CEFR A1-A2
French Restaurant Phrases: Ordering, Menus, and Bill Conventions
French restaurant culture is one of the most ritualised in Europe: the menu structure, the order of courses, the conventions around bread and wine, and the polite-register expectations all matter. These phrases cover the standard restaurant interactions with notes on the regional variations.
A table for two, please.
Une table pour deux, s'il vous plait.
oon tabl poor duh seel voo PLEH
Standard reservation opener. For larger groups: trois (3), quatre (4), cinq (5).
Do you have a reservation?
Avez-vous une reservation ?
ah-vay voo oon ray-zehr-va-see-OHN
What the host will ask. Reservations are strongly recommended at proper French restaurants, particularly in Paris and during weekends.
The menu, please.
La carte, s'il vous plait.
la kart seel voo PLEH
'La carte' is the standard word for menu in French restaurants. 'Le menu' often refers specifically to the set price menu (prix fixe).
What do you recommend?
Que recommandez-vous ?
kuh ruh-koh-mahn-DAY voo
Polite formal question. The casual alternative: 'Qu'est-ce que vous me conseillez ?' (What do you advise me?).
I would like...
Je voudrais...
zhuh voo-DRAY
Critical polite form. Use 'je voudrais' (I would like), NOT 'je veux' (I want) for restaurant ordering. The conditional carries inherent politeness.
I am vegetarian.
Je suis vegetarien / vegetarienne.
zhuh swee vay-zhay-ta-ree-AHN / vay-zhay-ta-ree-EN
Masculine 'vegetarien' / feminine 'vegetarienne'. For vegan: 'vegan' or 'vegetalien / vegetalienne'.
I am allergic to...
Je suis allergique a...
zhuh swee a-lehr-ZHEEK ah
Critical for dietary requirements. Common: aux noix (nuts), aux fruits de mer (shellfish), au lactose (lactose), au gluten.
What is the dish of the day?
Quel est le plat du jour ?
kell ay luh plah doo ZHOOR
The plat du jour is the daily special, often the best-value lunchtime option.
Could I have a glass of red / white wine?
Puis-je avoir un verre de vin rouge / blanc ?
pwee zhuh ah-vwar ahn vehr duh van roozh / blahn
Wine is integral to French restaurant culture. House wine: 'vin de la maison'. By carafe: 'un pichet'.
Could you bring some water?
Pourriez-vous apporter de l'eau ?
poo-ree-AY voo a-por-TAY duh LOH
Tap water (gratuit, free): 'une carafe d'eau' or 'l'eau plate du robinet'. Sparkling: 'l'eau gazeuse' or 'eau petillante'. Bottled still: 'eau plate'.
The bill, please.
L'addition, s'il vous plait.
la-dee-see-OHN seel voo PLEH
Universal phrase to request the bill. Service is included by French law; menu prices already incorporate the service charge.
Can I pay by card?
Puis-je payer par carte ?
pwee zhuh pay-YAY par kart
Card payment is universal at French restaurants; American Express has lower acceptance than Visa/Mastercard.
It was delicious, thank you.
C'etait delicieux, merci.
say-teh day-lee-see-UH mehr-SEE
Standard closing compliment. Pair with 'au revoir, bonne soiree' as departure.
I would like the menu in English, please.
La carte en anglais, s'il vous plait.
la kart ahn ahn-GLEH seel voo PLEH
Available at tourist-area restaurants in Paris and major cities; outside tourist zones, English menus are rarer.
Regional notes
France
Service is included by law (service compris). Modest additional tips (rounding up or 1-5 euros on a typical meal) are appreciated but not required. The French meal structure follows a specific order: aperitif, entree (starter), plat (main), fromage et/ou dessert (cheese and/or dessert), cafe. Mixing the order or skipping courses is fine but at proper restaurants the structure is expected. Bread is served with the meal but not as a course; tap water is free on request ('une carafe d'eau'). Reservations are strongly recommended for dinner, particularly at the weekend.
Quebec
Quebec restaurant tipping is closer to North American norms: 15-20% on the pre-tax total. Service is NOT typically included as in France. Sales taxes are added on top of the menu price. Quebec menus often have both French and English versions; service in major Montreal and Quebec City restaurants typically handles English smoothly. Quebec food culture is its own thing - poutine, tourtiere, sugar pie - with distinct French regional roots.
Belgium
Service is included in Belgium as in France ('service compris' / 'service inbegrepen' in Dutch). Modest additional tips appreciated. Brussels and major Belgian cities have substantial international food scenes; English is widely understood at proper restaurants. Belgian specialties (moules-frites, carbonnade flamande, waterzooi) have distinctive ordering and eating conventions; see the [Belgium dining and tipping etiquette](/articles/belgium-dining-and-tipping-etiquette) for the broader cultural context.
Switzerland (French-speaking)
Service is included; tipping is light beyond rounding up. Swiss restaurants are notably more expensive than French equivalents. Punctuality at reservations is more strictly observed than in France. Geneva and Lausanne have substantial English-language service availability due to international populations.
Frequently asked questions
Should I tip at French restaurants?
Modestly. Service is included in the menu price by French law, so additional tips are genuinely optional. Rounding up the bill or adding a few euros (1-5 euros on a typical meal) is appreciated but not expected. The American convention of 15-20% tips is significantly higher than French norms. For exceptional service at higher-end restaurants, 5-10% additional is generous; for routine cafe service, rounding up is sufficient.
How do I order tap water in France?
'Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plait' (A carafe of water, please). Tap water is free by French law at any restaurant - you do not have to buy bottled water. Some restaurants try to upsell visitors to bottled water; specifying 'une carafe' (a carafe) signals you want the free tap water. The water is safe and good-quality across France.
What is the difference between 'la carte' and 'le menu' in French restaurants?
'La carte' is the full a la carte menu listing all dishes individually. 'Le menu' often refers specifically to the prix fixe (set price) menu with a fixed number of courses for a single price. Asking for 'le menu' at a French restaurant can sometimes get you the prix fixe rather than the full menu; asking for 'la carte' is unambiguous. The distinction is meaningful at proper restaurants and less rigid at brasseries and cafes.
Is it rude to ask for the bill in France?
No. French restaurants typically do NOT bring the bill automatically when you appear to have finished; the convention is to ask. The standard phrase is 'l'addition, s'il vous plait.' You can also signal by miming writing in the air toward a waiter. Sitting and waiting for the bill to arrive without asking can lead to a long wait; asking is the expected behaviour.