French Vocabulary
The Restaurant Dining Experience
Essential phrases for booking a table, ordering, and paying in a restaurant, together with relevant cultural conventions.
Start Interactive LessonLesson Summary
Essential phrases for booking a table, ordering, and paying in a restaurant, together with relevant cultural conventions.
Vocabulary
Au restaurant
The vocabulary for food and drink was presented in food, drinks and the partitive article and food categories, ingredients and culinary scales. The present lesson supplies the phrases needed for making a reservation, ordering dishes, commenting on food, and paying in a French‑speaking restaurant.
Avant le repas (Before the meal)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais réserver une table pour deux personnes. | I would like to book a table for two. |
| Pour ce soir, à 20h. | For this evening at 8pm. |
| Vous avez une réservation ? | Do you have a reservation? |
| Par ici, s’il vous plaît. Voici la carte. | This way, please. Here is the menu. |
Pendant le repas (During the meal)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je peux avoir le menu, s’il vous plaît ? | Can I have the menu, please? |
| Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez ? | What do you recommend? |
| Je voudrais le plat du jour. | I’d like the dish of the day. |
| Comme entrée, je prends… | As a starter, I’ll have… |
| En plat principal, … | As a main course, … |
| Un steak à point / bien cuit / saignant. | Steak medium / well done / rare. |
| C’est trop cuit / froid / salé. | It’s overcooked / cold / salty. |
| Tout va bien ? | Is everything okay? |
Après le repas (After the meal)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| Je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
| En espèces. | In cash. |
| Le service est compris ? | Is service included? |
| Gardez la monnaie. | Keep the change. |
Note culturelle
In France, a service charge of 15% is normally included in the price. Tipping is not obligatory, although leaving a small additional sum (one or two euros) is appreciated. The bill is rarely brought to the table without a request; the diner must explicitly ask for l’addition, s’il vous plaît.
Examples
- Bonsoir, j’ai réservé une table au nom de Léa. Par ici. Voici le menu. Je voudrais le saumon en plat principal.A sequence from reservation to ordering: j’ai réservé (passé composé), je voudrais (conditional of politeness).
- L’addition, s’il vous plaît. Vous payez par carte ou en espèces ?Requesting the bill and asking about the payment method.
Related searches
These are the main phrases this lesson covers: