Restaurants and Customs in France

Restaurants in France are required to post their menus outside. The French cruise the menus. You can do that too. Look until you find what you want at a price you like. Don’t go into the restaurant, sit down, read the menu and then get up and walk out because they don’t have what you want. It simply isn’t done. The menu is posted outside to prevent this. If there is no English menu and you don’t read French, you may step inside and ask to see their menu in English. If they only have one, they will get it for you. If you don’t see something you like, you may thank them and leave. If you decide you like it, you may ask to be seated. If you just want a drink, don’t sit at a table set for lunch or dinner. Find an empty table and sit there. If you don’t, you will probably be moved to one anyway.

Most waiters in France are very professional and proud of doing an excellent job no matter what the prices in the restaurant. On the other hand, don't expect French waiters to introduce themselves to you when they arrive at your table. "Hi, I'm Jacques. I'll be your server today." It just won't happen. They will take your order. You will receive your order. No one will come back (when your mouth is full) and ask if everything is okay. They expect you to have enough sense to tell them if something is wrong. If there is, tell them and they will fix it. Don’t call the waiter garçon. It translates as “boy” and you wouldn’t do that at home so don’t do it in France. Use Monsieur for men and Madame for women unless they are very young and then you may use Madamoiselle. You will not see them again unless you call them. They think it is rude to interrupt your meal so they leave you alone to enjoy it . . . nearly forever unless you realize you won't get the bill until you ask for it.

What many people regard as poor service is just a cultural difference. They will not try to hurry you. The table is yours until you ask for the check. If you don't ask for the check, you can sit there all night because it is considered very impolite to interrupt your conversation. If you need to have a quick meal because of a tour or concert, tell the waiter before you start and he will see that you make your appointment. If he can’t meet your timetable, he will tell you before you sit down.

A menu in France is called a carte. The word Menu refers to a selection of courses at a fixed price that are listed on the carte. (This can also be called a Formula or Special du Jour.) There are usually two or three choices at different prices. When you order, you simply ask by price, e.g. for the 15 euro Menu (or Formula or Special). If there is a choice of appetizers or any other courses, the waiter will ask your preferences, but the cheaper the Menu, the fewer your choices will be. If you like the fixed choices, it's a great bargain and one we often use. If you don't order a Menu, you order a la Carte (or off the menu card) and it can be more expensive depending on how many courses you choose and their price. You will be charged extra for drinks unless they are listed as part of the menu. You may ask for a free carafe of tap water and no one will think you odd. Ask for a "carafe d'eau." If you just ask for water, you may get mineral water and it's expensive. These days the tap water is usually chilled.

You can also order "a la carte" or off the carte and choose anything on the menu. If you order several courses a la carte, it can be very expensive, often nearly twice as much as a Menu. The fixed price Menu choices are a great bargain. In cheaper restaurants they are often the best tasting items on the menu because that is what the regulars will order and the chef knows better than to provide poor food for his regular customers. However, if you only want a salad, ordering a la carte may be a less expensive choice for you.

Sometimes we forget where we are. Once in Brittany we walked into a little country restaurant and without thinking asked for the menu. After a decent interval, the waitress brought out a starter. We were quite surprised as we expected a printed menu to make our choice, i.e. the carte. This was followed in due time by a wonderful roasted chicken dish and a lovely tart. We noticed most of the people in the little restaurant were eating the same thing and that they all knew each other. Our waitress didn't speak English; she wasn't used to dealing with tourists as all the patrons were local and to her, the menu that we asked for was the "Special Menu" of the day. They didn't have a choice of menus at different prices. Each day there was a special and that was your choice unless you ordered a la carte. Fortunately, we loved the meal . . . and quickly realized we were back in France!