A1 level

Ordering at a restaurant in French

Last updated 28 October 2026

Eating out is a big part of French life, and a restaurant is a very good place to practise. The meal follows a familiar order, the staff are used to visitors, and the phrases repeat from one place to the next. This page follows a meal from the door to the bill.

Arriving and getting a table

Bonsoir, une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. Good evening, a table for two, please.
J'ai réservé au nom de Martin. I booked under the name Martin.
Avez-vous une table en terrasse ? Do you have a table on the terrace?
Est-ce que nous pouvons nous asseoir ici ? Can we sit here?

In many French restaurants you wait to be seated. A waiter will usually say Vous avez réservé ? (Did you book?) and then show you a table.

Reading the menu

A French menu has a few standard parts. The entrée is the starter, not the main course, which is the plat. A menu is a fixed-price set of courses, and la carte is the full list of dishes.

Pouvez-vous m'apporter la carte, s'il vous plaît ? Could you bring me the menu, please?
Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez ? What do you recommend?
Quel est le plat du jour ? What is the dish of the day?
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans ce plat ? What is in this dish?
Je suis allergique aux noix. I am allergic to nuts.
Avez-vous des plats végétariens ? Do you have vegetarian dishes?

Ordering

The polite way to order is je voudrais ("I would like"). It is gentler than je veux ("I want"). Notice the articles in this section: the partitive appears for food and drink you cannot count, as in articles and the partitive.

Je voudrais la soupe de poisson, s'il vous plaît. I would like the fish soup, please.
Pour moi, le steak frites. For me, the steak and chips.
Je vais prendre le menu à vingt-cinq euros. I will take the twenty-five euro set menu.
Comme boisson, une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît. To drink, a jug of tap water, please.
Un verre de vin rouge, s'il vous plaît. A glass of red wine, please.
Nous prendrons deux cafés. We will have two coffees.

Une carafe d'eau is free tap water. It is the usual request in France, and not at all rude. If you say only de l'eau, you may be given bottled water, which is charged.

How you like your meat

Saignant, s'il vous plaît. Rare, please.
À point, s'il vous plaît. Medium, please.
Bien cuit, s'il vous plaît. Well done, please.

Bleu is almost raw, and saignant is what English speakers call rare. French cooks tend to serve meat less well done than English speakers expect, so say bien cuit if you want it cooked through.

During the meal

C'est délicieux. It is delicious.
Pourriez-vous m'apporter du pain ? Could you bring me some bread?
Excusez-moi, il manque une fourchette. Excuse me, a fork is missing.
Bon appétit ! Enjoy your meal!
Merci, à vous aussi. Thank you, you too.

To get a waiter's attention, say Monsieur, s'il vous plaît or Madame, s'il vous plaît, quietly, with eye contact. The word garçon is old-fashioned and not used to call a waiter now.

The bill

L'addition, s'il vous plaît. The bill, please.
Est-ce que le service est compris ? Is service included?
Puis-je payer par carte ? Can I pay by card?
On peut payer séparément ? Can we pay separately?
Gardez la monnaie. Keep the change.

In France, service is nearly always included in the price (service compris), so a tip is a small extra for good service, not an obligation. Leaving a few coins on the table is normal.