Au Restaurant — ordering in French | Vocabulary
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Everything you need for ordering food in a French restaurant — the phrases, the courses, the bill — with audio. Ordering like a local, course by course. This French ordering like a local course by course vocabulary list gives you 12 essential words — from l’entrée (the starter) to l’addition (the bill) — each with audio and its English translation. Use it to build the French words you need to talk about ordering like a local course by course, then test yourself with the games below.
Au Restaurant
Ordering like a local, course by course
Le repas · the courses
Commander · ordering
🎬 The 20-second version
5 quick questions on « Au Restaurant » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →
📘 The rituals of a French restaurant
- Le menu is the set menu (entrée + plat + dessert at a fixed price); the printed list is la carte — the exact opposite of English!
- Order with je vais prendre… or je voudrais… — never “je veux” (too blunt).
- Steak doneness: saignant (rare) · à point (medium) · bien cuit (well done). French “à point” is rarer than English medium!
- Service compris: the tip is already included by law — rounding up is appreciated, 15% is not expected.
- Water: une carafe d’eau (free tap water) vs une bouteille (paid). Asking for la carafe is completely normal.
- The bill never comes uninvited — you must ask: l’addition, s’il vous plaît !
🔊 Useful phrases
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
the menu (the printed list) = la ___ (the trap!)
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carte
medium (steak) = à ___ (doneness)
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point
The tip is already included : service ___ (bill culture)
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compris
🎮 Practise this with games
🎯 More practice — vocabulary recall — both directions
How do you say « the starter »? (recall)
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l’entrée
What does « le plat » mean? (recall)
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the main course
How do you say « the dessert »? (recall)
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le dessert
What does « la carte » mean? (recall)
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the menu
How do you say « the set menu »? (recall)
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le menu / la formule
What does « le plat du jour » mean? (recall)
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today’s special
How do you say « to book a table »? (recall)
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réserver une table
What does « la carte des vins » mean? (recall)
Show answer
the wine list
Go further: get the full picture in our guide 25 survival phrases for your trip to France.
Ordering food in a French restaurant: the phrases in action
Here’s a complete restaurant exchange using the key French restaurant phrases — from getting a table to paying the bill:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Bonjour, une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît. | Hello, a table for two, please. |
| La carte, s’il vous plaît. | The menu, please. |
| Qu’est-ce que vous me conseillez ? | What do you recommend? |
| Je vais prendre le menu du jour. | I’ll have the set menu of the day. |
| Je voudrais le steak, à point. | I’d like the steak, medium. |
| Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît. | A jug of (free) tap water, please. |
| C’était délicieux ! | It was delicious! |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
Tip for ordering food in French: waiters say « Et pour vous ? » (and for you?) — answer with « Pour moi, … ». Service is included in French prices, so tipping is a small optional extra.
Ordering food in a French restaurant — FAQ
How do you say common ordering like a local course by course words in French?
For example: the starter is « l’entrée », the main course is « le plat (principal) », the dessert is « le dessert ». The full list above has 12 French ordering like a local course by course words, each with audio so you can hear the pronunciation.
What are the most useful French ordering like a local course by course words to learn first?
Start with the basics: l’entrée (the starter), le plat (principal) (the main course), le dessert (the dessert), la carte (the menu (list)), le menu / la formule (the set menu), le plat du jour (today’s special). Master these core French words before moving on to the rest of the list.
How can I memorise French ordering like a local course by course vocabulary?
Learn the words in small themed groups, say each one out loud with the audio, and use it in a short sentence about your own life. Spaced repetition is what makes new vocabulary stick — see our guide to learning French vocabulary that sticks.
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