Humanities Languages How to Read a French Menu Menus, Courses, Special terms Share Flipboard Email Print Robert George Young / Getty Languages French Vocabulary Basics Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources for Teachers English as a Second Language Spanish German Italian Japanese Mandarin English Grammar by ThoughtCo Updated August 06, 2017 Reading the menu in a French restaurant can be a little tricky, and not just due to language difficulties. There may be important differences between restaurants in France and in your own country, including what foods are offered and how they are prepared. Here are some terms and tips to help you find your way around a French menu. Enjoy your meal—or "Bon appétit!"Types of menusLe menu and la formule refer to the fixed-price menu, which includes two or more courses (with limited choices for each) and is usually the least expensive way to eat out in France. The choices may be written on the ardoise, which literally means "slate." Ardoise can also refer to the specials board the restaurant might display outside or on a wall at the entrance. The sheet of paper or booklet that the waiter hands you (what English speakers call the "menu") is la carte, and anything you order from it is à la carte, which means "fixed-price menu."A couple of other important menus to know are:La carte des vins, which is the wine menuUne dégustation, which refers to a tasting menu, with small servings of multiple dishes (déguster means "to taste")CoursesA French meal may include numerous courses, in this order:un apéritif - cocktail, pre-dinner drinkun amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule - snack (just one or two bites)une entrée - appetizer/starter (false cognate alert: entree can mean "main course" in English)le plat principal - main coursele fromage - cheesele dessert - dessert le café - coffeeun digestif - after-dinner drinkSpecial TermsIn addition to knowing how French restaurants list their food items and prices, as well as the names of courses, you should also familiarize yourself with special food terms.Le plat du jour is the daily special (literally, "dish of the day"), which is usually part of le menu. Gratuit and offert both mean "free."The waiter will often add the word petit ("little") to his offer: Un petit dessert? Un petit café?When you're full, say : "Je n'en peux plus" or "J'ai bien/trop mangé."See the French restaurant vocabulary for additional terms the waiter might use and what you should say. The terms are paired with sound files to help you with your pronunciation.Other TermsThere's no way around it: To really feel comfortable ordering from the menu in a French restaurant, you'll need to learn a number of common terms. But, don't fret: The list below includes almost all common terms you would need to know to impress your friends while ordering in French. The list is broken down by categories, such as food preparation, portions and ingredients, and even regional dishes. Food Preparationaffiné agedartisanal homemade, traditionally madeà la broche cooked on a skewerà la vapeur steamedà l'etouffée stewedau four bakedbiologique, bio organicbouilli boiledbrûlé burntcoupé en dés dicedcoupé en tranches / rondelles sliceden croûte in a crusten daube in stew, casseroleen gelée in aspic/gelatinfarci stuffedfondu meltedfrit friedfumé smokedglacé frozen, icy, glazedgrillé grilledhaché minced, ground (meat)maison homemadepoêlé panfriedrelevé highly seasoned, spicyséché driedtruffé with trufflestruffé de ___ dotted/speckled with ___ Tastesaigre souramer bitterpiquant spicysalé salty, savorysucré sweet(ened) Portions, Ingredients, and Appearanceaiguillettes long, thin slices (of meat)aile wing, white meataromates seasoning___ à volonté (e.g., frites à volonté) all you can eatla choucroute sauerkrautcrudités raw vegetablescuisse thigh, dark meatémincé thin slice (of meat)fines herbes sweet herbsun méli-mélo assortmentun morceau pieceau pistou with basil pestoune poêlée de ___ assorted fried ___la purée mashed potatoesune rondelle slice (of fruit, vegetable, sausage)une tranche slice (of bread, cake, meat)une truffe truffle (very expensive and rare fungus) Typical French and Regional Dishesaïoli fish/vegetables with garlic mayonnaisealigot mashed potatoes with fresh cheese (Auvergne)le bœuf bourguignon beef stew (Burgundy)le brandade dish made with cod (Nîmes)la bouillabaisse fish stew (Provence)le cassoulet meat and bean casserole (Languedoc)la choucroute (garnie) sauerkraut with meat (Alsace)le clafoutis fruit and thick custard tartle coq au vin chicken in red wine saucela crême brûlée custard with a burnt sugar topla crème du Barry cream of cauliflower soupune crêpe very thin pancakeun croque madame ham and cheese sandwich topped with fried eggun croque monsieur ham and cheese sandwichune daube meat stewle foie gras goose liver___ frites (moules frites, steak frites) ___ with fries/chips (mussels with fries/chips, steak with fries/chips)une gougère puff pastry filled with cheesela pipérade tomato and bell pepper omelet (Basque)la pissaladière onion and anchovy pizza (Provence)la quiche lorraine bacon and cheese quichela (salade de) chèvre (chaud) green salad with goat cheese on toastla salade niçoise mixed salad with anchovies, tuna, and hard boiled eggsla socca baked chickpea crêpe (Nice)la soupe à l'oignon French onion soupla tarte flambée pizza with very light crust (Alsace)la tarte normande apple and custard pie (Normandy)la tarte tatin upside down apple pie citecite this article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation ThoughtCo. "How to Read a French Menu." ThoughtCo, Feb. 26, 2018, thoughtco.com/how-to-read-a-french-menu-1371302. ThoughtCo. (2018, February 26). How to Read a French Menu. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-read-a-french-menu-1371302 ThoughtCo. "How to Read a French Menu." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-read-a-french-menu-1371302 (accessed April 22, 2018). copy citation Continue Reading