Jos Deuling,  Friday, 13 December 2019

 

Where can you eat?

Le restaurant — This is where you go for a full French evening meal. Restaurants that prepare their meals on-site using local products can be recognized by the symbol below. It is often accompanied by the text: plat fait maison, fait maison, or simply maison.

 

Le bistro(t) — These smaller, simple restaurants serve good food for less money than a full restaurant.

La brasserie — Literally translated as "brewery." A simple dining place where you can have a drink and order something from the menu. The menu is not extensive, and they are open all day until late at night.

Le café — For drinks and snacks, similar to what you’d find in the Netherlands.

La crêperie — For crêpes and waffles (galettes). A crêpe is a thin pancake and much smaller. It is often filled with something sweet and served folded as a dessert.

Le bar — A place where you go if you just want to have a drink.

Le bar à vin — Specializes in wine. In some wine bars, you can have a full meal, or they serve snacks.

Opening hours

In rural areas, restaurants typically have the following opening hours:

Lunch: Starts between 12:00 and 12:30. After 13:30, you often can't order anymore. It's best to arrive around 13:00.

Dinner: Starts around 19:30. Most people arrive around 20:00. After 21:00, you may be too late and unable to order.

In cities, restaurants tend to stay open longer. Most are closed one day a week.

Restaurant etiquette

Never just sit anywhere in a restaurant; wait until a table is offered to you.

If you only want a drink, don’t sit at a table with a tablecloth. These tables are reserved for guests who want to eat.

Ask for the menu (la carte, s’il vous plaît) and not the "menu," which refers to the daily special.

Close the menu when you’ve made your choice, or the waiter won’t come to take your order.

Try ordering a carafe of wine in the restaurant. Ask for a quarter, half, or whole ‘pichet.’ In the south of France, people typically drink red wine or rosé with their meal.

When ordering water, you'll usually get bottled water, which can be quite expensive. However, it's perfectly normal to ask for tap water. Simply request "une carafe d’eau."

If you want ice in your drink, you’ll need to ask for it specifically: "avec des glaçons." Rosé wine, however, is often served with ice, especially in the warm south.

The combination of bread and butter is only found at breakfast in France. In a restaurant, bread is served without butter and is placed next to your plate on the tablecloth.

If the waiter asks if you'd like more wine or bread, don't respond with "merci." In this context, merci means "no, thank you."

When you’re done eating, place your knife and fork diagonally on your plate to indicate that the waiter may clear your plate.

Dessert and coffee are two separate courses in a French restaurant, except for *Café Gourmand*, which is coffee served with three mini desserts.

In French restaurants, you are expected to enjoy your meal without being rushed. The staff usually won't bring the bill on their own, so don’t wait — ask for it: "l’addition, s’il vous plaît."

You don’t need to tip in France, as it's already included in the price (*service compris*). However, if you’d like to leave something extra, a few coins (2 or 3% of the bill) is appreciated. If you don’t tip, no one will hold it against you.

A handy vocabulary list:

j’ai faim – I am hungry

j’ai soif – I am thirsty

je voudrais du vin – I would like some wine

bon appétit – enjoy your meal

l’addition, s’il vous plaît – the bill, please