Dish guides
What is a croque-monsieur?
A croque-monsieur is a hot French sandwich of ham and cheese, usually Gruyère or Emmental, between slices of soft white bread, topped with more cheese and toasted or baked until golden. Many cafés add béchamel sauce. With a fried egg on top it becomes a croque-madame.
- At a glance
- Croque-monsieur
- Hot toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich, often topped with béchamel.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like krok muh-SYUH · IPA /kʁɔk məsjø/
- Also written as
- croque monsieur, le croque-monsieur, croque-monsieur frites, croque-monsieur salade verte, croque
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- pain de mie (soft white sandwich bread)
- cooked ham (jambon blanc)
- Gruyère, Emmental or Comté cheese
- butter
Often added
- béchamel sauce
- Dijon mustard
- a fried egg (croque-madame)
- green salad or fries on the side
- truffle or other upmarket fillings
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Gluten | Typically contains |
| Dairy | Typically contains |
| Eggs | Sometimes contains |
| Mustard | Sometimes contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | No |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | No |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What's inside
The classic version layers jambon blanc (cooked ham) and grated or sliced Gruyère between two slices of buttered pain de mie, a soft, square sandwich loaf. More cheese goes on top, then the sandwich is fried in butter, toasted or baked until the cheese bubbles and browns. Brasseries often spread béchamel, a white sauce of butter, flour and milk, inside or on top, which makes it richer and softer. Some cooks add a thin layer of Dijon mustard.
It usually comes with a small green salad or fries. Upmarket cafés play with the formula, using truffle ham, Comté or sourdough, but the name on the menu still tells you to expect ham and melted cheese.
Where it comes from
The name roughly means "crunch, mister". French writing already mentions croque-monsieurs in the early 1890s, and the sandwich became a staple of Paris cafés in the 20th century. The croque-madame, with an egg on top, followed later; dictionaries date that name to around 1960. In Porto, the francesinha is said to have started as a local take on the croque-monsieur.
Typical price
Median price 14.5 EUR
Typical range 8.5–21 EUR.
Median of 25 menus, 2025-04 – 2026-05. Basis: French-language menus scanned with MenuGuide.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Un croque-monsieur, s'il vous plaît. | A croque-monsieur, please. |
| Il y a de la béchamel dedans ? | Is there béchamel in it? |
| Est-ce qu'il y a de la moutarde ? | Is there mustard in it? |
Not to be confused with
- Croque-madame — The same sandwich with a fried or poached egg on top.
- Francesinha — Porto's much bigger descendant, with several meats, melted cheese and a hot beer-and-tomato sauce.
- Croque-mademoiselle — A lighter, meat-free version; what goes into it varies from café to café.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a croque-monsieur and a croque-madame?
A croque-madame is a croque-monsieur with a fried or poached egg on top. Everything else, the ham, cheese, bread and often béchamel, stays the same. A popular explanation is that the round egg looks like a lady's hat, but that story isn't documented. If you're avoiding eggs, the croque-monsieur is the one to order.
Does a croque-monsieur have béchamel?
Often, but not always. Many brasseries spread béchamel inside or over the top, while simpler café versions use only ham, cheese and butter. Béchamel adds milk and wheat flour, which matters if you avoid dairy or gluten. Ask "Il y a de la béchamel dedans ?" if you want to know before it arrives.
Is a croque-monsieur gluten free?
No. It's built on wheat sandwich bread, and the béchamel, if used, is thickened with wheat flour. A few cafés offer gluten-free bread, but it isn't standard, and the sandwich is usually toasted on shared equipment. If you need to avoid gluten, ask the staff before ordering.
How do you pronounce croque-monsieur?
Say krok muh-SYUH: in IPA, [kʁɔk məsjø]. Croque rhymes with "rock". In monsieur, the n is silent, the first syllable is a soft "muh" and the ending sounds like "syuh", with rounded lips. The final r isn't pronounced. Croque-madame is krok mah-DAHM.
