10 Things to KNOW about ORDERING FOOD in a French Restaurant

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Many years ago my Canadian girlfriend and I were in Paris and she spoke French, but still seemed nervous speaking because there are differences and she was rusty. We were at a restaurant and she was ordering and somewhat stumbling. She turned to me and said something to that effect while the waiter was still there. He then says switching to perfect English, “no you’re doing great, keep going, get the practice!” We all chuckled.

"The price you see on the menu is the price you pay" What a relief. This is the way it should be everywhere.

l pointed at something on a Menu in France and said " l'll have that !" . The waiter said " you can't have that !" . l said " Why not ? " . He said " Because it says " page four "!!! .

I used to travel to Paris for work. My French is not good at all, but I always started with ‘bonjour’ and gave my broken French my best shot. But I always was ready with in French, ‘I apologize my French is not good.’ 99 times out of 100, their response was, ‘not to worry my English is not good either’. Even though it was way better than my French! Never had a bad interaction with this small bit of humility on my part and some basic language prep.

I'm french myself but I really enjoy your videos I agree with most of your tips and etiquette tricks, you're both really sympathetic and the format is really catchy and informative at the same time! Keep up the good work, I'm sure a lot of people are greatful for your help 🎉

I was nervous about ordering in France because I don’t speak French. But when I was in France two weeks ago, I didn’t have problems ordering in any of the restaurants. All of the wait staff In France were amazing. If they didn’t speak English, they showed us how to take a picture of the menu, and it translated to English. I also tipped 20% cash extra because they were so nice to us. They really appreciated it, and would usually bring us a free dessert or extra drink. Even in the grocery stores, people were super nice to us when trying to figure out food items in English. Can’t wait to go back one day!

It's been almost 40 years ago now, but I remember, my companion and I walked into a little pastry shop in Salzburg. We just walked in without acknowledging the people behind the counter and discussed what we saw in the cases. When I looked up and saw their faces, I didn't need to know the language, I could see in their faces that they were insulted. I felt bad about that. So afterwards, wherever I go in a shop, especially in Europe, I say "hello" in whatever language is appropriate.

You are so right when you advise to make an effort to speak French. I always hear from others about their poor experiences in Paris and how unfriendly Parisians were. I always try to start a conversation in French and it is obvious that people appreciate the effort. We have never been treated poorly or rudely in Paris by service or retail personnel. On one trip to Paris my wife, daughter and I were on the subway to our stop in Le Marais. The train stopped and all passengers had to get off. Luckily, I understood enough French to understand that the train would go no further. General strike! Amid the chaos I entered a store and approached a young man explaining in French as best I could that I was lost and needed to get to Le Marais. He was so nice that he switched to English and accompanied us outside the store explaining where we had to go and what train to catch. I just discovered your channel and it's great. This video is so helpful. Merci!

En tant que français et ancien serveur, j'ai beaucoup aimé la manière dont vous présentez les choses. Vous avez parfaitement compris. On sent bcp d'empathie envers le staff et ça fait plaisir 🙂

My French is a decades old, Canadian version and I stumble along…but always with a smile. In dozens of trips to Paris I’ve never had a bad experience, even when the server had no English. It’s an adventure and they want to please you. Just be respectful don’t take yourself too seriously. You’ll learn something new very time.

As Americans we knew a little French and used it. The service persons treated us amazingly! Luv France!❤

I was in a Paris restaurant where the waiter was going to other tables flipping into different languages with the customers. I asked him how many languages he spoke. He said he was fluent in eight but could fake it in four more. So this guy had working knowledge of 12 languages. That is something you never see in America.

Great video, I'm french and also a former waiter in Paris and even I learned a few stuff haha! Just a little clarification, it's not as simple as whether the tip is included or not... Indeed we have a way better wage than in the US for sure but actually, there is no tip included in the price of what you are eating. If a hundred customers order for 100€ each, we will be paid exactly the same amount as if we only have five customers ordering for 20€ each even though the amount of work is obviously not the same in those two cases ;) So if you have the will to leave a tip (and if only the waiter is kind and welcoming of course), whether you are American, French, Japanese, or whatever it's always welcomed :D And thank you for this cute video!

Bonjour, svp and merci are the magic words here in france! this video is worth sharing❤🇨🇵 merci!

This is a great video. My father is French and I grew up in America. We went to France every other summer for my whole life. We didn’t go out to eat very often (my grandmother is an excellent cook) Now as an adult I go with my American husband. While I speak French, his is not great but good enough to go out. Everything you went over I had explained to him as well! I hope everyone watches this to give them more confidence to go out and enjoy their meal!!

Hello! Fellow French here. Great video, it is really interesting to see other views on our culture. I would like to add some context on the tipping here. The tip in France is appreciated, but it is not the same as in US. It is called "Pourboire", litterally "to drink". The usage here is, if you're really happy with the service, to pay the next coffee for the waiter according to the price of the coffee or a drink in the place you ate. You can also leave the change if you pay in Cash. Moreover, It is usual to tip not only waiting staff but also Taxi Drivers (especially for long travel) and Hair dresser (only if he is not the owner of the shop). But these two are less frequent nowaday. Glad you like it here, hope you will continue to build nice memories in our country!

I'm traveling in France for the first time right now and this video has been so helpful to me! I literally studied French in college, but we never really discussed practical skills like this. Thank you for such a helpful and easy to follow video!

The advice about learning a few words such as hello, thank you etc is extremely good. If you learn a few basics for any language before you visit that country it shows respect and, when you inevitably struggle, a waitress etc is more prepared to help.

I just spent a few days in Paris. I was complimenten for trying. Most speak English.