France is a food lover’s paradise, and navigating menus, ordering in restaurants, and shopping at markets is part of the French travel experience. Even with translation apps, understanding French food and drink vocabulary will enhance your dining experience exponentially. You’ll discover hidden gems, understand what you’re actually eating, and connect with the passionate food culture that defines France.

The French take food seriously—almost religiously. Understanding how to talk about food in French is about more than just survival; it’s about showing respect for a culture where cuisine is an art form.

Ordering at Restaurants: The Essential Script

When you enter a French restaurant, waiters expect a certain protocol. Being polite and using proper French goes a remarkably long way toward getting excellent service:

Initial greeting:

• Bonsoir, une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît (bun-SWAHR, oon tahl pour duh, see voo PLEH) — Good evening, a table for two, please.
• Avez-vous une réservation? (ah-vay-VOO oon ray-zer-vah-SYOHN) — Do you have a reservation?
• Non, nous sommes juste passé (nohn, noo sohm zhust pah-SAY) — No, we just walked in.

Ordering food:

Je voudrais… (zhuh voo-DREH) — I would like… (very polite opening)

L’addition, s’il vous plaît (lah-dee-SYOHN, see voo PLEH) — The check, please.

Un verre de vin, s’il vous plaît (uhn vehr duh vahn, see voo PLEH) — A glass of wine, please.

Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez? (kes-kuh voo ruh-kuh-mohn-DAY) — What do you recommend?

C’est quoi, exactement? (seh kwah, eg-ZAK-tuh-mohn) — What is this, exactly?

C’est avec quoi? (seh tah-VEK kwah) — What is it made with?

Je ne mange pas de… (zhuh nuh mahnzh pah duh) — I don’t eat… (followed by the ingredient)

C’est bon! (seh bohn) — This is good!

C’est délicieux (seh day-lee-SYUH) — This is delicious.

Understanding French Menus

French restaurant menus are structured differently than English menus:

Menu structure:

Entrée (ahn-TRAY) — Appetizer/starter (not the main course as in English)

Plat principal (plah PRAH-see-PAHL) — Main course

Fromage (fruh-MAZH) — Cheese course (sometimes served before dessert)

Dessert (day-SER) — Dessert

Digestif (dee-ZHES-teef) — After-dinner drink (like Cognac)

Menu du jour (muh-NOO doo zhoor) — Daily special (usually good value)

Prix fixe (pree FEEKS) — Fixed price menu (better value than à la carte)

À la carte (ah lah KART) — Individual dishes ordered separately (more expensive)

Common menu items:

Soupe à l’oignon (soop ah luh-NYOHN) — French onion soup

Escargots (es-kar-GOH) — Snails (a famous French delicacy)

Foie gras (fwah GRAH) — Fattened duck or goose liver (expensive luxury item)

Coq au vin (kohk oh vahn) — Rooster cooked in wine

Steak frites (stek freet) — Steak with fries

Crêpe (krep) — Thin pancake (can be savory or sweet)

Omelette (om-LEHT) — Omelet

Bouillabaisse (boo-yuh-BESS) — Fish stew from Provence

Cassoulet (kah-soo-LAY) — Bean stew with duck or pork from southwest France

Ratatouille (rah-tah-TOO-ee) — Vegetable stew

Blanquette de veau (blahn-KET duh VOH) — Veal stew with white sauce

Poulet rôti (poo-LAY roh-TEE) — Roasted chicken

Canard (kah-NAR) — Duck

Lapin (lah-PAN) — Rabbit

Truite (trweet) — Trout

Moules (mool) — Mussels

Huître (WEE-truh) — Oyster

Asking About Ingredients and Allergies

Food allergies are taken seriously in France (though awareness is growing). Always communicate clearly:

Je suis allergique à… (zhuh swee ah-ler-ZHIK ah) — I’m allergic to…

Je suis allergique aux cacahuètes (zhuh swee ah-ler-ZHIK ohz kah-kah-WET) — I’m allergic to peanuts

Je suis allergique aux noix (zhuh swee ah-ler-ZHIK ohz nwah) — I’m allergic to nuts

Je suis allergique aux crustacés (zhuh swee ah-ler-ZHIK ohz kroos-tah-SAY) — I’m allergic to shellfish

Je suis allergique aux œufs (zhuh swee ah-ler-ZHIK ohz uhf) — I’m allergic to eggs

Je suis allergique au lait (zhuh swee ah-ler-ZHIK oh leh) — I’m allergic to milk

C’est sans gluten? (seh sahn gloo-TAN) — Is it gluten-free?

Y a-t-il du gluten? (ee ah-teel doo gloo-TAN) — Is there gluten?

Quels sont les ingrédients? (kel sohn lay zan-gray-dee-AHN) — What are the ingredients?

