Restaurant phrases
How to order food in French: 32 restaurant phrases
To order food in French, start with "Bonjour" and then say "Je vais prendre…, s'il vous plaît" (I'll have…, please); finish with "L'addition, s'il vous plaît" (the bill, please). Below are 32 phrases for every stage of a meal, from getting a table to paying, in the polite form French waiters expect, plus the etiquette that goes with them.
About the script
French uses the Latin alphabet, but spelling and sound part ways: final consonants are usually silent, and a vowel followed by n or m is nasal. French typography puts a space before ? and !. The phrases use vous, the polite "you", which is the only right choice with waiters. Where a word changes with the speaker's gender, both forms are shown: végétarien (said by a man) / végétarienne (said by a woman).
Arriving
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour ! / Bonsoir ! | Hello! / Good evening! | Always greet before you ask for anything. It matters in France. |
| Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît. | A table for two, please. | |
| Nous avons réservé au nom de Martin. | We booked a table under the name Martin. | |
| On peut s'installer en terrasse ? | Can we sit outside? | |
| Vous avez une carte en anglais ? | Do you have a menu in English? | |
| Vous servez encore ? | Are you still serving food? | Useful in the afternoon, when many kitchens are closed. |
Ordering
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| La carte, s'il vous plaît. | The menu, please. | Le menu is a set meal; the full menu is la carte. |
| Qu'est-ce que vous nous conseillez ? | What do you recommend? | |
| Quel est le plat du jour ? | What's the dish of the day? | |
| Qu'est-ce que c'est ? | What is it? | |
| Je vais prendre la formule entrée-plat. | I'll have the starter-and-main set menu. | |
| Je vais prendre ça, s'il vous plaît. | I'll have this, please. | |
| Saignant / à point / bien cuit, s'il vous plaît. | Rare / medium / well done, please. | The answer to "Quelle cuisson ?". À point is pink in the middle, between medium-rare and medium: French steaks come rarer than in the UK or the US. |
| Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît. | A jug of tap water, please. | Free with a meal. |
| Un verre de vin rouge, s'il vous plaît. | A glass of red wine, please. | |
| Un demi, s'il vous plaît. | A small draught beer, please. | A demi is 25 cl. For about half a litre, ask for une pinte. |
Dietary needs & allergies
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Je suis végétarien / végétarienne. | I'm vegetarian. | |
| Je suis végan / végane. | I'm vegan. | |
| Je suis allergique aux arachides. | I'm allergic to peanuts. | In everyday speech you'll also hear cacahuètes. |
| Je suis allergique aux fruits à coque. | I'm allergic to tree nuts. | Fruits à coque covers walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios and other tree nuts. |
| Je suis allergique aux crustacés et aux mollusques. | I'm allergic to shellfish. | |
| Je suis cœliaque, je ne peux pas manger de gluten. | I'm coeliac: I can't eat gluten. | |
| Il y a des produits laitiers dedans ? | Is there any dairy in it? | |
| Sans beurre, s'il vous plaît. | Without butter, please. | Sans (without) works with any ingredient: sans oignon, sans fromage. |
| Je peux avoir la sauce à part ? | Could I have the sauce on the side? |
During the meal
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| S'il vous plaît ! | Excuse me! | Said with eye contact or a raised hand, this is how you call the waiter. Never "Garçon !". |
| On pourrait avoir encore un peu de pain ? | Could we have some more bread? | |
| C'était délicieux. | It was delicious. |
Paying
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | The bill, please. |
| Je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
| On peut payer séparément ? | Can we pay separately? |
| Gardez la monnaie. | Keep the change. |
Etiquette
- Say "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir" when you walk in and when the waiter first comes over. Skipping the greeting is the most common faux pas.
- In restaurants, wait to be shown to a table; in cafés and bars you can usually take any free table.
- Call the waiter with eye contact or "S'il vous plaît". Shouting "Garçon !" is outdated and rude.
- Prices include service (service compris). A tip is optional: round up or leave a few euros for good service.
- A carafe of tap water and bread are free with a meal. Bread often sits on the tablecloth rather than on a side plate.
- The bill only comes when you ask for it. Waiters leave you alone on purpose, and lingering is normal.
- Lunch is served from about 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from about 19:00, and many kitchens close in between. Service continu means food all day.
- Cheese comes before dessert, and coffee is served after dessert rather than with it.
Let your phone say the order
If you'd rather not attempt the dish names yourself, scan the menu with MenuGuide, add the dishes you want to your order and tap Speak My Order: the app reads your whole order aloud in French. You can also show the order on screen in French or share it. It speaks the full order rather than single words, so the phrases above still help with everything else, from the greeting to the bill.
MenuGuide also flags dishes that may contain the allergens you've chosen. 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.
Before you go, read our guide to French menus to know what entrée, plat and formule will look like on the page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you order food in French?
Greet first with "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir", then name the dish after "Je vais prendre…" (I'll have…) or "Je voudrais…" (I would like…), and add "s'il vous plaît". For example: "Je vais prendre le plat du jour, s'il vous plaît." If you're ordering a set menu, say which formule you want, such as entrée-plat.
How do you ask for the bill in French?
Say "L'addition, s'il vous plaît" (the bill, please). French waiters don't bring the bill until you ask, because rushing guests is considered rude. If you want to pay separately, ask at the same time: "On peut payer séparément ?" Card payment is widely accepted, and the waiter usually brings the terminal to your table.
How do you say I'm allergic in French?
Say "Je suis allergique" followed by the allergen: aux arachides (peanuts), aux fruits à coque (tree nuts), aux crustacés (crustaceans), au lait (milk) or aux œufs (eggs). The phrase is the same for men and women. For coeliac disease, say "Je suis cœliaque". French restaurants must be able to tell you the allergens in each dish.
How do you call a waiter in France?
Make eye contact or raise your hand slightly and say "S'il vous plaît" or "Excusez-moi". Don't call out "Garçon !", which is outdated and comes across as rude, and don't snap your fingers. French waiters tend not to interrupt you, so if you need something, it's fine to catch their eye as they pass.
