, main course, dessert or a combination of those).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You&#8217;ll have more choice options, but the prices are usually a little higher than those on the set menu.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a typical French menu, you&#8217;ll find these items:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Les entr\u00e9es<\/em> (starters)<\/li><li><em>Les plats principaux<\/em> (main courses)<\/li><li><em>Les desserts <\/em>(desserts)<\/li><li><em>Les fromages<\/em> (cheeses)<\/li><li><em>Les boissons <\/em>(drinks)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>La carte des vins<\/em> (wine list) is usually presented apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More useful vocabulary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>L&#8217;ap\u00e9ritif <\/em>(pre-dinner drink)<\/li><li><em>Le digestif<\/em> (after-dinner drink)<\/li><li><strong><em>Le plat du jour <\/em><\/strong><strong>(dish of the day) &#8211; It&#8217;s served at noon and changes every day, following the chef&#8217;s inspiration. It&#8217;s often present in the set menu as well.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get familiar with the menu items<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Now that you&#8217;ve managed to decipher the crucial parts of the menu, it&#8217;s time to actually pick your food!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s a list of essential vocabulary to help you make your choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Les viandes<\/em><\/strong><strong> (meat):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Le b\u0153uf<\/em> (beef)<\/li><li><em>L&#8217;agneau <\/em>(lamb)<\/li><li><em>Le poulet <\/em>(chicken)<\/li><li><em>Le porc <\/em>(pork)<\/li><li><em>Le veau<\/em> (veal)<\/li><li><em>Le canard <\/em>(duck)<\/li><li><em>Le fois gras<\/em> (fois gras)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Les produits de la mer <\/em><\/strong><strong>(seafood):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Le poisson<\/em> (fish)<\/li><li><em>La crevette<\/em> (shrimp)<\/li><li><em>L&#8217;hu\u00eetre<\/em> (oyster)<\/li><li><em>Le saumon<\/em> (salmon)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Les l\u00e9gumes<\/em><\/strong><strong> (vegetables):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Les pommes de terre<\/em> (potatoes)<\/li><li><em>La tomate <\/em>(tomato)<\/li><li><em>Le concombre<\/em> (cucumber)<\/li><li><em>La courgette<\/em> (zucchini)<\/li><li><em>L&#8217;aubergine <\/em>(eggplant)<\/li><li><em>Les champignons<\/em> (mushrooms)<\/li><li><em>Les crudit\u00e9s <\/em>(raw vegetables)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Les fruits <\/em><\/strong><strong>(fruits):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>La fraise<\/em> (strawberry)<\/li><li><em>La pomme <\/em>(apple)<\/li><li><em>La banane<\/em> (banana)<\/li><li><em>La poire <\/em>(pear)<\/li><li><em>L&#8217;ananas<\/em> (pineapple)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Les boissons <\/em><\/strong><strong>(drinks):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>L&#8217;eau<\/em> (water)<\/li><li><em>Le vin<\/em> (wine)<\/li><li><em>La bi\u00e8re<\/em> (beer)<\/li><li><em>Le th\u00e9<\/em> (tea)<\/li><li><em>Le caf\u00e9 <\/em>(coffee)<\/li><li><em>Le jus de fruits<\/em> (fruit juice)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More useful vocabulary:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Le pain<\/em> (bread)<\/li><li><em>La soupe<\/em> (soup)<\/li><li><em>Le riz<\/em> (rice)<\/li><li><em>Les p\u00e2tes<\/em> (pasta)<\/li><li><em>Le sel<\/em> (salt)<\/li><li><em>Le poivre<\/em> (pepper)<\/li><li><em>Le sucre <\/em>(sugar)<\/li><li><em>La sauce <\/em>(gravy)<\/li><li><em>L&#8217;huile d&#8217;olive<\/em> (olive oil)<\/li><li><em>Les oeufs <\/em>(eggs)<\/li><li><em>Le beurre<\/em> (butter)<\/li><li><em>Le fromage<\/em> (cheese)<\/li><li><em>La glace<\/em> (ice cream)<\/li><li><em>La cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e<\/em> (cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Order your meal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After you&#8217;ve perused the menu, the waiter will come and ask you <em>Vous avez choisi ?<\/em> (Did you choose?) or <em>Avez-vous fait votre choix ?<\/em> (Have you made your choice?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re not ready yet, simply tell them <em>Pas encore<\/em> (Not yet) or <em>Bient\u00f4t<\/em> (Soon) and they will return a few minutes later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re ready, tell them <em>Oui<\/em> (Yes) and proceed with your order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To attract the staff&#8221;s attention at any point during your time at the restaurant, here&#8217;s a 3-steps guide:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Try to <strong>lock eyes with the waiter<\/strong>. If they are in a rush, that might prove difficult. But at any good restaurant, the staff should be attentive and look around tables pretty often in case they are needed.