To order food in French, use polite phrases like "Je voudrais (item), s'il vous plaît" (I would like) or "Je prends (item), s'il vous plaît" (I'll take), always starting with a polite "Bonjour" and ending with "s'il vous plaît" (please) for a smooth interaction. You can specify courses with "Pour l'entrée" (starter) or "Pour le plat principal" (main course), and use "Est-ce que vous servez...?" (Do you serve...?) to ask about items.
Je voudrais means “I'd like.” It's the polite, conditional form of vouloir (to want), and it's what French speakers naturally use when ordering in cafés, restaurants, or making requests with strangers.
The host or server will usually provide you with a menu, but if they don't, you can ask for it: Puis-j'avoir la carte, s'il vous plaît ? – Puis-j'avoir le menu, s'il vous plaît ? – Can I have the menu, please?
Ordering at a Restaurant • Everyday Conversations in French
How to order food politely in French?
Using je voudrais + un/une + noun to order food
To order food, you can simply use the indefinite article un (masculine) or une (feminine) + the item. You would normally add s'il vous plaît ('please'), at the end of the sentence: Une soupe de poisson, s'il vous plaît. One fish soup, please.
'Saignant' means bloody, so expect this to be very rare. It's cooked slightly longer on the second side than a bleu steak. À point – Medium-rare. Note that this is still rare by most British or American standards.
When you're ready to order, say “Je voudrais…” or “Je vais prendre…” and then the name of what you want. Always end with “s'il vous plaît” to be polite. I would like a coffee, please. Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
Remember this general rule of thumb when you have leftovers. ✅ You have 2 hours to get food into the fridge. ✅ It's safe in the fridge for 2 days. ✅ If you're not going to eat it after that, move it to the freezer and eat within 2 months.
Nibble it or use it to mop up your plate at the end of a dish. Other than with bread, be wary of eating with your hands – watch what the others do. Eating with your hands is generally considered to be bad manners in France, except in very casual settings.
Say “Can I have” instead of “I want.” The phrase “I want” can sound demanding or rude in English, while “Can I have” is more polite and professional. Example: Don't say: “I want the steak.”
Why is "je veux" impolite, but not "voulez-vous"? Je voudrais is preferable in social contexts such as in a restaurant, as it is more polite and subtle than the blunt je veux (just like in English)."
🇫🇷✋ Never call the waiter “garçon” in Paris! It might sound like what you learned in school or saw in old movies, but in real life, it literally means boy and today, it feels outdated and even rude. Instead, use “S'il vous plaît, monsieur” or “Excusez- moi, madame” — polite, natural, and exactly what Parisians say.
Oui, les Français utilisent l'expression « je ne sais quoi », mais elle est plus souvent utilisée comme un nom pour décrire une qualité indéfinissable ou un charme subtil, signifiant littéralement « je ne sais pas quoi ». Alors que « je ne sais pas quoi » est plus courant pour « I don't know what » (je ne sais pas quoi dire), « un je ne sais quoi » désigne cette qualité spéciale et mystérieuse.
The "3-3-3 Rule" for steak is a simple grilling method for a thick cut (around 1-1.5 inches): sear the first side for 3 minutes on high heat, flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes on high heat, then move to indirect heat (cooler zone) and cook for another 3 minutes per side (or until desired doneness), finishing with a 3-minute rest. This creates a great crust and evenly cooked interior, ideal for medium-rare results.
À point – rare to medium rare. Meaning the steak is cooked a little longer than a saignant (very rare) one. Bien cuit – 'well cooked'. This level will still often have some pinkness in the middle of the meat.
The differences are minimal and have converged increasingly in recent years. Essentially, it can be said that entrecôte usually refers to the back section and thus the piece as a whole roast, while rib eye is the name for the steak that is cut from it.
A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 are levels of French proficiency defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (CEFR), ranging from A1 (Beginner) for basic phrases to C2 (Mastery) for near-native fluency, indicating a learner's ability to understand and use the language in various situations, from simple daily tasks (A1/A2) to complex professional and academic contexts (C1/C2).
Why do French people put spaces before punctuation?
The prevailing theory around the origins of French spacing is that it's a holdover from old printing standards, as evidenced by its use in old books. It most likely started with the question mark, because it takes up much more space than other punctuation marks.
Yes, the French absolutely say "je voudrais" (I would like), and it's the standard, polite way to make requests, especially when ordering food or asking for something in a shop, though natives also use "je vais prendre" or simply "un café, s'il vous plaît" for casual orders, while "je veux" (I want) is considered rude.
Café liégeois is a French dessert made of sweetened iced coffee or coffee ice cream topped with whipped cream (crème Chantilly). It evolved from 19th-century recipes and was first named Café liégeois in the Larousse Gastronomique (1938). It is often confused with café viennois, a hot coffee with whipped cream.
It is just as frequently used between strangers to end an interaction, as it is in family situations. When saying it to someone in formal situations (public places, talking to strangers and professionals) you should add their title: Bonne journée, monsieur.
