How to Order Food in French (with Example Conversations)

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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 dive into almost every French word you’ll need to know 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 treats, try out Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent technology. You’ll get immediate feedback on pronunciation and learn French in an immersive environment with short ten minute lessons.

Table of contents:

• Common French food vocabulary and phrases
• How to order: From hello to goodbye
• Asking about dietary restrictions
• Asking for recommendations
• French food words in English

Common French food vocabulary and phrases

From les boissons (drinks) to les plats (entrées), you’ll encounter a wide range of vocabulary on menus. First, dive into vocab and example conversations in the video below, where you’ll take a trip to Nice, France with Rosetta Stone. 

Ready to dive deeper into ordering food in French? Let’s review some common words and phrases. 

Basic phrases to order a meal in French:

French	English
Voici la carte.	Here’s the menu.
Merci.	Thank you.
Est-ce que vous voulez boire quelque chose ?	Do you want something to drink?
Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît.	A carafe of water, please.
Bien sûr.	Of course.
Merci.	Thank you.
Est-ce que vous avez choisi ?	Are you ready to order?
Qu’est-ce que vous me conseillez ?	What do you recommend?
Le plat du jour.	Today’s special.
Très bien, je prendrai le plat du jour,  s’il vous plaît.	Very good, I’ll take today’s special, please.
Quel est le plat principal ?	What is the main dish?
Je prendrai la formule, s’il vous plaît.	I’ll take the set menu, please.
Très bien.	Very good.
Est-ce que vous voulez boire du vin avec ça ?	Do you want wine with that?
Un verre de rosé, s’il vous plaît.	A glass of rosé, please.
Excusez-moi!	Excuse me!
Avez-vous terminé ?	Have you finished?
Oui. Je prendrais un café, s’il vous plaît.	Yes. I’ll take an espresso, please.
L’addition, s’il vous plaît.	The bill, please.

>>Check out this helpful French phrase guide to expand the conversation! 

Vocabulary for drinks in French:

French	English
un apéritif	pre-dinner drink (aperitif)
le vin	wine
le vin rouge	red wine
le vin blanc	white wine
les boissons chaudes	hot drinks
les boissons fraîches	cold drinks
le cocktail	cocktail
la bière	beers
l’eau plate	still water
l’eau gazeuse	sparkling water
le jus	juice
la limonade	lemonade
le soda	soda
le café	coffee / espresso
le café au lait	coffee with milk
le café noir	black coffee

Vocabulary for meat and seafood in French:

French	English
les viandes	meats
le bœuf	beef
le bifteck	steak
le porc	pork
le poulet	chicken
l’agneau	lamb
le jambon	ham
le veau	veal
les fruits de mer	seafood
le poisson	fish
les escargots	snails

Vocabulary for fruits and vegetables in French:

French	English
les légumes	vegetables
les fruits	fruits
la pomme	apple
l’ananas	banana
l’orange	orange
le citron	lemon
les raisins	grapes
la fraise	strawberry
la cerise	cherry
la poire	pear
la laitue	lettuce
les haricots verts	green beans
les asperges	asparagus
l’aubergine	eggplant
la carotte	carrot
le champignon	mushroom
le chou-fleur	cauliflower
le concombre	cucumber
les épinards	spinach
la pomme de terre	potato
les petit pois	peas

Vocabulary for desserts in French:

French	English
le plateau de fromages	cheese plate
la glace	ice cream
le gâteau	cake
la tarte	pie

Vocabulary for restaurants in French:

French	English
le café	café
la brasserie	pub
le bistro	small restaurant
le restaurant	restaurant
le hors d’œuvre / l’entrée	appetizer
le plat	main course
le repas	meal
le petit-déjeuner	breakfast
le déjeuner	lunch
le dîner	dinner
le goûter	snack
le dessert	dessert
la carte / le menu	menu
une formule	pre-set menu
fait maison	homemade
du jour	of the day
l’addition	check / bill
l’argent liquide	cash
la carte de crédit	credit card
la fourchette	fork
le couteau	knife
la cuillère	spoon
la serviette	napkin
la table	table

How to order: From hello to goodbye

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.

