Kitchen Geekery has produced this handy guide to explain all the French menu words and terminology – perfect for that trip to Paris – or that new French restaurant!
This is an extensive list of French menu words, so it could also be an invaluable resource for anyone looking to learn enough French to get by during a French meal, or enjoying a meal at a French speaking restaurant.
The Drinks Menu
Aperitif
An alcoholic drink served before dinner, popular examples are; the Vesper Martini, Dubonnet cocktail or French Martini.
Avec des glaçons
“With ice” or “On the rocks”.
La biére
Beer
Une bouteille
A bottle
Le café
Coffee (typically Espresso)
Une carafe
A glass bottle (usually of wine)
La carte de vins
The wine list
Le cidre
Cider
Le jus
Juice
Le Kir
White wine with cassis or blackberry syrup
Un pichet
A small pitcher (usually of wine)
Keep reading to learn about popular French menu terms for meat, fish and more…
Beef/Veal/Pork & Other French Meat Terms
This includes beef, pork, veal, pâté, seafood and the ever famous frogs legs. Just remember that sometimes something new can be better than expected to what place than to try French food, than in a proper French restaurant!
À point
(Cooked) Medium rare
Bien cuit
(Cooked) Well done
Bleu, saignant
(Cooked) Rare (“blue” or “bleeding”)
Le bifteck
Steak
À la broche
Cooked on a skewer
Carbonnisée
Burned to a crisp (think carbonised!)
Le cassoulet
Rich meat and bean casserole
La charcuterie
An assortment of cured and dried meats
Les cuisses de grenouille
Frogs’ legs, a delicacy in French and Chinese cuisine.
Les escargots
Snails served in-shell with garlic-parsley butter
Le foie
Liver
Les huitres
Oysters
Les moules
Mussels
Le pâté
Liver mousse
Les rognons de veaux
Veal kidneys
Une saucisse/Saucisson
A Sausage (similar to chorizo)
Le steak tartare
Seasoned, finely chopped raw beef
Le tête de veau
Veal head
Une tranche
A slice
Le veau
Veal
La viande
Meat (any kind).
French Poultry/Chicken phrases
Chicken is a staple of menus the world over – and France is no different, this section is devoted to the humble chicken.
Les ailes de poulet
Chicken wings
Le blanc de poulet
Chicken breast
Le coq au vin
Chicken in red wine sauce
Le consommé du volaille
Chicken broth
Le coquelet
Young male chicken
La cuisse
Dark meat
La poulard
Young female chicken
Le poulet/poule
Chicken
Le poulet rôti:
Roast chicken
La volaille
White meat
On the next page we have even more common French menu words…
Common French menu words
These are some staple phrases found on a typical French menu, along with a few other ones you may encounter on your travels – better to be prepared!
L’amuse-bouche
A bite-sized hors d’oeuvre, compliments of the chef
Le beurre
Butter
Les coquilles Saint-Jacques
Scallops
Les oeufs
Eggs
Le pain
Bread
Les pâtes
Pasta – not to be confused with pâté a mousse made from liver.
Keep reading to learn about popular French menu terms for how things are cooked and some useful general purpose terms…
French words for how food is prepared
Want to know how that meat is cooked? This handy list should be of use.
Au gratin
Baked with cheese and breadcrumbs
À votre goût
To your liking.
En cocotte
Cooked in a covered baking dish
Confit
Cooked in fat (either its own or the fat of something else)
En croute
Wrapped in pastry
En papillote
Literally “enveloped in paper”, often fish is wrapped in paper and steamed; we have a delicious recipe for salmon en papillote.
Farci
Stuffed
Frit(e)
Fried
Fumé
Smoked
Haché
Ground (meat)
Un méli-mélo
An assortment
Un morceau
A piece
Piquant
Spicy
Au pistou
With basil
Provençal
Cooked with tomatoes, anchovies and olives.
Rôti
Roasted
À la vapeur
Steamed
Keep reading to learn about the rest of the popular French menu words and phrases people often encounter…
Bonus French menu words
Almost done! These are more general purpose, but still useful French words commonly used in a restaurant setting – or enough to make a polite attempt at the local lingo anyway!
L’addition
The check (must be requested)
Allergique
Allergic
Et pour la madame/mademoiselle…
…And for the Mrs./Miss
L’assiette
Plate
La carte/le ménu
The menu
Les champignons
Mushrooms
Compris/Inclus
Included
Le cornichon
A dill pickle or a small pickle (As in tiny!), accompanies charcuterie or even some cocktails.
La cuisine
The kitchen
La dégustation
Tasting menu
Le déjeuner
Lunch
Délicieux
Delicious
Le dîner
Dinner
Du jour
Of the day, as in catch of the day or soup of the day.
Le fromage
Cheese
Le petit déjeuner
Breakfast
Le poisson
Fish
Les pommes de terre (ground apples!)
Potatoes
Le pourboire
Tip. A basic gratuity is almost always included in French restaurants, and is listed as servis compris, or service included.
Le serveur/la serveuse
Waiter/waitress
Végétalien
Vegan