French food has a reputation for being some of the best cuisine out there, which might be why you’ll find French restaurants all over the world, not just in France. You’ve probably even seen French words, like à la carte or à la mode, on non-French menus. In this article, we’ll give you the words and tips you’ll need to know for how to order in French at a restaurant, whether you’re sitting inside the Eiffel Tower or eating pie à la mode at your local diner.
And, to help you nail the pronunciation of your favorite French pastries and hors d’œuvre, try out Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent technology. You’ll get immediate feedback on pronunciation and learn how to order food in French in an immersive environment.
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Common French food vocabulary and phrases
From les boissons (drinks) to les plats (entrées), you’ll encounter a wide range of vocabulary on French menus. Get familiar with the words that are most important to you if you’re more of a carnivore than a végétarien (vegetarian)—or if you’re most interested in tasty desserts.
Words for drinks in French
| French | English |
| un apéritif | pre-dinner drink (aperitif) |
| la bière | beers |
| les boissons chaudes | hot drinks |
| les boissons fraîches | cold drinks |
| le café | coffee/espresso |
| le café au lait | coffee with milk |
| le café noir | black coffee |
| le cocktail | cocktail |
| l’eau gazeuse | sparkling water |
| la limonade | lemonade |
| le jus | juice |
| l’eau plate | still water |
| le soda | soda |
| le vin | wine |
| le vin blanc | white wine |
| le vin rouge | red wine |
French words for meat and seafood
| French | English |
| l’agneau | lamb |
| le bifteck | steak |
| le bœuf | beef |
| les fruits de mer | seafood |
| les escargots | snails |
| le jambon | ham |
| le poisson | fish |
| le porc | pork |
| le poulet | chicken |
| le veau | veal |
| les viandes | meats |
Fruits and vegetables in French
| French | English |
| l’ananas | banana |
| les asperges | asparagus |
| l’aubergine | eggplant |
| la carotte | carrot |
| la cerise | cherry |
| le champignon | mushroom |
| le chou-fleur | cauliflower |
| le citron | lemon |
| le concombre | cucumber |
| les épinards | spinach |
| la fraise | strawberry |
| les fruits | fruits |
| les haricots verts | green beans |
| la laitue | lettuce |
| les légumes | vegetables |
| l’orange | orange |
| les raisins | grapes |
| les petit pois | peas |
| la poire | pear |
| la pomme | apple |
| la pomme de terre | potato |
Desserts in French
| French | English |
| le gâteau | cake |
| la glace | ice cream |
| le plateau de fromages | cheese plate |
| la tarte | pie |
Restaurant and tableware vocabulary
| French | English |
| du jour | of the day |
| fait maison | homemade |
| l’addition | check / bill |
| l’argent liquide | cash |
| le bistro | small restaurant |
| la brasserie | pub |
| le café | café |
| la carte / le menu | menu |
| la carte de crédit | credit card |
| le couteau | knife |
| la cuillère | spoon |
| le déjeuner | lunch |
| le dessert | dessert |
| le dîner | dinner |
| la fourchette | fork |
| le goûter | snack |
| le hors d’œuvre / l’entrée | appetizer |
| le petit-déjeuner | breakfast |
| le plat | main course |
| le repas | meal |
| le restaurant | restaurant |
| une formule | pre-set menu |
| la serviette | napkin |
| la table | table |
Basic phrases you’ll hear or use when ordering at a French restaurant
| French | English |
| Avez-vous terminé ? | Have you finished? |
| Bien sûr. | Of course. |
| Est-ce que vous avez choisi ? | Are you ready to order? |
| Est-ce que vous voulez boire du vin avec ça ? | Do you want wine with that? |
| Est-ce que vous voulez boire quelque chose ? | Do you want something to drink? |
| Excusez-moi! | Excuse me! |
| Je prendrai la formule, s’il vous plaît. | I’ll take the set menu, please. |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| Le plat du jour. | Today’s special. |
| Merci. | Thank you. |
| Oui. Je prendrais un café, s’il vous plaît. | Yes. I’ll take an espresso, please. |
| Quel est le plat principal ? | What is the main dish? |
| Qu’est-ce que vous me conseillez ? | What do you recommend? |
| Très bien. | Very good. |
| Très bien, je prendrai le plat du jour, s’il vous plaît. | Very good, I’ll take today’s special, please. |
| Un verre de rosé, s’il vous plaît. | A glass of rosé (wine), please. |
| Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît. | A carafe of water, please. |
| Voici la carte. | Here’s the menu. |
How to order food in a French restaurant from start to finish
Now that you’re familiar with some common phrases and vocabulary, let’s go through the different stages of ordering food in French, from getting a table to paying the check. We’ve also included some tips to be aware of when you’re dining in France.
