Restaurant

French restaurant
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Vocabulaire du restaurant

If you like eating out, you’ll love this French vocabulary related to restaurants.

Useful verbs

 boire to drink
  commander to order
  manger to eat
  payer to take, have
  prendre to take, have
     

What the waiter might say…

 Installez-vous Have a seat
    Vous avez choisi ? Have you decided?
 Que voudriez-vous ? What would you like?
  Vous désirez ? What would you like?
 Je vous écoute. (Go ahead) I’m listening.
 Que prenez-vous ? What are you having?
 Qu’est-ce que je vous sers ? What can I get you?
 Et ensuite de ça ? And after that? What else?
 J’arrive I’ll be right there/back
     
What you might respond…
    Je voudrais…
J’aimerais…
 I would like…
 Je vais prendre…
Je prends…
 I’ll have…
 Combien coûte… ? How much does … cost?
 Je suis…  I am…
      allergique à…  allergic to…
  diabétique  diabetic
   végétarien / végétarienne   vegetarian
   végétalien / végétalienne  vegan
 Je ne peux pas manger…  I can’t eat…
 
If you order meat, the waiter might ask
 Quelle cuisson ?How would you like it cooked?
 
And you can respond… 
 cruraw
 bleuvery rare (red inside)
 saignant (for beef)
rosé (for duck or lamb)
rare (pink inside)
 à pointmedium-rare
 médiummedium
 bien cuitwell done
 calcinévery well done, charred
 Video: Un steak-frites, s’il vous plaît
 
What you might say to your table mates (links go to lessons)
 À la vôtre !Cheers!
 Bon appétit !Enjoy your meal! (the waiter might say this too)
 
Later, the waiter might ask…
 C’est à votre goût ?Do you like it? Is everything ok?
 C’est terminé ?Have you finished?
 Ça a été ?Was everything ok?
   
When you’re ready, ask for
 l’addition (f)check/bill
   
Restaurant people
 le serveur (not garçon)waiter
 la serveusewaitress
 le/la chefchef
   
Other useful restaurant terms
 la cartemenu
 le menufixed-price meal
 à la carteside order (not part of le menu)
 le soclebase of credit card machine
 le pourboiretip
 service compristip included
 service non compristip not included
 défense de fumerno smoking
 les animaux sont interditsno pets allowed
 Sur place ou à emporter ?For here or to go?
Eat in or take away?

 Related lessons

French listening comprehension

French listening practice

French lesson plans French lesson plans

Learn Spanish En español

Learn Italian In italiano

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French restaurant vocabulary

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2 Responses

  1. bonnie1114 27 January 2015 / 16:28

    I read somewhere (maybe in one of your newsletters!) that even if the bill states “service compris”, one should still leave a pourboire, that the “service” is more for taxes and fees, but not a tip, per se. But here it states that “service compris” means that the tip is included. So should one leave an additional “pourboire” or not? I don’t want to insult any servers, nor do I want to leave them a 40% tip in most cases!

    • lkl 27 January 2015 / 16:58

      No, that’s not true. You can leave a small tip, but it’s definitely not required. I have a couple of friends who own a restaurant, and they were flabbergasted when we left a 5 euro tip after dinner (at a different restaurant) for 6 people. When even restaurateurs say you don’t have to, I’m convinced.