Pas de… (pah duh) — No… (when ordering without something)

Wine Terminology: The Essential Vocabulary

France produces some of the world’s finest wines, and understanding wine vocabulary will enhance your experience:

Wine types:

Vin rouge (vahn ROOZH) — Red wine

Vin blanc (vahn BLAHN) — White wine

Vin rosé (vahn roh-ZAY) — Rosé wine

Champagne (sahm-PAHN-yuh) — Sparkling wine from the Champagne region

Crémant (kray-MOHN) — Sparkling wine from other regions (cheaper than Champagne)

Mousseux (moo-SUH) — Sparkling wine (general term)

Vin sec (vahn sek) — Dry wine

Vin demi-sec (vahn duh-mee-sek) — Medium-dry wine

Vin sucré (vahn soo-KRAY) — Sweet wine

Wine descriptions:

Bon marché (bohn mar-SHAY) — Good value/inexpensive

Léger (lay-ZHAY) — Light (wine)

Corsé (kor-SAY) — Full-bodied

Fruité (froo-ee-TAY) — Fruity

Tannique (tah-NEEK) — Tannic (has tannins)

Terroir (tehr-WAHR) — The flavor characteristics from the region/soil

Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) (ah-puh-lah-SYOHN duh-REE-zheen kohn-TROH-lay) — Controlled designation of origin (indicates quality)

Wine regions to know:

Bordeaux (bor-DOH) — Famous red wine region

Burgundy (Bourgogne) (boor-GUN-yuh) — Renowned Pinot Noir region

Loire Valley (Vallée de la Loire) (vah-LAY duh luh LWAHR) — Diverse wine region

Rhône Valley (ROHN) — Region famous for Syrah and blends

Alsace (ahl-ZAHS) — White wine region

Provence (pruh-VAHNS) — Home of Rosé

Ordering wine:

Un verre de vin rouge, s’il vous plaît (uhn vehr duh vahn ROOZH, see voo PLEH) — A glass of red wine, please

Une bouteille de… s’il vous plaît (oon boo-TAY duh, see voo PLEH) — A bottle of…, please

Quel vin me recommandez-vous? (kel vahn muh ruh-kuh-mohn-DAY-VOO) — What wine do you recommend?

Quelque chose de bon marché (kel-kuh shohs duh bohn mar-SHAY) — Something good value

Coffee Culture: The Many Types

Coffee in France is serious business. There are many types, each with specific meanings:

Café or un café (kah-FAY) — A single espresso shot (small, strong, black)

Café crème (kah-FAY KREM) — Espresso with steamed milk (similar to cappuccino)

Café au lait (kah-FAY oh leh) — Coffee with hot milk (breakfast coffee, larger cup)

Café noisette (kah-FAY nwah-ZET) — Espresso with a tiny bit of milk (literally “hazelnut” colored)

Allongé (ah-lohn-ZHAY) — Espresso with a bit of hot water (similar to Americano)

Double (DOO-bluh) — Double espresso

Décafféiné (day-kah-fay-ee-NAY) — Decaf

Espresso (es-PRES-oh) — Espresso (same as English)

Café serré (kah-FAY seh-RAY) — Very strong, concentrated espresso

Coffee orders:

Un café, s’il vous plaît (uhn kah-FAY, see voo PLEH) — A coffee, please

Un café crème, s’il vous plaît (uhn kah-FAY KREM, see voo PLEH) — A coffee with cream, please

Un café au lait, s’il vous plaît (uhn kah-FAY oh leh, see voo PLEH) — A coffee with milk, please

Avec du sucre (ah-VEK doo SU-kruh) — With sugar

Sans sucre (sahn SU-kruh) — Without sugar

Avec de la crème (ah-VEK duh lah KREM) — With cream

Bakery Vocabulary: Viennoiserie and Pain

The bakery (boulangerie) is essential to French life. Here’s what you’ll find:

Bread:

Pain (pahn) — Bread

Baguette (bah-GET) — Long thin loaf of bread

Pain complet (pahn kohm-PLEH) — Whole wheat bread

Pain de seigle (pahn duh SAY-gluh) — Rye bread

Croissant (krwah-SOHN) — Crescent pastry (butter croissant)

Pain au chocolat (pahn oh chuh-kuh-LAH) — Chocolate-filled pastry (also called “chocolatine” in some regions)

Chausson aux pommes (choh-SOHN oh PUM) — Apple pastry

Mille-feuille (meel-FEH-yuh) — Puff pastry with cream (literally “thousand leaves”)

Éclairs (ay-KLAIR) — Elongated pastry with cream filling

Religieuse (ruh-lee-ZHYUH) — Nun-shaped pastry (literally “nun”)

Tarte aux fraises (tart oh FREZ) — Strawberry tart

Macaron (mah-kah-ROHN) — Delicate almond-based cookie

Petit pain (puh-TEE pahn) — Bread roll

Bakery phrases:

Je voudrais une baguette, s’il vous plaît (zhuh voo-DREH oon bah-GET, see voo PLEH) — I’d like a baguette, please

Deux croissants, s’il vous plaît (duh krwah-SOHN, see voo PLEH) — Two croissants, please

Quelque chose de sucré (kel-kuh shohs duh soo-KRAY) — Something sweet

C’est fait aujourd’hui? (seh feh oh-zhoor-D’WEE) — Is this made today?

