Words to Use in a Restaurant in France

Everyone likes to eat out from time to time. Now in a foreign nation, you’re bound to eat at restaurants. So if you’re someone who loves to eat out, these words will help you if you ever visit a restaurant in France. Let’s learn some useful French words to use at a restaurant.

1. Le restaurant

Meaning: an establishment where meals are served to customers.

English: restaurant 

Example: Je ne veux pas cuisiner aujourd’hui, allons au restaurant. (I don’t want to cook today, let’s go to the restaurant.)

2. La réservation

Meaning: an arrangement to secure accommodations at a restaurant or hotel, on a boat or plane, etc.

English: reservation

Example: Elle a fait une réservation pour eux deux dans son restaurant préféré pour leur anniversaire. (She made a reservation for the two of them at his favourite restaurant for their anniversary.)

3. la carte

Meaning: a list of the dishes served at a meal

English:  menu

Example: Hé, pouvez-vous s’il vous plaît me donner la carte. (Hey, can you please get me the menu.)

4. L’entrée 

Meaning: a small dish served as the first part of a meal

English: starter

Example: Je voudrais des tapas en entrée. (I’d like some nachos as a starter.)

5. Le plat

Meaning: the largest or most important part of a meal in which there are different parts served separately

English: main dish

Example: Nous aimerions une combinaison de riz et de nouilles comme plat principal. (We’d like a combination of rice and noodles as the main dish.)

6. Le fromage

Meaning: a food made from milk, or from a milk-like substance taken from plants, that can be either firm or soft and is usually yellow or white in colour

English: cheese

Example: Quel fromage préférez-vous avec votre vin ?(Which cheese would you prefer with your wine?)

7. Le dessert

Meaning: sweet food eaten at the end of a meal

English:  dessert

Example: Puis-je avoir des gaufres comme dessert maman ? (Can I please get some waffles as dessert mom?)

8. La boisson 

Meaning:  liquid that is taken into the body through the mouth

English: drinks

Example: Je voudrais du jus d’orange comme boisson. (I’d like orange juice as a drink.)

9.  l’addition

Meaning: a request for payment of money owed, or the piece of paper on which it is written

English: bill

Example: Ils ont tous les deux reçu une addition de 500 euros au restaurant (They both made a bill of 500 euros in the restaurant alone.)

10. Le serveur

Meaning: a man whose job is to bring the food to customers at their tables in a restaurant

English: waiter 

Example: Le serveur était plutôt gentil avec eux et les a très bien servis. (The waiter was rather sweet to them and served them quite well.)

11. Je vais prendre

Meaning: phrase used to say what you would like to order at a restaurant

English: i’m going to take 

Example: Je vais prendre des pâtes macaroni au fromage. (I’m going to have mac and cheese pasta.)

12. la spécialité du jour 

Meaning: The speciality dish for that particular day

English: today’s special

Example: La spécialité du jour est la pomme de terre au piment et au miel. (The speciality of the day is honey chilli potatoes.) 

13. carafe d’eau

Meaning: a container for holding water that has a handle and a shaped opening at the top for pouring:

English: water jug

Example: Souhaitez-vous une carafe d’eau ordinaire ou de l’eau en bouteille ?. (Would you like a regular water jug or bottled water?) 

14. Le pourboire

Meaning: to give someone who has provided you with a service an extra amount of money to thank them

English: tip

Example: Impressionnés par son service, ils lui ont laissé un pourboire décent. (Impressed by his service, they left him a decent tip.) 

15. Bon appétit

Meaning: a phrase, originally from French, meaning “good appetite”, said to someone who is about to eat, meaning “I hope you enjoy your food”

English: Enjoy your meal

Exemple: Bon appétit ! dit-il à tout le monde avant de prendre la première bouchée.. (Enjoy your meal! He said to everyone before taking the first bite.)

I hope you enjoyed learning words related to the restaurant in French. For more such vocabulary, keep reading our blog. You can easily learn French online with us. Stay tuned for more interesting blogs.