Are you a little nervous about eating in Paris or elsewhere in France, worried that you can’t survive without fluent French?
The truth is that most waiters in restaurants in the French capital know basic English, so ordering or paying is rarely a problem if your French does not exist. Still, to really embrace the ‘when in Rome’ spirit, why not learn some useful words and phrases commonly used in restaurants? You’ll have a more interesting experience if you can use some of this basic Paris restaurant vocabulary, and you may find the staff to be even warmer when they see that you are making an effort to master some French.
Use this guide to learn basic expressions and understand most restaurant menu signs and headings in Paris. Also see our top 5 tips to avoid unpleasant service in Paris, and to learn how to distinguish between really rude behavior and basic cultural differences that can lead to misunderstandings.
Basic signs to learn and observe in Paris restaurants:
(Table) reserved: Reserved (table)
Terrasse chauffée: heated patio (seating)
Toilettes / WC: Bath / Toilet
Prix salle: Prices for seated customers (instead of bar or takeaway prices)
Prix bar: Prices for customers who order and sit at the bar (generally only applies to coffee and other drinks)
Prix à emporter: prices of menu items to go. Please note that many restaurants in Paris do not offer takeout. Please see the sections below for information on how to apply.
(Restoration) free service: Self-service (meals): usually found in buffet-style restaurants
Horaires d’ouverture / ferméture: Opening / closing hours (usually found on the outside door).
Please note that many restaurant kitchens in Paris close after 2pm and 10pm and restaurants often close their doors completely between 3pm and 7pm.
Continuous Service : Continuous Service (indicates a restaurant that serves food between “normal” meal times, usually between 2pm and 2pm.
M. And 7 p.m. M. Défense de fumer / Zone non fumeur: Non- smoking / non-smoking area. (Note that in Paris, smoking has been completely banned in all public spaces since early 2008).
Read related: How to tip in restaurants and cafes in Paris?
Arriving at the restaurant: basic words and expressions:
Tabla para uno / dos / tres, por favor: Hello, a table for one / two / three people, please (Uhn tahbluh poor…. Seel voo pleh)
¿Tiene una mesa cerca de la ventana, por favor ?: Do you have a table by the window, please? (Ah-vay voo oohn tahbl-uh vehr lah fuhn-ehtr-uh, seel voo pleh?)
(¿Podemos tener) el menú, por favor?: The menu, please? (Luh kart, seel voo pleh?)
¿Dónde está el baño, por favor?: Where are the toilets, please? (Oo sohn lay twah-leht, seel voo pleh?)
¿Cuáles son los especiales de hoy? What are the specials of the day, please? (Kell sohn lay plah doo day, seel voo pleh?)
¿Tiene menús con precios fijos?: Do you have fixed price menus?
(Ah-vay voo day meh-noo ah pree feex?)
Do you have a menu in English ?: Avez-vous un ménu in Anglais? (Ah-vay voo unh meh-noo ahn ahn-glay?)
Is it possible to order take out? Is it possible to assign in advance to the exporters? (Ess poh-see-bluh duh shrimp-druh day plaugh ah ahm-pohr-teh?)
Read related: Use of public toilets in Paris: are they decent?
Reading and ordering menus in restaurants in Paris:
La Carte: menu
Menu / s: menu / s (fixed price)
Servicio included / not included:service tax included / not included (restaurants generally have “service compris”)
Aperitifs:before meals drinks
Entries:Starters
Place:main courses
Dessert:Dessert
Cheeses:cheeses (often presented alongside dessert items)
digestives:after dinner
Meats:meat dishes
vegetables:vegetables
Fish and Crustaceans:fish and shellfish
Children’s dishes:children’s plates
Vegetarian dishes:vegetarian dishes
Drinks:drinks / drinks menu
(Wine list):wine (menu)
Red wines:red wines
White wines:white groan
Sparkling wine:sparkling wine
Rosé vinsWine
pinkish/ blushMineral water:mineral water
Sparkling water:soda
Still water:Still water
Pitcher of water:jug of water (from the tap)
You:juice / s
Beer / s:beer / s
Coffee:expressed
Long coffee:espresso diluted with hot water
Hazelnut coffee:espresso with a small spoonful of milk
Read related: Vocabulary You will have to order French bread and cakes at Boulangeries
Order
Tendré (x), por favor / Me gustaría (x), por favor: I will take (x), please / I would like x, please (Zhuh prahn-dreh (x), seel voo pleh / Zhuh voo-dreh (x), seel voo pleh)
¿Cuáles son las ofertas especiales de hoy? What are the specials of the day, please? (Kell sohn lay plah doo day, seel voo pleh?)
No ordené esto. Tenía (elemento x): I did not order this. I took (x) (Zhuh n’ay pah koh-mahn-day sah. Zhay pree (x))
¿Podemos tener sal y pimienta por favor ?: Salt and pepper, please. (Doo sehl eh doo pwahv-ruh, seel voo pleh?)
Read related: How to order bread and cakes in Parisian bakeries
Asking for the check and leaving tips
Compruebe, por favor: Addition, please? (Lah-dee-sy-ohn, seel voo pleh?)
¿ Aceptar tarjetas de crédito ?: ¿ Aceptar tarjetas de crédito ? (Ahk-septay voo day cahrt de creh-dee?)
¿Puedo obtain an official recibo, por favor ?: Can I have an invoice, please? (Juh peuh ah-vwah uhn fak-tuh-ruh, seel voo pleh?)
Disculpe, pero este proyecto de ley no es correcto: Excuse me, but the addition is not correct (Ek-skew-zay mwah, may lah-dee-sy-ohn n’ay pah ko-rekt.)
Gracias, adiós: Thank you, goodbye (Mehr-si, oh ruh-vwah)
How to leave a tip?
Not sure how much is left after your meal? You can see more about tipping in Paris here.
