Every first-time traveler to France has a moment of understanding when sitting down to eat that the etiquette standards followed at home do not always apply abroad. The rules are different, and to thrive in the new country, visitors must adapt by doing things the way the locals do.
Attend a dinner
When invited to dinner, bring a gift for the hostess. Good ideas include flowers, a nice bottle of wine, or an agreed-upon dessert or cheese plate or something that was bought at the local market. However, if the invitation is for appetizers, a pre-dinner drink with finger food that can last between 30 minutes and three hours, a gift is not necessary. A French dinner often consists of a salad with vinaigrette for the starter, main course, cheese plate, dessert, and coffee. Bread, wine and mineral water are offered throughout the meal.
Table Manners
After formally sitting at the table, wait until the lady of the house places your napkin on your lap, and then you and the other guests should do the same. If a request is made to “pass the salt”, just pass the requested spice. While in the United States, salt and pepper are sometimes “married,” meaning they always stay together on the table, that is not the case in France.
Toasted
Wait for the host to lead the way, be it an aperitif or a dinner course. Once everyone has served a drink, the host will usually give a short toast after which the clinking of glasses will begin. It’s polite to make eye contact while saying ” Santé .” And do not forget that if you are four years old or older, you should not cross while crashing, which is said to bring bad luck. Rather, click above or below the other jingling people.
The rules of bread
At a dinner party, the bread is placed directly on the tablecloth, unless it is a formal meal using bread plates. Bread should be broken into smaller pieces before eating, as it is considered very impolite to bite directly off a piece of bread. However, don’t worry about the crumbs; If you are having a croissant for breakfast in a cafeteria, it will probably be served on a plate.
After each dish, you should clean your plate with a piece of bread. However, this should be done gently as a means of cleaning the plate for the next dish, not pouring out the leftover sauce. It is more polite to use a piece of bread on your fork, rather than in your hand. In a more formal setting, each course is served on a new plate, so there is no need to clean it.
Papas fritas aka Pommes Frites
While fast food has made its mark in France, finger food is still strictly limited when at the table. When in doubt, follow your host’s lead.