Getting a table
Most bistros and cafes will not require a reservation, but you will have to ask the host for a table. More upscale or popular restaurants will require a reservation. So, it’s a good idea to call ahead first.
Here are some questions and statements you may hear from the hôte (host) or serveur (waiter) when you’re claiming your reservation or booking a table:
| French | English |
| Avez-vous réservé ? | Do you have a reservation? |
| Combien êtes-vous ? | How many are you? |
| C’est pour X personnes ? | For X people? |
| Est-ce que vous préférez être en terrasse ou à l’intérieur ? | Would you like to sit outside or inside? |
| Installez-vous. | Take a seat. |
| Où désirez-vous vous asseoir ? | Where would you like to sit? |
| Prenez place. | Take your place. |
Here are a few phrases you might respond with:
| French | English |
| Oui, nous avons réservé. | Yes, we have a reservation. |
| Non, nous n’avons pas réservé. | No, we don’t have a reservation. |
| Nous aimerions nous asseoir à côté de la fenêtre. | We would like to sit next to the window. |
| Nous préférerions être à l’intérieur. | We would like to sit inside. |
| Nous préférerions être en terrasse. | We would like to sit outside. |
Greeting your server
Once you’ve been seated at your table, it’s polite (and expected) to greet your server. Here are a couple ways to say “hello” in French that you could use:
| French | English |
| bonjour | good day |
| bonsoir | good evening |
Starting your order
Once you’ve said “hello,” your waiter will ask if you’re ready to order. It’s customary to begin the meal with an apéritif, an alcoholic beverage to stimulate appetite. If you don’t want an apéritif, ordering water is fine.
Here are a few phrases your server may use:
| French | English |
| Avez-vous fait votre choix ? | Have you decided? |
| Désirez-vous quelque chose à boire ? | Would you like something to drink? |
| Je vous écoute. | I’m listening. (Go ahead.) |
| Vous avez choisi ? | Have you chosen? |
| Voulez-vous une entrée ? | Would you like an appetizer? |
Once you know what you’d like to order you can respond with:
| French | English |
| Est-ce que je peux avoir…? | Can I have…? |
| Je n’ai pas encore choisi. | I haven’t decided yet. |
| Je vais prendre… | I will have… |
| Je voudrais… | I would like… |
| Pour moi ça sera… | For me, it’ll be… |
Remember to say s’il vous plaît (please) after you order!
Ordering the main course
The main course of a French meal is usually a dish with viande (meat) or les fruits de mer (fish) served with wine. If you order meat, your waiter will likely ask you how you’d like it cooked.
Here’s what that conversation may sound like:
| French | English |
| Je voudrais un steak, s’il vous plaît. | I would like a steak, please. |
| Quel type de cuisson ? | How would you like it cooked? |
| Pour la cuisson ? | How would you like it cooked? |
| bleu(e) | blue rare |
| saignant(e) | rare |
| à point | medium |
| bien cuit(e) | well done |
Say bon appétit!
You’ve probably heard the phrase bon appétit before. Maybe you’ve even said it! Before you dig into your meal, it’s customary for you and your dining companions to wish each other a good meal.
