The most popular French menu words explained

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