How To Order Food And Desserts At A Restaurant In French

Want to learn how to order food at a French restaurant — in French?

Or need to pick up some extra vocabulary and expressions to help you get your point across with a waiter? This should help you.

The French are renowned for their cuisine, so it goes without saying that this topic is covered by most French courses and vital for any beginner French learner to learn.

🥐 French people’s food habits and the meaning of “gourmand”

French people are what we call “gourmands”.

This word that has no direct translation in many languages, yet for the French it’s a beautiful pecularity of their language that they’re proud of!

To be a “gourmand” means that you can eat something that you like just for the pleasure of it, and not because you’re hungry. A close word would be greedy (or gluttonous), but it’s much more a kind compliment you can make to someone.

The French eat three times a day.

For “petit-déjeuner”, for “déjeuner” and for “dîner”. But for most gourmands, there will be a “goûter” around 4 p.m.

Restaurants are a staple of French culture - even more so in bigger cities such as Paris, Bordeaux or Lyon, which have been labeled as some of world’s gastronomy capitals.

🥐 What to expect from a traditional meal at a French restaurant

At noon, you will often have a “plat du jour” aside from what’s on the menu.

It’s a daily dish prepared according to the chef’s inspiration. It’s usually offered as “formules”: “entrée + plat” or “plat + dessert” or the three of them if the customer feels especially hungry.

If someone asks you if you want “la carte”, you can say yes.

“La carte” is another word or menu.

They will kindly wait for you to choose what you want. Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter for any suggestions.

The “mets - vins” (dishes and wines) is another French staple so don’t miss out on the opportunity to try a lovely wine paired specifically for the dish you’ll eat.

French meal vocabulary

🥐 Popular French cuisine

Of course, French people don’t eat at the restaurant every day.

They would eat at home most of the time and pride themselves on being very fine cooks.

Home food is diverse and flavorful. It varies from region to region and every family will have a different recipe for the same dish. This is what makes French food heritage so rich. It’s immediately apparent at restaurants when chefs outdo themselves to reinvent traditional and historical dishes.

It would take an encyclopedia to establish an accurate portrait of French cuisine.

But there is still some food that you’re likely to encounter in every home.

You will find some of the food and dishes here are widely eaten throughout the country. The French like to accompany their meat with vegetables such as ratatouille - delicately grilled potatoes (pommes de terre sautées).

The favorite meat of the French is “canard” - duck meat!

Duck is often found in restaurants, especially when it comes to south-western cuisine. The French also love “les cuisses de grenouille” - frog legs! This is not a myth.

But unfortunately you will hardly find any in France. They are a delight!

“Les fruits de mer” - seafood - is also one of the most popular foods in France. And, of course, “le foie gras” is a must.

Crème brûlée is a very common dessert. Well prepared, it can be delicious.

It’s extremely common to hear French people talk endlessly about food and eating in general. To talk about your preferences, use the verb “aimer” (to love) with or without a negation:

J’aime les crevettes

I like shrimp

Je n’aime pas les champignons

I don’t like mushrooms

French food and ingredient vocabulary

🥐 How to order at a restaurant in French without looking like an obnoxious tourist

The menu typically consists of four parts:

1. les entrées
2. les plats principaux
3. les desserts
4. les boissons

You might find additions to these sometimes - typically at upscale restaurants:

• les amuse-bouche
• la carte des fromages
• la carte des vins et des digestifs

To order, it’s mostly a matter of courtesy: simple sayings everybody uses to make the experience enjoyable for both parties.

The polite plural use is, of course, appreciated.

Don’t be surprised if a waiter comes and asks you if you want an apéritif. The apéritif is more than just a tradition in France; it is truly a way of life.

It’s all about having a small drink before the meal, to make the wait more enjoyable and start the conversation with your food partner of that day.

To ask for the bill, those courtesy sayings are once again appreciated. You don’t have to leave a tip, but it is, of course, more than welcome as a way of saying that you greatly enjoyed the food and the overall experience.

Additional French restaurant vocabulary

Useful French phrases for a restaurant

Je ne sais pas quoi prendre. Que me suggérez-vous ?

I do not know what to order. What would you suggest?

Je suis végétarien. Que me proposez-vous ?

I am a vegetarian. What’s available?

En plat principal, je prendrai une bavette avec une ratatouille provençale.

For the main dish, I’ll have a steak, with Provence ratatouille.

Pour le dessert, une crème brûlée, s’il vous plaît.

For the dessert, I would like the crème brûlée please.

Pouvez-vous nous apporter une bouteille d’eau s’il vous plaît ?

Would you be kind enough to bring us a bottle of water, please?

Servez-vous un plat du jour ?

Do you have a daily special?

Quelle est la suggestion du chef ?

What does the Chef recommend?

Où sont les toilettes, s’il vous plaît ?

Where are the toilets please?

Je voudrais l’addition, s’il vous plaît.

Can I have the bill please?

Je paye par carte/je paye en monnaie.

I’ll pay by card/I’ll pay cash.

🥐 Grammar tips

Showing courtesy in French

To express yourself politely is terribly important in France. But it is really a simple matter: the formal plural use of the verbs “vouloir” (to want) or “prendre” (to take) in the conditional present tense.

Here are a few examples:

Je veux du pain (indicatif présent, rude)

I want some bread

Becomes:

Je prendrais du pain

I would like to have some bread

French Partitive

The partitive article is an article one would use the express an abstract quantity: It’s used instead of indefinite articles “un, une, des”.

The partitive article: “de la, de l’, du”.

Je voudrais de l’eau, s’il vous plaît.

I would like some water please

Pourriez-vous apporter du pain?

Could you bring some bread please?

Je prendrai du fromage avant le dessert.

I’d like some cheese before dessert please.

Je voudrais de la bière pour l’apéritif.

I’d like a beer for the apéritif.

🥐 How to express quantity or quality of food in French

Here are a few more useful adjectives for describing food in French.

Obviously, there’s a lot more I could add but these are some of the most important.

Summary

Next time you’re at a French restaurant, try ordering in French (they might speak English anyway but challenge yourself!).

Hopefully the vocabulary and dialogues above are helpful.

If not, there are plenty of great French resources that cover food and restaurant topics in more detail.

Did I miss something important?

Comment below and let me know.

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