Cheese Terminology: From Mild to Adventurous

France produces over 400 varieties of cheese. Understanding the vocabulary helps when buying:

Fromage (fruh-MAZH) — Cheese

Fromage frais (fruh-MAZH freh) — Fresh cheese (soft, mild)

Fromage dur (fruh-MAZH dure) — Hard cheese

Fromage blanc (fruh-MAZH blahn) — White cheese (creamy, mild)

Brie (BREE) — Soft, creamy cheese from Normandy

Camembert (kah-mahm-BEHR) — Soft, creamy cheese from Normandy

Roquefort (ROH-kuh-for) — Blue cheese made from sheep’s milk

Comté (kohm-TAY) — Hard cheese from Jura region

Gruyère (groo-YEHR) — Hard cheese (similar to Emmental)

Emmental (em-ahn-TAHL) — Hard cheese with holes

Chèvre (SHEH-vruh) — Goat cheese (can be soft or hard)

Reblochon (ruh-bluh-SHOHN) — Washed-rind cheese

Époisses (ay-PWAH-suh) — Very stinky, pungent cheese

Morbier (mor-bee-AY) — Cheese with a dark line through middle

Cheese buying:

Un morceau de fromage, s’il vous plaît (uhn mor-SOH duh fruh-MAZH, see voo PLEH) — A piece of cheese, please

Vous me recommandez? (voo muh ruh-kuh-mohn-DAY) — What do you recommend?

C’est fort? (seh for) — Is it strong/pungent?

C’est doux? (seh doo) — Is it mild?

Market Shopping: Fresh Produce and Beyond

Shopping at French markets is an experience. Here’s the vocabulary:

Vegetables:

Tomate (tuh-MAHT) — Tomato

Oignon (uh-NYOHN) — Onion

Carotte (kah-RUT) — Carrot

Laitue (lay-TOO) — Lettuce

Champignon (shahm-pee-NYOHN) — Mushroom

Poivron (pwah-VROHN) — Bell pepper

Aubergine (oh-ber-ZHEEN) — Eggplant

Épinard (ay-pee-NAR) — Spinach

Pois (pwah) — Peas

Haricots (ah-ree-KOH) — Beans

Betterave (beht-RAHV) — Beet

Fruits:

Pomme (pum) — Apple

Poire (PWAHR) — Pear

Banane (bah-NAHN) — Banana

Fraise (FREZ) — Strawberry

Cerise (suh-REEZ) — Cherry

Raisin (ray-ZAN) — Grape

Orange (oh-RAHNZH) — Orange

Citron (see-TROHN) — Lemon

Pêche (pesh) — Peach

Market shopping phrases:

Combien ça coûte? (kohm-bee-en sah KOOT) — How much is this?

Un kilo de tomates, s’il vous plaît (uhn KEE-loh duh tuh-MAHT, see voo PLEH) — A kilo of tomatoes, please

Ils sont frais? (eel sohn freh) — Are they fresh?

Ils sont bons? (eel sohn bohn) — Are they good/ripe?

C’est combien la livre? (seh kohm-bee-en lah LEEV) — How much per pound?

Dietary Restrictions and Special Requests

Modern France is becoming more accommodating to dietary restrictions, though traditional attitudes linger:

Je suis végétarien/végétarienne (zhuh swee vay-zhay-tah-RYAHN/vay-zhay-tah-RYEHN) — I’m vegetarian

Je suis végétalien/végétalienne (zhuh swee vay-zhay-tah-LYAHN) — I’m vegan

Je ne mange pas de viande (zhuh nuh mahnzh pah duh vee-AHND) — I don’t eat meat

Je ne mange pas de poisson (zhuh nuh mahnzh pah duh pwah-SOHN) — I don’t eat fish

Je suis intolérant au lactose (zhuh swee ahn-tuh-lay-ROHN oh lahk-TOHZ) — I’m lactose intolerant

C’est sans sauce? (seh sahn sohs) — Is this without sauce?

De côté (duh koh-TAY) — On the side (for sauces, dressings)

C’est moins gras? (seh mwan GRAH) — Is this less fatty?

Tipping Etiquette Phrases

Tipping in France is not mandatory but is appreciated:

Garçon, l’addition, s’il vous plaît (gar-SOHN, lah-dee-SYOHN, see voo PLEH) — Waiter, the check, please

Vous pouvez garder la monnaie (voo poo-VAY gar-DAY lah muh-NAY) — Keep the change

C’était très bon (say-TEH treh bohn) — It was very good (usually accompanies a tip)

Merci beaucoup (mare-SEE boh-KOO) — Thank you very much (when tipping)

Final Thoughts

Understanding French food and drink vocabulary transforms your dining experience from mere sustenance to genuine cultural immersion. The French are passionate about food, and showing that passion—even through slightly broken French—will earn you respect and often better service.

Don’t be intimidated by fancy menus or complex dishes. Ask questions, try new things, and embrace the food adventure. The worst that can happen is you discover something unexpected. The best? You uncover a new favorite dish and prove that travel truly is about more than sightseeing—it’s about tasting your way through the world.

Bon appétit (bun nah-pay-TEE)!