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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… | |||||
cru | raw | ||||
bleu | very rare (red inside) | ||||
saignant (for beef) rosé (for duck or lamb) | rare (pink inside) | ||||
à point | medium-rare | ||||
médium | medium | ||||
bien cuit | well done | ||||
calciné | very 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 serveuse | waitress | ||||
le/la chef | chef | ||||
Other useful restaurant terms | |||||
la carte | menu | ||||
le menu | fixed-price meal | ||||
à la carte | side order (not part of le menu) | ||||
le socle | base of credit card machine | ||||
le pourboire | tip | ||||
service compris | tip included | ||||
service non compris | tip not included | ||||
défense de fumer | no smoking | ||||
les animaux sont interdits | no pets allowed | ||||
Sur place ou à emporter ? | For here or to go? Eat in or take away? |
Related lessons
French listening practice
- Au restaurant
- Au restaurant de la plage
- Dîner en ville
- Repas de Noël en France
- Service au restaurant
- Steak-frites
French lesson plans
- Culinary culture (Lesson, 8th-9th grade)
- Culinary culture: Grammar (Worksheet, 10th-11th grade)
- Culinary culture: Quiz (Worksheet, 9th-10th grade)
- Discovering French food culture (Lesson, 9th-10th grade)
- Drinks and snacks (Lesson, 10th-12th grade)
- Visitons le café (Lesson, K-8th grade)
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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!
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.