Here’s a few ways to toast your meal:
| French | English |
| Bon appétit | Enjoy! |
| Je vous souhaite un bon appétit. | I hope you enjoy your meal. |
| Je vous souhaite une bonne dégustation. | I hope you enjoy your wine tasting. |
| Santé | Cheers! |
Finishing the meal
At the end of a meal, it’s very common (especially in France) to drink a cup of coffee with dessert or a cheese plate. You and your waiter might use these phrases when you’re done eating:
| French | English |
| Avez-vous terminé ? | Have you finished? |
| Ça a été ? | Was everything okay? |
| C’était très bon. | It was very good. |
| Est-ce qu’on peut avoir l’addition ? | Can we have the check? |
| Est-ce que vous voulez un café ? | Do you want a coffee? |
| Non, merci. L’addition s’il vous plaît. | No, thanks. The check, please. |
| Oui, s’il vous plaît. | Yes, please. |
| Oui, c’était délicieux. | Yes, it was delicious. |
In France, le pourboire (the tip) is not mandatory, but you can leave a tip when satisfied with your experience.
How to ask about dietary restrictions in French
For a French chef, the more gluten, dairy, or meat a meal has, the better. This can make it challenging for some people. If you have dietary restrictions, like allergies or vegetarian needs, here are some practical French phrases and vocabulary to help you communicate correctly:
| French | English |
| Je suis allergique à… | I’m allergic to… |
| les arachides | peanut |
| les crustacés | shellfish |
| le gluten | gluten |
| l’oeufs | eggs |
| Est-ce qu’il y a de la viande dans ce plat ? | Is there meat in this dish? |
| Je suis diabétique. | I am diabetic. |
| Je suis végétarien/ne. | I’m vegetarian. |
| Je suis végan/e. | I’m vegan. |
| Est-ce que je peux remplacer le riz par des légumes ? | Can I substitute rice with vegetables? |
How to ask for recommendations
If it’s your first time ordering French food, you may want to ask your server for recommendations or have them describe entrees on the menu.
| French | English |
| Est-ce qu’il y a de l’ail dans ce plat ? | Is there garlic in this dish? |
| Qu’est-ce que la tartiflette ? | What’s tartiflette? |
| Que me recommandez-vous/conseillez-vous ? | What would you recommend? |
Another option is ordering from the pre-fixed menu. In many French-speaking countries, restaurants often offer un menu du jour (a menu of the day) at a set price where you can choose:
- entrée et plat (appetizer and main dish)
- plat et dessert (main dish and dessert)
- entrée, plat, et dessert (appetizer, main dish, and dessert)
Pre-set combo meals are referred to as les formules, but they might not be from the menu of the day. Restaurants will also offer le plat du jour (the special of the day), which often includes fresh local ingredients. Specials are often the chef’s best creations!
French food words that we use in English
As mentioned earlier, you’ve probably seen French words on English menus before. Some still make sense for what they mean in French, but others have taken on entirely new meanings.
À la carte
This is a term used in both French and English that is used to describe food items that can be ordered individually or on the side.
À la mode
In French, à la mode means “in fashion,” but on a lot of American menus this French phrase means “with ice cream.” The reason for this English definition is unknown, but it was coined in 1903 and has stuck ever since.
Au gratin
This is used to describe meals that are topped with breadcrumbs or cheese and cooked in the oven.
Crème brûlée
Literally meaning “burnt cream,” this dessert’s name comes from the charred sugar on the surface of the creamy dessert.
Cuisine
This means “kitchen” in French but can also be used to describe a type of food style such as French or Spanish cuisine.
Hors-d’œuvre
Hors-d’œuvre means “outside of the works” and is used in both English and French to talk about appetizers or starter foods.
Sauté
In French, the word sauté means “to jump,” but in cooking, it’s used to describe a way to cook in a pan over high heat with butter or oil.
Build your food vocabulary with Rosetta Stone
Eating food is both essential and fun when you’re traveling to a new city. Trying the flavors and unique dishes and foods in a different country is one of the funnest parts of travel! But it can be intimidating to order food confidently and know that you’re ensuring your dietary needs are met.
Our tutors can help you practice the phrases and vocabulary you need as you learn how to order in French. The Rosetta Stone App gives you lots of extra practice on common activities like ordering food with the Phrasebook feature. It’s the best way to build your French skills!
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