<\/li><li><strong>Say <em>Excusez-moi ?<\/em><\/strong><strong> (Excuse me?) <\/strong>to signal them you need something.<\/li><li>If they are too far away to hear you but can see you, <strong>raise your hand a little in their direction<\/strong>. That should do the trick.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The waiter will then come to you, usually saying <em>Je vous \u00e9coute<\/em> (I&#8217;m listening to you). Proceed to tell them what you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro tip: If you&#8217;re not sure which dish to choose, you can always ask them for a recommendation by saying <em>Que recommandez-vous ?<\/em><\/strong><strong> or <em>Qu&#8217;est-ce que vous recommandez ?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To order your food, you can go with:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong><em>Je voudrais \u2026<\/em><\/strong><strong> (I&#8217;d like \u2026)<\/strong><\/li><li><strong><em>Je vais prendre \u2026<\/em><\/strong><strong> (I&#8217;m going to take \u2026)<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To build your perfect sentence, use the following structure: <\/strong><strong><em>Je voudrais\/Je vais prendre<\/em><\/strong><strong> + <\/strong><strong><em>un\/une\/des\/du<\/em><\/strong><strong> + name of your dish (usually as is written on the menu) + <\/strong><strong><em>s&#8217;il vous pla\u00eet<\/em><\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Je voudrais un magret de canard<\/em> <em>s&#8217;il vous pla\u00eet <\/em>(I&#8217;d like the fillet of duck breast please).<\/li><li><em>Je vais prendre des escargots<\/em> <em>s&#8217;il vous pla\u00eet<\/em> (I&#8217;m going to take some snails please).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To make sure you&#8217;re polite enough, don&#8217;t forget to say <em>s&#8217;il vous pla\u00eet<\/em> (please) at the end of your sentence and any time you ask something from the staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you&#8217;re ordering meat, the waiter will ask you <em>Quelle cuisson ?<\/em><\/strong><strong> to know how you&#8217;d like your meat cooked.<\/strong> You can answer with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Bleu<\/em> (rare)<\/li><li><em>Saignant<\/em> (medium rare)<\/li><li><em>\u00c0 point<\/em> (medium)<\/li><li><em>Bien cuit<\/em> (well done)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro tip: To really enjoy the flavor of the meat, go for <\/strong><strong><em>Saignant<\/em><\/strong><strong> or <\/strong><strong><em>\u00c0 point.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More useful vocabulary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul><li><em>Je n&#8217;ai pas encore choisi<\/em> (I haven&#8217;t chosen yet)<\/li><li><em>On a fait notre choix<\/em> (We made our choice)<\/li><li><em>Pour moi, ce sera \u2026<\/em> (For me, it will be \u2026), then name your dish.<\/li><li><em>Quel est le plat du jour? <\/em>(What is the dish of the day?)<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For the desserts, you&#8217;ll be able to order them after you finish your main course.<\/strong> The waiter will ask you <em>Vous prendrez un dessert ?<\/em> (Will you have dessert?) and will bring you the desserts menu for you to make your choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note: In France, it&#8217;s still pretty uncommon to ask for a doggy bag and most restaurants didn&#8217;t necessarily offer it until very recently. As of July 2021, restaurants are required to offer a doggy bag to their customers, if asked. [<a href=\"https:\/\/news.in-24.com\/news\/92455.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Specify your dietary preferences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You have dietary preferences, but you don&#8217;t know if your dish contains ingredients not suited to you? Then mention it to the waiter and they will advise you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Je suis v\u00e9g\u00e9tarien<\/em> (m) \/ <em>Je suis v\u00e9g\u00e9tarienne<\/em> (f) (I&#8217;m vegetarian)<\/li><li><em>Je suis v\u00e9g\u00e9talien<\/em> (m) \/ <em>Je suis v\u00e9g\u00e9talienne<\/em> (f) (I&#8217;m vegan)<\/li><li><em>Je suis diab\u00e9tique<\/em> (I&#8217;m diabetic)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you have any food allergies, you need to check in with the waiter to make sure your dish is a safe option for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Say <em>Je suis allergique \u00e0 \u2026<\/em> (I&#8217;m allergic to \u2026) and state the name of the food you&#8217;re allergic to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Don&#8217;t skip this step! Many ingredients can go in a seemingly simple recipe and you wouldn&#8217;t want your enjoyable meal to turn into a nightmare!