Dish guides
What is steak frites?
Steak frites is simply a beef steak with fries, the most classic dish in French and Belgian brasseries. The steak, often an entrecôte (rib-eye), bavette or faux-filet, is pan-fried or grilled to the doneness you ask for and served with a pile of fries and usually a sauce or a slice of herb butter. In France it's cooked rarer than many visitors expect.
- At a glance
- Steak frites
- A pan-fried or grilled beef steak served with fries and a sauce or herb butter.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like stek FREET · IPA /stɛk fʁit/
- Also written as
- steak-frites, entrecôte frites, bavette frites, faux-filet frites, onglet frites, steak et frites, steak frites sauce béarnaise, steak frites sauce au poivre
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- beef steak (entrecôte, bavette, faux-filet, onglet or rumsteck)
- fries (frites)
- salt and pepper
- butter or oil for cooking
Often added
- béarnaise sauce (egg yolk, butter, tarragon, shallot, vinegar)
- pepper sauce (cream, cognac, peppercorns)
- shallot or red-wine sauce (bordelaise)
- herb butter (beurre maître d'hôtel or Café de Paris)
- roquefort sauce
- Dijon mustard on the table
- green salad
- fries cooked in beef fat (Belgium)
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Dairy | Often contains |
| Eggs | Sometimes contains |
| Mustard | Sometimes contains |
| Sulphites | Sometimes contains |
| Gluten | Sometimes contains |
| Celery | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | Depends — The beef would need to come from a halal supplier, which most brasseries don't use, and some sauces contain wine or cognac; halal steakhouses exist in large French cities. |
| Kosher | Depends — Only in a kosher restaurant: ordinary brasseries don't use kosher beef and serve butter-based sauces with meat. |
| Gluten-free | Depends — Steak and fries don't contain gluten in themselves, but fries may share a fryer with breaded food and some sauces are thickened with flour; ask. |
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.
Cuts and doneness on French menus
The menu usually names the cut. Entrecôte (rib-eye) is marbled and tender. Faux-filet (sirloin or strip) is leaner. Bavette (flank) and onglet (hanger) are cheaper, full of flavour and a little chewy, and are best not cooked past medium. Rumsteck (rump) was the historical choice.
The waiter will ask quelle cuisson ? (how would you like it cooked?). French doneness runs rarer than in many countries: - bleu: seared outside, almost raw inside; - saignant: rare, red and juicy; - à point: medium-rare to medium, still pink; - bien cuit: well done, which some chefs cook reluctantly.
If you want it properly medium, ask for à point, plutôt bien cuit.
Sauces, sides and where to eat it
Common sauces are béarnaise (egg yolks and butter flavoured with tarragon and shallot), au poivre (pepper, usually with cream and cognac), bordelaise or shallot sauce with red wine, and herb butters such as Café de Paris. Dijon mustard is often on the table. A green salad sometimes shares the plate.
Steak frites is a fixture of Paris brasseries and bistros, often on the formule or plat du jour, and of Belgian cafés, where the fries are traditionally fried twice, sometimes in beef fat, and some consider steak frites Belgium's national dish. See the France menu guide for cooking and menu words.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Un steak frites à point, s'il vous plaît. | A steak frites, medium, please. |
| Quelle sauce l'accompagne ? | Which sauce comes with it? |
| Les frites sont cuites dans la même friteuse que les produits panés ? | Are the fries cooked in the same fryer as breaded food? |
Not to be confused with
- Steak tartare — Raw chopped beef seasoned at the table or in the kitchen, also served with fries; not cooked at all.
- Steak haché — A minced-beef patty without a bun, often on children's and budget menus.
- Moules-frites — The other brasserie classic with fries: a pot of mussels in white wine or cream.
Frequently asked questions
What does à point mean for steak?
À point is the French word for medium, but French kitchens usually cook it closer to medium-rare: pink and juicy in the centre. Saignant is rare and bleu is barely seared. If you want your steak cooked more, ask for "à point, plutôt bien cuit" or bien cuit (well done).
Which steak cut should I order?
For tenderness, choose entrecôte (rib-eye) or faux-filet (sirloin). For flavour at a lower price, bavette (flank) or onglet (hanger) are classic bistro cuts, best eaten rare or medium. If a menu just says steak frites, ask "C'est quelle pièce ?" (Which cut is it?).
Is steak frites gluten free?
Often, but check the details. Plain steak and fries contain no gluten, and béarnaise and herb butter usually don't either. The risks are fries cooked in a fryer shared with breaded or battered food and sauces thickened with flour. Ask about the fryer and the sauce if you're coeliac.
How do you pronounce steak frites?
Say stek FREET: in IPA, [stɛk fʁit]. Steak is borrowed from English and keeps a similar sound, and the final s of frites is silent. The French r is pronounced at the back of the throat, but waiters understand an English r without trouble.