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’s an example of some things you may hear 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?
Où désirez-vous vous asseoir ?	Where would you like to sit?
Installez-vous.	Take a seat.
Prenez place.	Take your place.
Est-ce que vous préférez être en terrasse ou à l’intérieur ?	Would you like to sit outside or inside?

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 en terrasse.	We would like to sit outside.
Nous préférerions être à l’intérieur.	We would like to sit inside.

Greeting your server

Once you’ve been seated at your table you should say hello to your server! Here are a few different greetings 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
Désirez-vous quelque chose à boire ?	Would you like something to drink?
Voulez-vous une entrée ?	Would you like an appetizer?
Avez-vous fait votre choix ?	Have you decided?
Vous avez choisi ?	Have you chosen?
Je vous écoute.	I’m listening. (Go ahead.)

Once you know what you’d like to order you can respond with:

French	English
Je voudrais…	I would like…
Je vais prendre…	I will have…
Je n’ai pas encore choisi.	I haven’t decided yet.
Est-ce que je peux avoir…?	Can I have…?
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 meat or 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
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.
Bon appétit	Enjoy
Santé	Cheers

Finishing the meal

At the end of a meal, it is very common (especially in France) to drink a cup of coffee with dessert or a cheese plate. Here are some phrases you might hear at the end of your meal: 

French	English
Est-ce que vous voulez un café ?	Do you want a coffee?
Oui, s’il vous plaît.	Yes, please.
Non, merci. L’addition s’il vous plaît.	No, thanks. The check, please.
Avez-vous terminé ?	Have you finished?
Ça a été ?	Was everything okay?
C’était très bon.	It was very good.
Oui, c’était délicieux.	Yes, it was delicious.
Est-ce qu’on peut avoir l’addition ?	Can we have the check?

In France, le pourboire (the tip) is not mandatory, but you can leave a tip when satisfied with your experience. 

Asking about dietary restrictions in French

If you’ve ever stepped foot in a French restaurant, you probably know that to them, the more gluten, dairy, or meat a meal has, the better. If you have dietary restrictions, like allergies or a vegetarian diet, here are some practical French phrases and vocabulary to help you communicate your dietary needs:

French	English
Est-ce qu’il y a de la viande dans ce plat ?	Is there meat in this dish?
Je suis allergique à…	I’m allergic to…
les arachides	peanut
le gluten	gluten
les crustacés	shellfish
l’oeufs	eggs
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?

Asking for recommendations

If it’s your first time ordering French food, you may want to ask your server for recommendations or to describe items on the menu. 

Here are some phrases to ask your server about the menu:

French	English
Qu’est-ce que la tartiflette ?	What’s tartiflette?
Est-ce qu’il y a de l’ail dans ce plat ?	Is there garlic in this dish?
Que me recommandez-vous/conseillez-vous ?	What would you recommend?

Another option is ordering from the pre-fixe menu. In 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. 

If you’re traveling through France, it’s also a great idea to look into the local specialties of the region. French cuisine is heavily influenced by the seasonal and regional foods available, so foods from different regions in France can be quite different from each other.

Perhaps the most famous regional speciality is champagne (sparkling wine) from the Champagne region, but local specialties extend beyond wine. Ratatouille (vegetable stew) for instance, popularized by the Pixar film of the same name, comes from the southern Provence region and uses vegetables that are grown locally. Or, in the northern Normandy region you’ll likely find some delicious moules marinières (mussels in white wine sauce), especially when they’re harvested from the baie du Mont-Saint-Michel (Bay of Mont Saint Michel). And a personal favorite of many, boeuf bourguignon (beef stew with red wine) is from the Burgundy region.

A lot of French culture revolves around the food they eat. It’s common for French people to stop by the market on the way home for fresh ingredients to make that night’s meal. In fact, food has such an impact that many French idioms are about food!

French food words in English

As mentioned earlier, you’ve probably seen French words on English menus before. So here are some terms you might see that have French roots:

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.

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 preparation.

Hors-d’œuvre

Literally, 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 is used to describe a way to cook in a pan over high heat with butter or oil.

Dig into French on Rosetta Stone

Ready to get some delicious French food? Order with perfect pronunciation with the help of Rosetta Stone! Start by learning basic words and phrases, reviewing the most common verbs in French, or exploring the south of France through everyday conversations. Rosetta Stone can help you learn a language faster and more confidently than you would if you studied on your own.

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