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Order your drinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To order your drinks, use the same structure as before <\/strong><strong><em>Je voudrais \u2026<\/em><\/strong><strong> or <\/strong><strong><em>Je vais prendre \u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to drinks, you have plenty of choices!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Before your meal, you can try <\/strong><strong><em>un ap\u00e9ritif.<\/em><\/strong><em> <\/em>This is a pre-dinner drink of your choosing, meant to open up your appetite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>With your meal, you might want to drink:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Du vin<\/em> (wine)<\/li><li><em>Une bi\u00e8re<\/em> (beer)<\/li><li><em>Un soda<\/em> (soda)<\/li><li><em>De l&#8217;eau <\/em>(water)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When you order water, you can ask for <\/strong><strong><em>une carafe d&#8217;eau. <\/em><\/strong><strong>This is a free jug of tap water. <\/strong>Most restaurants will serve this, so don&#8221;t hesitate to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you prefer a bottle of water, ask for <\/strong><strong><em>de l&#8217;eau plate<\/em><\/strong><strong> (still water) or <\/strong><strong><em>de l&#8217;eau gazeuse<\/em><\/strong><strong> (sparkling water).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike the tap water, water bottles are not free. But to be honest, they usually taste much better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro tip: If you don&#8217;t specify <\/strong><strong><em>une carafe d&#8217;eau<\/em><\/strong><strong>, the waiter will likely bring you a bottle of water you&#8217;ll have to pay for. <\/strong>Depending on where you&#8217;re eating, the price can be expensive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I once ate at the top of the Tour Montparnasse and forgot to ask for tap water. When the check came, I discovered the water bottle was 6 \u20ac! Which is a little overkill for water if you ask me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>After your meal, you can try <\/strong><strong><em>un digestif<\/em><\/strong><strong>. <\/strong>This is a shot of a drink with a high alcohol percentage, meant to aid your digestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alternatively, you can also order <\/strong><strong><em>un caf\u00e9 <\/em><\/strong><strong>(coffee), the favorite drink of French people when they&#8217;re done eating.<\/strong> You might also like <em>un cappuccino<\/em> (cappuccino), <em>un caf\u00e9 cr\u00e8me<\/em> (white coffee), <em>un expresso<\/em> (expresso) or <em>un caf\u00e9 au lait<\/em> (latte).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Talk about your food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your dish is here! You tasted it, and now you want to express your opinion. <\/strong>Here are some common sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If your food is good, you might say:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>C&#8217;est d\u00e9licieux <\/em>(It&#8217;s delicious)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est excellent<\/em> (It&#8217;s excellent)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est tr\u00e8s bon<\/em> (It&#8217;s very good)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est un d\u00e9lice<\/em> (It&#8217;s a delight)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If there&#8217;s any issue, you can also complain about the food:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Je n&#8217;ai pas command\u00e9 \u00e7a<\/em> (I didn&#8217;t order this)<\/li><li><em>Ce n&#8217;est pas ce que j&#8217;ai command\u00e9<\/em> (It&#8217;s not what I ordered)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est froid <\/em>(The food is cold)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est trop cuit <\/em>(It&#8217;s overcooked)<\/li><li><em>Ce n&#8217;est pas assez cuit<\/em> (It&#8217;s undercooked)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est trop sal\u00e9<\/em> (It&#8217;s too salty)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est trop sucr\u00e9<\/em> (It&#8217;s too sweet)<\/li><li><em>C&#8217;est fade<\/em> (It&#8217;s bland)<\/li><li><em>Je n&#8217;ai pas aim\u00e9 ce plat<\/em> (I didn&#8217;t like this dish)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Order takeout<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You don&#8217;t feel like sitting in a restaurant, but still want to enjoy some food?<\/strong> You have several options available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, <strong>if you want to order on site, look for <\/strong><strong><em>vente \u00e0 emporter <\/em><\/strong><strong>written on the door or the window to make sure the restaurant offers takeouts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, you can also <strong>look for a restaurant on the Web, check their menu and call to order.<\/strong> If you don&#8217;t know if takeout is possible, ask <em>Vous faites de la vente \u00e0 emporter ? <\/em>(Do you do takeout?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Place your order, then pick it up yourself or have the restaurant deliver it to you. Note that<strong> it&#8217;s still rare for restaurants in France to personally offer a hand-delivery service<\/strong>. But that&#8217;s where the next option comes in handy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, <strong>order through a takeout website or app<\/strong> for maximum convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>While your restaurant may not have a personal hand-delivery service, it&#8217;s very likely to have a third-party delivery service<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The most populars websites are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ubereats.com\/fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Uber Eats<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/deliveroo.fr\/fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deliveroo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.just-eat.fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Just Eat<\/a>.<\/strong> You&#8217;ll find plenty of restaurants to choose from according to your location and preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll have to enter your address to see all the restaurants nearby and available to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Select what you want to eat, what time you&#8217;d like to receive your food and enter your details (address, phone number and payment info). Then chill out until your food arrives!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pay your check<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The waiter won&#8217;t bring you the check until you ask for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In France, it&#8217;s common to remain seated and discuss with your party at the end of the meal before leaving the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When you&#8217;re ready to pay, tell the waiter:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>Je pourrais avoir l&#8217;addition s&#8217;il vous pla\u00eet ?<\/em> (Can I have the check please?)<\/li><li><em>L&#8217;addition, s&#8217;il vous pla\u00eet <\/em>(The check, please)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common payment methods are <em>en esp\u00e8ces<\/em> (by cash) and <em>par carte de cr\u00e9dit<\/em> (by credit card). If you pay by cash, the waiter will bring you back <em>la monnaie<\/em> (the change).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike in the United States, <strong>the service charge is included in your check. This means you don&#8217;t have to tip anything if you don&#8217;t want to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, <strong>if you really enjoyed the restaurant and the staff, it&#8217;s always a good idea to leave <\/strong><strong><em>un pourboire<\/em><\/strong><strong> (a tip) of 1\u20ac, 2\u20ac or more to show your appreciation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More useful vocabulary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul><li><em>Vous avez termin\u00e9 ?<\/em> (Are you finished?)<\/li><li><em>\u00c7a a \u00e9t\u00e9 ?<\/em> (Was everything ok?)<\/li><li><em>Je t&#8217;invite \/ Je vous invite<\/em> (It&#8217;s my treat)<\/li><li><em>Chacun paye sa part<\/em> (We&#8217;re going Dutch)<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The bottom line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, you know exactly how to order food in French!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You&#8217;re prepared for every major scenario you could face at a restaurant.<\/strong> This means <strong>you can go to a French restaurant with confidence and enjoy the experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All you have to do is choose where you want to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have any more questions about eating out in France?<br>Share it in the comments section below and I&#8217;ll answer it!&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article is designed to teach you everything you need to know about eating out in France, including useful vocabulary and tips from a native speaker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/how-to-order-food-in-french-featured.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Joanna","author_link":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/author\/joanna\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2822"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2822"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2854,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2822\/revisions\/2854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2822"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/frenchscope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=2822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}