French Restaurant Vocabulary : Dining Etiquette & Polite Expressions in French to Use In a Restaurant
France is world-famous for its cuisine and fine wines but is very strict when it comes to the French dining etiquette. When dining in a restaurant it’s important to be aware of French Table Etiquette. Being aware of it can help you avoid offending your host and save you from any social “faux pas”. Here is a list of good French dining etiquette to keep in mind.
In this week’s post, I also share polite expressions in French to use with the waiters to practice your French in a French restaurant. Pronunciation is included in this post.
French Etiquette In a Restaurant in France
Wine etiquette
How to fill the glasses
Don’t fill your own glass. It is polite to fill the glasses of your fellow guests first, before filling your own. This rule applies to all drinks, whether it’s wine or water.
Toasting
Always look your toasting partner in the eye and try not to cross arms with anyone. Don’t drink your wine before the toast. It’s considered a social faux pas to have finished your glass before the toast has been made.
A votre santé
A common toast to use is “à votre santé” (which means “to your health”). This is more commonly shortened to just “santé.”
Glasses
Be sure to know your wine glasses. Small oval glasses are used for white wine and large round glasses are used for red wine.
Baguettiquette
Bread
Don’t eat the bread before your order arrives. It is not an appetizer. It’s supposed to accompany your entrée.
When you are literally breaking bread, leave it by the side of your plate.
Table manners
Keep your hands on the table at all times.
Make sure to use s’il vous plaît and merci when being served by the waiters.
Knife & fork
Always keep the knife in your right hand, and the fork in your left.
Lay the knife and fork parallel to each other on the right side of the plate once done with the meal.
Foie gras and cheese
Don’t spread your foie gras or cheese onto your bread, as if making a sandwich. They are not butter. They are meant to sit as a whole piece on the bread, then you bite directly into it.
Expressions in French to Speak Politely with Waiters in a French Restaurant
My expat students often comment how incredibly helpful waiters are when you at least attempt to say a few words in French. But some students have said that when they start to exchange a few words in French with waiters (especially if their French is at a beginners level) the waiter will continue speaking in French at a normal pace. The direct consequence is that you will immediately loose the thread of the conversation.
This is perhaps right but at least, you will have done your best to say a few words or sentences in French which can be considered a mark of politeness.
Here are a few sentences that you can use when eating in a French restaurant:
Bonjour or Bonsoir first of all
Politeness is not just a list of courtesy or sociability rules. Above all, it’s a matter of consideration. If you frequent French cafés, restaurants, shops, bakeries, you should be aware that a bonjour upon entering or speaking to waiters or staff is almost mandatory.
Une table pour deux s’il vous plaît – A table for two please
Once you arrive at the restaurant, the first thing to do is to walk through the door and wait to be seated by a waiter. He/she will first greet you and ask you how many people will be dining, to which you can reply: “Une table pour (1, 2 or more)” – (A table for 1,2).
If your French is at a more advanced stage, you can also form a whole sentence “Bonsoir, est-ce que vous auriez une table pour 2 personnes si’il vous plaît?” (Good evening, would you have a table for 2 persons please?)
You can also give more information regarding the place where you would like to seat: en terrasse – (on the terrace) or à l’intérieur – (inside).
J’ai une réservation – I have a reservation
If you have made a reservation online, it is the easiest part but once you arrive at the restaurant, it is a great opportunity to practice your French with the waiters. He/she might ask you, “Vous avez une réservation?” (Do you have a reservation?), to which you can answer “Oui, au nom de….” (Yes, in the name of …) The waiter will then ask you for the number of persons the table was booked for.
S’il vous plaît (Please) and Excusez-moi ( Excuse-me)
When it comes to interacting with your French waiter or waitress, make sure that you maintain a polite tone of voice and always thanking your waiter is crucial to receive great service in France. Attract your waiter’s attention by saying “Excusez-moi?” (Excuse me?) and remember to say “S’il vous plaît” (please) after you have made your order.
Ordering in French
Now that you’ve successfully ordered drinks and selected from the menu, it’s time to order your food. Here are some phrases that will help throughout the rest of your meal:
Je voudrais - I would like
Je vais prendre - I will take
Je n’ai pas encore choisi -I haven’t chosen yet
Une minute encore, s’il vous plaît - One more minute, please
Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez ? -What would you recommend?
Quelle est la spécialité du jour ? - What is today’s special?
C’est terminé -I/We have finished
L’addition, s’il vous plaît - The bill, please
Le menu -the menu
Here are some helpful words for navigating the menu:
La carte -Menu
À la carte - From the menu (selections can consist of any type of meal combination of your choice)
L’entrée – Starter
Le plat principal - Main dish
Le plat du jour - Dish of the day (the words du jour of the day) following an option on the menu, it means that the type of dish changes every day.
Le fromage - Cheese plate
Le dessert -Dessert
When ordering, you should use:
En entrée, je voudrais - For the starter, I would like
Pour le plat, je vais prendre - (For the main dish, I will have)
En dessert, je voudrais - (For the dessert, I would like)
Les boissons et le vin - drinks and wine
When ordering water with your meal, there are a few options to know about.
Asking for a carafe d’eau (jug of water) will get you a pitcher of water taken from the tap at no extra cost.
If you do want bottled water, you can select either plate (still) or gazeuse (sparkling). If you don’t specify, your waiter will normally ask you which one you would prefer.
Le vin – wine
Wine in France is a religion. In all restaurants, you will be asked “Voulez-vous du vin?” (Would you like some wine?). You can choose to have it “au verre” (a single glass of wine), or “à la bouteille” (the whole bottle).
In “Un Grand Restaurant”, you will have “un sommelier “(a wine steward) giving you advice on which wine to choose according to the type of meats and flavors you ordered. If you hesitate or simply need recommendations, do not hesitate to ask the sommelier. I recommend using the following questions:
Est-ce que vous avez la carte des vins s’il vous plait ? (Do you have the wine list please?)
Est-ce que vous servez du vin au verre ? (Do you serve wine by the glass?)
Est-ce que vous avez des demi-bouteilles? (Do you offer half-bottles of wine?)
Quelles sont vos suggestions pour le vin? (What are your wine suggestions?)
Quel vin est-ce que vous me conseillez pour aller avec ce plat? (Which wine do you recommend to go with this dish?)
Quelle cuisson – How would you like your meat cooked?
If you order a steak, your waiter will ask you “Quelle cuisson ?” (How would you like your meat cooked?) While rosé, à point and bien cuit will get you a rare, medium and well done steak respectively, it’s worth noting that a lot of French cooking will present meat which is a little less well done than you might be used to elsewhere.
If you like your steak really rare, you can order it bleu; fried in the pan for the briefest of moments. Steak cooked like this is very bloody and popular with the locals.
Rosé - Rare (cooking)
À point -Medium (cooking)
Bien cuit – (Well done)
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